Latest news with #WomenPeaceandSecurity
Business Insider
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Insider
Four key roles for women that will make the world a better place
Women make up 50 percent of the global population, and studies show that when they participate in political life, economic and security outcomes improve for everyone in society. But showing up and participating are just the start. Research demonstrates there are four key ways in which women create meaningful change in their communities worldwide. Participation: Why Women's Voices Make Peace Endure When women are part of peace deals and decision-making processes, peace lasts longer. It's not enough to protect women and girls from violence in conflict zones. When women contribute to peaceful resolutions to conflict, they can prevent violence from escalating again. This was the case in Northern Ireland in the 1990s, where women proved instrumental in shaping the Good Friday Agreement, ending decades of sectarian violence through the collective action of the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition. Prevention: How Women's Coalitions Are Changing the Course of Conflict Incorporating women in conflict prevention efforts globally helps stop escalation of violence in the first place. This often takes the form of governments engaging civic organizations led by women, religious leaders, teachers and others in calling for nonviolence. In Mali, Case de la Paix, a multi-ethnic and multi-community coalition of 76 women's associations, has actively worked for regional security, political stability and social cohesion since 2013. Protection: Ending Violence to Strengthen Peace Prioritizing the safety of women is central for peace and security for all people. Terrorist groups and gangs use sexual violence as a tool to gain control over communities. When international observers monitor sexual violence, this can de-escalate a conflict. When authorities prosecute these cases, communities recover faster. Since the 2022 invasion by Russia, Ukrainian women and girls, who have faced increased risk of gender-based violence (GBV), conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), and human trafficking, have mobilized to establish criminal accountability and transitional justice for survivors. In 2022, Ukraine's War Crime Unit created a specialized CRSV department led by a female prosecutor. Studies show that women's inclusion in peacekeeping leads to improved operational effectiveness in conflict settings. Women peacekeepers often have better access to communities and can help build trust with local populations, especially women, resulting in greater stability and cooperation. This helps communities recover faster from violent conflict. Despite this, according to UN Peacekeeping, women made up only 30 percent of civilian personnel in peacekeeping operations and 7.9 percent of military, police, justice and corrections personnel in field missions. These four key areas form the foundation of the Women Peace and Security framework. Participation, protection, prevention, relief and recovery are rooted in United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 1325 passed in 2000. The Women, Peace and Security agenda has since been strengthened through the adoption of nine subsequent UNSC resolutions supporting the recognition of women's priorities in peace and security decision-making. The clear relationship between women's participation and security at both national and international levels creates a more peaceful world. It stands as both a moral and strategic imperative. Countries with high levels of inequality between men and women are more than twice as likely to be fragile states. By continuing to champion the WPS agenda, the United States can strengthen its leadership in promoting effective security strategies for itself while making the world more peaceful.
Politico
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Hegseth cancels Pentagon program. It was signed into law by Trump.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday he will wind down a program at the Pentagon that boosts the participation of women in peace building and conflict prevention efforts that President Donald Trump signed into law in his first term. In a post on X, Hegseth called the Women Peace and Security program at the Defense Department 'yet another woke divisive/social justice/Biden initiative that overburdens our commanders and troops — distracting from our core task: WAR-FIGHTING.' He went on to call it a 'UNITED NATIONS program pushed by feminists and left-wing activists.' Hegseth said the Pentagon would comply with the minimum requirements of the program under federal statute and then lobby to kill the program during the appropriations process. His attack on the program is especially notable since Trump signed the program into law and multiple members of Trump's current cabinet backed the effort as members of Congress. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, then a member of Congress from South Dakota, wrote the House version of the 2017 Women, Peace and Security Act alongside Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.). Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a former Florida senator, co-sponsored that chamber's version of the law. That bill codified the 'women, peace and security' agenda and its priorities across the State Department, Pentagon and other government agencies into U.S. law. As recently as this month, Rubio hailed Trump's decision to sign the Women, Peace and Security Act, describing it as 'the first law passed by any country in the world focused on protecting women and promoting their participation in society.' National security adviser Mike Waltz was not in Congress when the 2017 law was signed, but he supported subsequent legislation to bolster the 'women, peace and security' agenda and served as the co-chair of the bipartisan Women, Peace and Security Caucus. The White House did not respond to a request for comment about whether the administration supports Hegseth's actions. Democrats were quick to condemn Hegseth's move. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), who co-wrote the Senate version of the 2017 legislation with Rubio, said in a statement Tuesday that Hegseth's actions are part of 'a dangerous and disturbing pattern from the Secretary, who clearly does not listen to advice from senior military leaders. He also continues to ignore the invaluable role women play in our national security. It's startling that just because the word 'women' is in the title, this evidence-based security program has been reduced to a DEI program.' Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) pointed to expressions of support from Trump's pick to be chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Lt. Gen. Dan Caine, who hailed the program during his confirmation hearing earlier this year. 'The fact that he claims that it's a Biden issue when it is an initiative that was supported unanimously by a Republican majority of the Senate and 'troops hate it' when the newly confirmed head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff testifies to its value, I find shocking,' Kaine said.
