In Focus: The Women, Peace and Security agenda
Date:
25 Years of UNSCR 1325: Honoring Legacy, Advancing the Women Peace and Security Agenda in East and Southern Africa
Twenty-five years ago, under the helm of Namibia presidency of the UN Security Council, a bold coalition of women’s rights advocates, peace-builders and Member States made history at the UN Security Council, adopting United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325), the first landmark resolution that make up the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda. UNSCR 1325 recognized a fundamental truth: lasting peace is impossible without women’s full and equal participation. It acknowledged the disproportionate and devastating impact of conflict on women and girls, but more importantly emphasized placing their leadership at the center of prevention, peacebuilding and recovery efforts.
The WPS agenda, made up UNSCR 1325 and nine subsequent resolutions is built on evidence: when women lead, peace is more inclusive, more durable, and more just. Today, UN Women continues to stand with women in the region, by amplifying their voices, supporting their leadership, agency and ensuring their contributions shape peace and security processes in the region and beyond.
OPEN LETTERS FROM YOUNG WOMEN PEACEBUILDERS
STORIES
The global context is increasingly alarming. Conflicts are at their highest levels since 1946, with 676 million women and girls, about 17% of the world’s female population, living within 50 kilometers of deadly conflict. The number of women and children killed in armed conflict has quadrupled compared to the previous two-year period, while global military spending has surged to USD 2.7 trillion, marking the steepest annual rise since the end of the Cold War. At the same time, over 122 million people have been forcibly displaced, including about 60 million women and girls, and women in fragile contexts are 7.7 times more likely to live in extreme poverty than those in stable regions. Meanwhile, nearly one-quarter of countries report a backlash against women’s rights and gender equality, further eroding progress. Funding for women-led organizations is shrinking, and many peace negotiations continue to exclude women entirely, threatening to undo the hard-won gains and progress towards attaining gender equality and inclusive peace and security.
The region faces a convergence of interlinked challenges, from competition over natural resources, widening economic disparities, political instability, and the persistent threats of violent extremism and terrorism. These dynamics are further compounded by mass displacement, climate change, natural disasters, and recurring humanitarian crises, all of which continue to challenge the resilience of Member States, communities and women.
In response, the East and Southern Africa regions continue to demonstrate strong leadership in advancing the WPS agenda, particularly through:
• Women-led peace-building initiatives
• Localization of National Action Plans (NAPs)
• Normative progress in legal and policy frameworks
Sudan today accounts for nearly 22% of Africa’s total humanitarian needs, a figure driven by relentless conflict and displacement. Yet, amid the crisis, Sudanese women peacebuilders remain at the forefront, organzing humanitarian response, mediating local disputes, documenting human right violations, including conflict related sexual violence, demanding ceasefire, and accountability.
In Uganda and Burundi, women have taken center stage in community stabilization and post-conflict recovery, building on the country’s strong record of refugee integration and local peacebuilding. Through community-based mediation networks, women mediators have resolved more than 10,000 conflicts, strengthened social cohesion and prevented the escalation of violence.
South Africa’s women-led justice initiatives supporting survivors of gender-based violence and xenophobic attacks. In Mozambique women are leading efforts to protect civilians and rebuild communities in fragile settings through survivor-centered approaches and access to justice. In South Sudan, for instance, women shaped the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict (R-ARCSS) by securing gender-sensitive provisions, while in Somalia, women mobilized as the “6th Clan” to influence political dialogue and claim their rights Women in the region have also shown extraordinary resilience, as peacebuilders, mediators, and defenders of their communities, clearly demonstrating that women are not mere victims of conflict, but active participants to conflict prevention and lasting peace 25 years after the adoption of UNSCR 1325, Africa returned to Windhoek, Namibia, where the Resolution was first championed, to reflect on progress and renew commitment to the WPS Agenda.
Leaders, peacebuilders, civil society, and youth from across the continent gathered to celebrate women’s leadership in peace and security and confront the unfinished work ahead. The gathering culminated in the adoption of the Windhoek+25 Declaration, reaffirming Africa’s leadership and collective efforts to advance the WPS agenda. The Declaration calls for institutionalizing women’s leadership in peace and security and governance through quotas, and for addressing gender-based violence as a central peace and security priority through survivor-centered approaches and stronger justice and support systems.
It also emphasizes integrating gender perspectives in early warning, climate security, and post-conflict recovery, backed by sustainable financing and intergenerational inclusion that empowers young women and men as agents of peace. With a strong call to action, the Windhoek+25 Declaration urges governments, regional bodies, and partners to renew commitments, ensure accountability, and secure the next 25 years of inclusive and sustainable peace driven by women’s full and equal participation. UN Women is committed to work with partners to ensure the promise made 25 years ago becomes a lived reality for every woman and girl of the region.
As world leaders mark 25 years since resolution 1325, this is an unmissable opportunity to fully enact, invest and recommit to the Women, Peace and Security agenda. Over the next five years, real change is possible.
Watch the 6 October 2025 UN Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security here.
EVENTS
Namibia
