The Department of State’s Plan 

to Implement the U.S. Strategy on 

WOMEN, PEACE, AND SECURITY 

2020 — 2023 
Cover Images: 

Top: Women with the Afghan National Army Air Force (ANAAF) and 

International Security Assistance Force listen during an International 

Women’s Day celebration at Kabul International Airport. (DoD photo 

by Staf Sgt. Dustin Payne, U.S. Air Force/Released) 

Left: Demining program in Laos funded by the Bureau of Political and 

Military Afairs. (Tom Chaves/HALO Trust photo) 

Right: Voting is only one of the many ways women can participate in 

decision-making. (Shutterstock photo) 

Bottom: Strengthening partner capacity is an important method in 

facilitating the meaningful participation of women. 

(U.S. Department of State photo) 
The Department of State’s Plan 

to Implement the U.S. Strategy on 

WOMEN, PEACE, AND SECURITY 

2020 — 2023 
CONTENTS 

01 Introduction 17 Annex: 

• A: Department of State Bureau 06 Line of Efort 1: Participation Stakeholders and Commitments 

• B: Methodology 10 Line of Efort 2: Protection 

• C: Women, Peace and Security 

12 Line of Efort 3: Internal Capabilities Interagency Metrics 

• D: Interagency Metrics and 

14 Line of Efort 4: Partnerships U.S. Department of State Indicators 

Nepali police attend the opening ceremony of an operational 

skills training course supported by the U.S. embassy in 

Kathmandu. (U.S. Department of State photo) 
INTRODUCTION 

The United States faces a complex global security 

environment characterized by instability, confict, record 

levels of displacement, well-armed non-state actors, and 

great power competition. 

The United States' Strategy on Women, Peace, and Security 

(WPS) of 2019 focuses on improving the efectiveness of 

our foreign policy and assistance eforts across the board 

by proactively integrating the needs and perspectives of 

women, and empowering women to contribute their talents 

and energies to international peace, security, and prosperity. 

This strategy was developed in response to the Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2017 1, which 

established the United States as the frst country in the world with a comprehensive law on women, 

peace, and security. Its integration into our foreign policy toolkit will strengthen our eforts to 

prevent, manage, resolve, and recover from confict, thereby advancing our national security 

priorities. The Department of State’s WPS Implementation Plan will advance core U.S. national 

security objectives by providing a more stable and durable foundation for American foreign policy 

eforts. 

The WPS Strategy 2

 directs the Department of State and other national security agencies to develop 

implementation plans in order to make demonstrable progress toward the following three 

interrelated strategic objectives by 2023: 

 Objective 1: Women are more prepared and increasingly able to participate in eforts that promote stable and 

lasting peace; 

 Objective 2: Women and girls are safer, better protected, and have equal access to government and private 

assistance programs, including from the United States, international partners, and host nations; 

 Objective 3: The United States and partner governments have improved institutionalization and capacity to 

ensure WPS eforts are sustainable and long-lasting. 

1. https://www.congress.gov/115/plaws/publ68/PLAW-115publ68.pdf 

2. https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/WPS_Strategy_10_October2019.pdf 

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The Department of State’s Plan to Implement the U.S. Strategy on Women, Peace, and Security

These objectives, which provide the Department with long-term goals to guide its implementation 

over time, are to be accomplished through four lines of efort as outlined in the WPS Strategy: 

1. Seek and support the preparation and meaningful participation of women around the world in decision-making 

processes related to confict and crises; 

2. Promote the protection of women and girls’ human rights; access to humanitarian assistance; and safety from 

violence, abuse and exploitation around the world; 

3. Adjust United States international programs to improve outcomes in equality for, and the empowerment of, 

women; and 

4. Encourage partner governments to adopt policies, plans and capacity to improve the meaningful participation 

of women in processes connected to peace and security and decision-making institutions. 

The WPS strategy also establishes metrics and targets against which agencies and departments 

should evaluate their progress, including training for department and agency personnel, alignment 

of program activities, and interagency cooperation. Lead departments and agencies, which include 

the Department of State, are expected to contribute to the development of the whole-of-government 

implementation plan that identifes each department and agency’s specifc contributions to 

implementation; roles and responsibilities across the department and agency; any processes required 

to support implementation; timelines and milestones for action; and methodology for evaluating 

efectiveness. 

Efective WPS Leadership: 

Policy, Diplomacy, Programs, & Partnerships 

To meet this requirement, the Department of State’s WPS Implementation Plan seeks to establish 

the framework for the Department to achieve measurable progress against the WPS Strategy 

objectives and lines of efort by 2023. Through a bottom-up process of consultation across the 

Department, the Secretary’s Ofce of Global Women’s Issues (S/GWI) led the efort to establish 

priorities, identify core competencies, develop timely and measurable outcomes, assign roles and 

responsibilities, and establish a monitoring and evaluation structure. 

