RESDAL achieved a global audience at the webinar “The Future of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda: A Crisis or an Opportunity?”

On August 5, 2025, RESDAL and Monash University’s Global Peace and Security research hub (Monash GPS) co-hosted the webinar “The Future of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda: A Crisis or an Opportunity?”, with the support of Global Affairs Canada through the Elsie Initiative Fund. 

RESDAL achieved a global audience, bringing together 369 participants from 60 countries across eight regions – Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, MENA, Europe, North America, and Oceania. Attendees included members of the armed forces and police institutions, government entities, the judiciary, UN agencies, academia, and civil society. This diverse international and multisectoral composition turned the webinar into a dynamic space for interregional dialogue and knowledge exchange. 

Moderated by Dr. Eleanor Gordon, Director of Monash’s GPS Department, the event was part of the series “Interregional Conversations from the Global South”, a cycle led by RESDAL within the framework of the project Women in Peace Operations: Supporting Inclusive Environments through Interregional Collaboration and National Engagement. 

Organized and driven by RESDAL since 2025, this cycle has strengthened South–South and South–North cooperation and demonstrated the importance of sustaining spaces for dialogue and exchange on the Women, Peace and Security Agenda. Panelists highlighted that the Elsie Initiative has been a genuine factor of change and transformation in their countries, creating more inclusive and sustainable conditions for women’s participation in peace operations. 

The panel brought together Col. (Dr.) Kulwant Kumar Sharma, Visiting Fellow at the United Service Institution of India; Col. Ratih Pusparini, Head of International Cooperation at the National Resilience Institute of the Republic of Indonesia; Col. (rtd.) Roberto Gil, Presidential Advisor of the IAPTC; and Dr. Fiifi Edu-Afful, Senior Researcher at PACAV–UNIDIR. Together, they ensured a balanced, interregional discussion that combined perspectives from the military, academia, and policy sectors. 

The exchange revolved around the extent to which the Women, Peace and Security Agenda has been integrated into defense and security institutions, the different approaches, achievements, and challenges emerging in the Global South, as well as the impact of setbacks in parts of the Global North. Participants debated whether this represents a crisis or, rather, an opportunity for renewed and more robust engagement. They also reflected on the future of the agenda and the steps needed to move beyond rhetoric toward real and meaningful transformation. 

The debate showed that while in some Global North contexts the Women, Peace and Security Agenda faces criticism and reduced visibility, in many Global South countries it is gaining stronger national ownership. Challenges persist, however, including perceptions of the agenda as externally imposed, uneven military engagement, and dependence on international funding. 

The discussion underlined that women’s roles in peace and security must move beyond the symbolic and become embedded in decision-making, leadership, and institutional practices. Quotas were highlighted as a pragmatic mechanism to accelerate participation and normalize women’s leadership, while context-specific approaches grounded in local realities were seen as essential to ensuring legitimacy and sustainability. 

Examples from Indonesia, India, Uruguay, and Ghana reflected both progress and limitations. Advances in recruitment, training, and gender mainstreaming are taking place, though unevenly. The support of high-level male allies was identified as crucial to open doors, while women’s agency, preparedness, and leadership remain central to advancing the agenda. 

The key message of consensus was that the Women, Peace and Security Agenda is not in decline but stands at a crossroads. Its future will depend on sustained political will, military engagement, and civil society activism. As one participant noted: “The Global South is taking the lead in advancing the Women, Peace and Security Agenda. The key now is sustaining that engagement.” 

Global participation
Latin America and the Caribbean (14 countries): Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela.

Africa (20 countries): Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Togo, Uganda, Zimbabwe.

Asia (9 countries): Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste.

MENA (6 countries): Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia.

Europe (6 countries): France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom.

North America (2 countries): Canada, United States.

Oceania (2 countries): Australia, New Zealand.