Frontline Voices: diagnosing the disconnect – The Women, Peace and Security agenda

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Peace, Security & Defence

07May2025

starts 14:30

ends 16:00

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As the UN Resolution on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) approaches its 25th anniversary, the credibility of its global implementation is facing increasing scrutiny. Despite formal commitments from over 100 countries and major institutions – including the EU, NATO and the UN – the agenda continues to struggle with turning rhetoric into reality. More worryingly, the very relevance of the WPS agenda itself is now being questioned.

Armed conflicts are more widespread today than at any point since World War II. From Ukraine to Gaza, women continue to bear the brunt of violence, while remaining sidelined in decision-making spaces. In Ukraine, women have increasingly stepped into leadership roles across civil society and the military, but structural obstacles persist in formal peace negotiations and security institutions. These dynamics reveal the widening gap between the WPS agenda’s ambitions and its tangible outcomes.

In this context, Friends of Europe launches Frontline Voices: women shaping peace and security. This initiative brings together frontline actors, policymakers, defence officials and civil society to bridge the implementation gap. Participation is by invitation to ensure a focused and impactful exchange among key stakeholders.

Through three expert working group sessions and a high-level launch event in Brussels, the project will generate practical recommendations and contribute to a more inclusive, accountable, and effective global WPS framework.

This activity is supported by Department of National Defence, Canada via the Mobilizing Insights in Defence and Security (MINDS) programme.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Shutterstock| Halfpoint

The opinions expressed by individuals engaged in this project who are external to the Government of Canada do not reflect the opinions or positions of the Government of Canada.

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Mary Fitzgerald is a researcher and analyst specialising in the Mediterranean region with a particular focus on Libya. She has consulted for a number of international organisations including in the areas of peacebuilding and civil society. She has worked with the International Crisis Group (ICG), the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) and the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) among others. She is a Non-Resident Scholar at the Middle East Institute in Washington DC, an Associate Fellow at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation, King’s College London and an Associate Fellow at ISPI in Milan. Mary has also worked on wider initiatives with UNESCO, the Anna Lindh Foundation, the British Council and other cultural organisations. Her writing has appeared in publications including Foreign Policy, The New Yorker, The Washington Post, Financial Times and The Guardian.

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