Japan Today
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Japan Today
Hegseth boasts about ending 'woke' program on women and security that Trump had signed into law
President Donald Trump listens as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks at a cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House, Thursday, April 10, 2025, in Washington (Pool via AP) By TARA COPP and FARNOUSH AMIRI U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth boasted on social media Tuesday that he had dismantled a program supporting women on security teams — and may not have realized the program he tried to break was not a Biden-era initiative but instead a celebrated program signed into law by his boss, President Donald Trump. Hegseth in a post on X called the 'Women, Peace & Security' program at the Department of Defense "a UNITED NATIONS program pushed by feminists and left-wing activists. Politicians fawn over it; troops HATE it.' It was, in fact, bipartisan legislation that Trump signed into law in 2017 that recognized the role women have in achieving security objectives, especially in situations overseas where their male counterparts may not for cultural reasons be able to question or would not for religious reasons have direct access to women. Trump's own cabinet officials supported the program when it was working its way through the legislative process. This month, Gen. Dan Caine, the new Joint Chiefs Chairman, told Congress that the program had helped troops in battle. 'When we would go out into the field after concluding an assault, we would have female members who would speak with those women and children who were on the objective and they would help us to understand the human terrain in a new and novel way,' Caine said during his April confirmation hearing. Trump met and became endeared to Caine when he was serving in Iraq, which was part of the reason Trump nominated him to the chairmanship. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who at the time represented South Dakota in the House, wrote the House version of the 2017 Women, Peace and Security Act alongside Democratic Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Illinois. And as recently as this month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who as a senator co-sponsored the Senate version of the bill, said that it was "the first law passed by any country in the world focused on protecting women and promoting their participation in society.' That proposal stemmed from a U.N. resolution unanimously endorsed by the Security Council, the most powerful U.N. body, in October 2000, aimed at including women in peacebuilding efforts, as women and girls have historically borne the brunt of global conflict. 'It's no secret that women remain, largely on the periphery of formal peace processes and decision making, which is not good for the cause of peace,' U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in response to Hegseth's comments Tuesday. Dujarric added that 'one of the real-life impacts of the Women Peace and Security program has been the increasing number of women peacekeepers who serve in U.N. missions, which has had a very clear, measurable and positive impact on the protection of civilians in conflict zones.' Hegseth's tweet drew immediate fire from Senate Democrats who are continuing to question Hegseth's qualifications for the job amid the continuing fallout from his use of the commercial app Signal to share sensitive military operations on an unsecured channel with other officials, his wife and brother. 'Hegseth has absolutely no idea what he's doing,' said New Hampshire Democrat Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. 'That tweet contains some glaring inaccuracies that are far beneath the standard we should expect from the Department of Defense,' Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia said as he read the tweet aloud during a Congressional hearing Tuesday. A spokesman for Hegseth did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the secretary's tweet. While Hegseth in his post called the program 'yet another woke divisive/social justice/Biden initiative that overburdens our commanders and troops" and pledged to do the bare minimum required by Congress to maintain it while working to eliminate it altogether, the program has been celebrated by Trump, his administration and his family. It became a heralded part of the first Trump administration's accomplishments for women, and in 2019, Ivanka Trump celebrated that the WPS program was starting a new partnership to help train female police cadets in Colombia. Sagar Meghani contributed from Washington. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
San Francisco Chronicle
29-04-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Hegseth boasts about ending 'woke' program on women and security that Trump had signed into law
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth boasted on social media Tuesday that he had dismantled a program supporting women on security teams — and may not have realized the program he tried to break was not a 'woke' Biden-era initiative but instead a celebrated program signed into law by his boss, President Donald Trump. Hegseth in an agitated post on X, the website formerly known as Twitter, called the 'Women, Peace & Security' program at the Department of Defense "a UNITED NATIONS program pushed by feminists and left-wing activists. Politicians fawn over it; troops HATE it.' It was, in fact, bipartisan legislation that Trump signed into law in 2017 that recognized the role women have in achieving security objectives, especially in situations overseas where their male counterparts may not for cultural reasons be able to question or would not for religious reasons have direct access to women. Trump's own Cabinet officials supported the program when it was working its way through the legislative process. This month, Gen. Dan Caine, the new Joint Chiefs Chairman, told Congress that the program had helped troops in battle. 'When we would go out into the field after concluding an assault, we would have female members who would speak with those women and children who were on the objective and they would help us to understand the human terrain in a new and novel way,' Caine said during his April confirmation hearing. Trump met and became endeared to Caine when he was serving in Iraq, which was part of the reason Trump nominated him to the chairmanship. