Prioritizing the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda in the First Hundred Days
Since the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) recognizing the vital role of women in peacebuilding, peacekeeping, and post-conflict recovery, the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Agenda has gained global recognition. In the two decades since, the United States (U.S.) has taken steps to elevate WPS in its foreign and national security policies. In particular, in 2011, President Obama launched the first U.S. National Action Plan on WPS via executive order, which was subsequently updated in 2016. In 2018, Congress enacted the landmark WPS Act. In 2019, pursuant to the WPS Act, the Trump Administration released the U.S. Strategy on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS Strategy). In 2020, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), as well as the Departments of Defense, State, and Homeland Security, as required by the WPS Act, rolled-out agency-specific implementation plans to operationalize the WPS Strategy.