Australia thanks Mozambique for organizing an open discussion on women, security, and peace.
As the 25th anniversary of adopting Resolution 1325 approaches, we are reminded of how far we have come as a global community and how far we still have to go.
Our collective commitment to developing gender equality and WPS must continue to be a top priority as the world deals with conflicts and challenges to peace and security like pandemics and climate change.
As the Women’s Peace and Security agenda clarifies, our capacity to handle these issues is enhanced if we have the broadest representation of our society’s leaders at the decision-making table.
When we take systemic, persistent action and provide the four WPS pillars with enough funding, we will attain and preserve peace and security more successfully.
This involves the full and equal participation and leadership of women and girls, as well as individuals with various gender identities, in the military, peacekeeping operations, and the security sector. Also, gender must be consistently and deliberately mainstreamed throughout peace and security procedures.
We must be aware of the effects the climate catastrophe has had and will continue to have on international peace and security as we respond to it. This begins with acknowledging that women and girls can be disproportionately affected by the effects of climate issues and natural disasters.
Additionally, the WPS agenda offers a precise structure for coordinating our activities. As a result, the skills, knowledge, attributes, and leadership of women, girls, and people with various gender identities are essential for advancing change-driven tactics.
Addressing gender-based violence, including sexual violence in conflict, is necessary to advance the WPS agenda. We must collaborate with civil society and aid human rights advocates to accomplish this effectively. Australia does this through its collaboration with the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund, regional networks of women peace mediators, and support for the creation and execution of national & regional action plans for the WPS.