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who at the time represented South Dakota in the House, wrote the House version of the 2017 Women, Peace and Security Act alongside Democratic Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Illinois. And as recently as this month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who as a senator co-sponsored the Senate version of the bill, said that it was "the first law passed by any country in the world focused on protecting women and promoting their participation in society.' That proposal stemmed from a U.N. resolution unanimously endorsed by the Security Council, the most powerful U.N. body, in October 2000, aimed at including women in peacebuilding efforts, as women and girls have historically borne the brunt of global conflict. 'It's no secret that women remain, largely on the periphery of formal peace processes and decision making, which is not good for the cause of peace,' U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in response to Hegseth's comments Tuesday. Dujarric added that 'one of the real-life impacts of the Women Peace and Security program has been the increasing number of women peacekeepers who serve in U.N. missions, which has had a very clear, measurable and positive impact on the protection of civilians in conflict zones.' Hegseth's tweet drew immediate fire from Senate Democrats who are continuing to question Hegseth's qualifications for the job amid the continuing fallout from his use of the commercial app Signal to share sensitive military operations on an unsecured channel with other officials, his wife and brother. 'Hegseth has absolutely no idea what he's doing,' said New Hampshire Democrat Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. 'That tweet contains some glaring inaccuracies that are far beneath the standard we should expect from the Department of Defense,' Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia said as he read the tweet aloud during a Congressional hearing Tuesday. While Hegseth in his post called the program 'yet another woke divisive/social justice/Biden initiative that overburdens our commanders and troops" and pledged to do the bare minimum required by Congress to maintain it while working to eliminate it altogether, the program has been celebrated by Trump, his administration and his family. It became a heralded part of the first Trump administration's accomplishments for women, and in 2019, Ivanka Trump celebrated that the WPS program was starting a new partnership to help train female police cadets in Colombia.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hegseth boasts about ending 'woke' program on women and security that Trump had signed into law
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth boasted on social media Tuesday that he had dismantled a program supporting women on security teams — and may not have realized the program he tried to break was not a 'woke' Biden-era initiative but instead a celebrated program signed into law by his boss, President Donald Trump. Hegseth in an agitated post on X, the website formerly known as Twitter, called the 'Women, Peace & Security' program at the Department of Defense "a UNITED NATIONS program pushed by feminists and left-wing activists. Politicians fawn over it; troops HATE it.' It was, in fact, bipartisan legislation that Trump signed into law in 2017 that recognized the role women have in achieving security objectives, especially in situations overseas where their male counterparts may not for cultural reasons be able to question or would not for religious reasons have direct access to women. Trump's own Cabinet officials supported the program when it was working its way through the legislative process. This month, Gen. Dan Caine, the new Joint Chiefs Chairman, told Congress that the program had helped troops in battle. 'When we would go out into the field after concluding an assault, we would have female members who would speak with those women and children who were on the objective and they would help us to understand the human terrain in a new and novel way,' Caine said during his April confirmation hearing. Trump met and became endeared to Caine when he was serving in Iraq, which was part of the reason Trump nominated him to the chairmanship. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who at the time represented South Dakota in the House, wrote the House version of the 2017 Women, Peace and Security Act alongside Democratic Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Illinois. And as recently as this month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who as a senator co-sponsored the Senate version of the bill, said that it was "the first law passed by any country in the world focused on protecting women and promoting their participation in society.' That proposal stemmed from a U.N. resolution unanimously endorsed by the Security Council, the most powerful U.N. body, in October 2000, aimed at including women in peacebuilding efforts, as women and girls have historically borne the brunt of global conflict. 'It's no secret that women remain, largely on the periphery of formal peace processes and decision making, which is not good for the cause of peace,' U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in response to Hegseth's comments Tuesday. Dujarric added that 'one of the real-life impacts of the Women Peace and Security program has been the increasing number of women peacekeepers who serve in U.N. missions, which has had a very clear, measurable and positive impact on the protection of civilians in conflict zones.' Hegseth's tweet drew immediate fire from Senate Democrats who are continuing to question Hegseth's qualifications for the job amid the continuing fallout from his use of the commercial app Signal to share sensitive military operations on an unsecured channel with other officials, his wife and brother. 'Hegseth has absolutely no idea what he's doing,' said New Hampshire Democrat Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. 'That tweet contains some glaring inaccuracies that are far beneath the standard we should expect from the Department of Defense,' Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia said as he read the tweet aloud during a Congressional hearing Tuesday. A spokesman for Hegseth did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the secretary's tweet. While Hegseth in his post called the program 'yet another woke divisive/social justice/Biden initiative that overburdens our commanders and troops" and pledged to do the bare minimum required by Congress to maintain it while working to eliminate it altogether, the program has been celebrated by Trump, his administration and his family. It became a heralded part of the first Trump administration's accomplishments for women, and in 2019, Ivanka Trump celebrated that the WPS program was starting a new partnership to help train female police cadets in Colombia. ___ Sagar Meghani contributed from Washington.
