{"id":38522,"date":"2018-04-13T12:35:20","date_gmt":"2018-04-13T02:35:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/?p=38522"},"modified":"2018-04-13T14:10:41","modified_gmt":"2018-04-13T04:10:41","slug":"wps-2018-dispelling-myths-identifying-future-action","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wps-2018-dispelling-myths-identifying-future-action\/","title":{"rendered":"WPS 2018: Dispelling myths and identifying future action"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/figure>\n

This article is the eleventh and last in a series on \u2018Women, Peace and Security\u2019 that\u00a0<\/em>The Strategist\u00a0has published in recognition of International Women\u2019s Day 2018. Eds.<\/em><\/p>\n

Since International Women\u2019s Day this year, ASPI has been running a series of pieces<\/a> about a range of national and domestic security issues as they relate to women\u2019s participation, engagement, leadership and perspectives on what is commonly known as the \u2018women, peace and security (WPS) agenda\u2019.<\/p>\n

Many of these pieces focused on some of the steps taken<\/a> to implement Australia\u2019s current National Action Plan (NAP) on WPS, as well as identifying potential reforms relating to the range of issues covered<\/a>, civil society consultation mechanisms<\/a> and parliamentary engagement mechanisms<\/a> that need to form part of Australia\u2019s next NAP.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a lot Australia can learn from other countries<\/a> as it starts to revise the NAP. And Australia has lessons it can share with other countries. But there are several key challenges that need to be addressed if Australia is to ensure that it continues to gain ground on WPS<\/a> and resist some international efforts to roll back progress on women\u2019s equality and progress on peace and security.<\/p>\n

First, WPS isn\u2019t just relevant to the external aspects<\/a> of Australia\u2019s security, but also requires consideration of what\u2019s happening within Australia\u2019s borders. This has been a key finding from civil society report cards<\/a> on the NAP, which have frequently highlighted the importance of consulting women on their own perceptions of security, as well as developing \u2018a domestic program built around addressing inequality\u2019. Yet for now, domestic security considerations aren\u2019t a key consideration in the NAP.<\/p>\n

Australia isn\u2019t alone in this externally focused approach. Many Western and European countries that don\u2019t suffer from internal conflict or post-conflict challenges historically do the same. Yet security issues such as violent extremism, terrorism and migration have started to fundamentally shift thinking about this approach.<\/p>\n

For Australia, this means that there\u2019s a role not only for DFAT, Defence and AFP in foreign policy, deployments or offshore activities, but also for agencies that have a domestic focus, such as Home Affairs<\/a>. Those agencies need to step up and engage substantively in committing to WPS.<\/p>\n

Second, there\u2019s a need for sustainable funding and accountability across government to implement the agenda. The UN experience has shown that despite the international political commitment to WPS, battles continue to be fought in the budgetary committee about funding key posts<\/a> in the field in delivering the agenda.<\/p>\n

There has been some progress in Australia. Take the example of DFAT\u2019s Gender Equality and Women\u2019s Empowerment Strategy<\/a>, which commits the department to ensuring that 80%\u00a0of aid investment must address gender issues. While the success of this as a benchmark is yet to be measured, it\u2019s a step in the right direction.<\/p>\n

Parliament plays a particularly key role in making sure that there\u2019s accountability across government in delivering on WPS commitments. Recommendations<\/a> put forward by Gai Brodtmann and Linda Reynolds identify a bipartisan approach to ensuring that WPS receives more priority at the highest levels of government thinking on security, and warrants particular attention.<\/p>\n

Third, WPS needs to be included as a core part of international security discussions when formulating foreign<\/a> and defence policy. WPS is often forgotten<\/a> during a crisis, or given less priority in discussions around so-called \u2018hard security\u2019 issues. It has historically been a \u2018nice to have\u2019 item that\u2019s sidelined\u2014left to be discussed by a group of women with an interest in it rather than being considered as a key part of the agenda.<\/p>\n

WPS isn\u2019t simply a \u2018soft\u2019 security issue, a \u2018women\u2019s issue\u2019 or a \u2018UN issue\u2019. In the context of a military operation, failure to consider gender perspectives can have dire consequences for overall outcomes and mission success. Gender perspectives need to be considered at the outset of any policy analyses, international engagement programs, mission planning and intelligence assessments.<\/p>\n

Defence\u2019s commitment to operationalising the agenda<\/a> has seen it make considerable strides in addressing some of these deficits, yet there\u2019s still more work to be done to ensure that WPS is a routine consideration, rather than an exception.<\/p>\n

Finally, there\u2019s a need to have a diversity of voices at the table. Women aren\u2019t homogeneous, and neither are their views or perspectives on security issues. Indigenous groups, \u00a0refugees<\/a> and veterans<\/a> are just some of the groups that have previously been overlooked. We have to be careful that the way we frame the women, peace and security agenda isn\u2019t framed by traditional masculine notions of security<\/a>. That requires that women be represented and take part in the discussion.<\/p>\n

The WPS 2018 series\u2014like most analyses on WPS\u2014contained an overwhelming number of female contributors, reversing the usual underrepresentation of women in security debates. This therefore provides a good opportunity to encourage any female analysts, academics, practitioners or experts out there to contact our editorial team<\/a> to contribute to The Strategist<\/em>.<\/p>\n

More women and greater diversity in those contributing to the debate will only serve to strengthen the nature of our discussions around international security, including Australia\u2019s approach to WPS.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This article is the eleventh and last in a series on \u2018Women, Peace and Security\u2019 that\u00a0The Strategist\u00a0has published in recognition of International Women\u2019s Day 2018. Eds. 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