"Women, Peace, and Security" Initiatives Are National Security Initiatives

Feb 19, 2020 | Alexandra A.K. Melse
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Welcome to today’s symposium, “National Security as a Feminist Issue: Twenty Years of Women, Peace, and Security Initiatives.” In recognition of UN Security Council Resolution 1325’s impending twentieth anniversary, our program today seeks to introduce participants to Women, Peace, and Security (“WPS”) initiatives and explore how far the global community has come towards realizing the Resolution’s goals.

As we’ve been planning this program over the last few months, I’ve lost count of the number of times mention of Women, Peace, and Security (“WPS”) has been met with eye rolls, presumptions that WPS is only another word for “diversity,” and questions whether WPS means making women register for the Draft. Rarely do people respond in a way that connects WPS to national security strategy. I’ve gone so far as to joke about getting a T-shirt made that says “WPS Is a Thing” in big letters.