Women Lead and Benefit from Protection

This policy brief highlights the findings of a study conducted in Uganda to establish perceptions and knowledge of UNSCR 1325, twenty years (20) years after the resolution was adopted. The policy brief focuses on Pillar number 2 of UNSCR 1325 which calls specifically for the protection of women and girls from sexual and gender-based violence, including in emergency and humanitarian situations, such as in refugee camps and settlements.

UN member states implement UNSCR 1325 through the development of a National Action Plan (NAP). By 2021, ninety-eight (98) countries globally had formulated NAPs that would aid in the realization of the Women Peace Security agenda. Uganda has demonstrated this commitment to UNSCR 1325 through the development and implementation of the first National Action Plan

(NAPI) 2008-2010, the second NAP 2011-2015, and now the third NAP 2021 - 2025. Additional- ly, different districts have formulated their local action plans and the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD) is committed to aiding those districts that have not moved in this direction.

Uganda's NAP Ill WPS 2021 - 2025 aims at ensuring sustained peace and security through enhanced meaningful participation of women in peace and development processes. The NAP I provides a strategic framework, through the WPS agenda, to mainstream UNSCR 1325 into national development and peace strategies, with the focus on strengthening the effective roles of women in the achievement of long-lasting peace in Uganda (MGLSD, 2021). Specifical- ly, Uganda's NAP Ill aims to: Prevent all forms of violence and promote peace within families, communities, and the nation; Promote meaningful participation of women in leadership and governance at all levels; Strengthen the capacity of women to mitigate and prevent natural and human-made disasters, and strengthen the institutional and coordination mechanism for WPS agenda at all levels.