Women, Peace and Security

Moving past the theoretical by drawing together the real-life experiences, reflections and lessons of male leaders from the Australian Defence Force, the Australian Federal Police and civilians.

An introductory overview to support prevention and response efforts.

Women’s leadership and collective action have changed the world by combatting violence against women and building equality. Women’s leadership is central to reconciliation and conflict resolution and to peacebuilding efforts that bring results for families and communities.

With the exception of Papua New Guinea, the number of illicit small arms likely to be in circulation in Western Pacific island countries is not particularly large or widespread. The region remains relatively ‘gun free’ as Philip Alpers’ recently proclaimed.

Consultation with, and the leadership of, women and gender diverse people is a fundamental underpinning of the WPS agenda. Action to secure peace and security is strengthened when it draws from diverse knowledge, perspectives, and experiences, and the Australian Government has explicitly committed to support women and girls’ capacity to speak out, be heard, innovate, and drive change.

Between November 2018 and November 2019, the primary author conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews with 100 Syrian women in Jordan and Lebanon – host countries for large numbers of Syrian refugees (along with many Palestinian and Iraqi refugees) – and in Australia. The women were between the ages of 18 and 63; most were in their 30s and 40s. The primary author also interviewed people working with Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon.