A Better World Volume 1

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This maximalist interpretation of the WPS agenda establishes

three broad categories for action, namely protection and human

rights issues; peace and security issues; and gender equality and

the empowerment of women issues. These categories overlap,

are context-specific, and are mutually supportive. For instance,

investing in post-conflict governance generally contributes to

all three categories; however, when designed under the context

of a WPS agenda, its contributions are better guaranteed to

respond to women, peace and security priorities.

To achieve the commendable dual goal of the WPS agenda,

a new generation of development policies, institutions and

working methods is needed. They need to be viable, effec-

tive and conducive particularly in fragile and conflict-affected

settings such as those of the Arab region today. This requires us

to think of the factors that underscore the fragility of develop-

ment gains in the face of instability and conflict, and how to

invest in policies, institutions and systems that are resilient and

able to advance the WPS agenda including in times of volatility.

This question underscores much of the thinking on WPS

across the Arab region. Several states have initiated the design

and implementation of national action plans dedicated to the

WPS agenda, listing activities that fall under the three pillars of

WPS, albeit focusing mainly on the third pillar on the advance-

ment of women. However, these national actions plans are

unique and represent a leap forward in the sense that their

cross-sectoral approach includes actions falling within the

mandates of civilian as well as security sector actors. These

actions range from combating violence against women and

provision of social services, to terrorism prevention and peace-

keeping. These national action plans therefore represent a new

generation of development policies that include peace and

security elements at their core, thereby representing the new

mindset of peace for development and development for peace.

A case in point is the Iraq national action plan on WPS. This

action plan included a range of activities that go beyond the

advancement of women per se. For example the action plan

includes particular activities to promote women’s participa-

tion in security sector activities such as war theatre planning

and activities during live combat operations. In fact, the emer-

gency national action plan, devised as a spin-off of the national

action to mitigate the impacts of military operations against

the Islamic State on civilian populations, went a step further to

include gender sensitization, capacity development, and miti-

gation measures focusing on military commanders and officers

participating in this offensive prior to their deployment.

Another example is from Palestine, where the national

action plan on WPS was developed through two tracks. The

first is a government-led track with civil society participation,

while the second is a purely civil society track. The Palestine

national action plan has included a particular emphasis on

highlighting and documenting the human rights violations

committed by Israeli occupation against Palestinian women

and girls, towards the international prosecution to end the de

facto impunity and deliver justice.

While these two examples showcase how national action

plans were designed to advance both developmental as well as

peace and security goals, the new paradigm also includes a shift

in the design, structures and working methods of institutions

Women have joined pro-government militias to fight against coup forces trying to overtake the Yemeni city of Taiz

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