The guiding principles for the Department of State’s WPS Implementation Plan are: 

The Department of State is uniquely positioned to reinforce America’s global leadership in promoting 

the women, peace, and security agenda through policy, diplomacy, partnership, and modeling 

transformation. 

Through the Department’s global presence and skilled workforce, we have a 

distinct comparative structural advantage to engage partners on the WPS agenda 

and demonstrate our own commitment through our words and actions. 
Our priority targets are partner countries that are currently experiencing armed confict, violent 

extremism or gross, systemic abuses of women and girls; emerging from such confict, violence or 

abuse; and most at risk of such confict, violence or abuse. Countries with histories of atrocities with 

severe incidences of sexual violence and/or systemic and widespread discrimination against women 

will be of particular concern. 

As outlined in the WPS Strategy, advancing WPS principles in every corner of the 

globe is not a realistic goal for the timeline of this plan and we must prioritize our 

eforts. As with all matters of national security, the United States will continue to 

engage strategically, and in ways that advance America’s national interests. 

WPS Strategy implementation is inextricably linked with women’s economic empowerment, and the 

Department of State’s WPS Implementation Plan should therefore be consistent with and coordinated 

across the Department’s Women’s Global Development and Prosperity (W-GDP) eforts, which seek to 

advance women’s economic empowerment globally. 

As the lead policy-coordinating agency for the W-GDP Initiative, the State 

Department will be responsible for ensuring the integration and efectiveness of 

these two key aspects of women’s empowerment to boost growth and increase 

peace and security for all. 

The Department will leverage the entire range of foreign policy tools to advance women’s 

participation across our global peace and security priorities. Bureaus have made specifc 

commitments, contained within this Implementation Plan. These commitments will deploy the 

Department’s unique skills and presence along the following themes: 

 Demonstrating Diplomatic Leadership: The core competency of the Department is diplomatic engagement 

with partners to advance U.S. interests and values. We have a long and proud record of advancing women’s 

participation in international peace and security, across both bilateral and multi-lateral diplomatic engagement, 

and the WPS strategy provides us additional tools and imperatives to maintain this leadership. Leading by 

example, the U.S. will continue using our unparalleled voice and global presence to consistently reinforce the 

core tenets of WPS in U.S. national security policy. 

 Empowering our Team: In order to achieve this ambitious agenda, the professionals who carry out U.S. foreign 

policy must have the tools, training, and support structures they need. To this end, the Department will: 

create an internal coordination infrastructure to implement the WPS plan and align it with other related and 

cross-cutting strategies; incorporate WPS principles into formal training for Department personnel, including 

leadership; and strengthen inter- and intra-bureau capacities to incorporate gender analysis and safeguarding 

into policy and program designs. 

 Participation and Programming: Through targeted programmatic interventions, the Department will focus 

on: building women’s capacity as actors in confict prevention and confict-related decision-making and 

peace processes; providing avenues to integrate women into the judicial and security sectors—including law 

enforcement and the military—of our partner nations; and strengthening women and girls’ knowledge, skills, 

and resources for meaningful participation in all aspects of political and civic life. 

 Partnership and Burden-sharing: The Department is poised to assist partner governments with development 

and implementation of their own WPS initiatives. We will do this in coordination with like-minded states 

by: mobilizing other partners, including international donors and institutions; expanding global coalitions; 

promoting accountability; and supporting access for women into international and multilateral fora. 

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The Department of State’s Plan to Implement the U.S. Strategy on Women, Peace, and Security

The anticipated outcomes of our Implementation Plan, which align with the lines of efort in the 

WPS Strategy, are: 

 Outcome 1: Women’s meaningful participation in decision-making processes related to confict and crises will 

increase in targeted contexts. 

 Outcome 2: Women and girls have improved access to aid and protection from gender-based violence (GBV), 

abuse, and exploitation in targeted contexts. 

 Outcome 3: Through diplomatic engagement, public diplomacy, and programs in targeted contexts, the 

Department models best practices in its leadership, training, analytic, and safeguarding practices. 

 Outcome 4: Targeted partner governments will make measurable progress towards adopting policies, plans, 

and capacity to improve the meaningful participation of women in processes connected to peace and security 

and decision-making institutions. 

Adapting the WPS Strategy for the Department of State 

In addition to the WPS Strategy, the United States has several policy frameworks on peace and 

security that guide the Department, such as the National Strategy for Counterterrorism; the 

Stabilization Assistance Review; and the Strategy to Support Women and Girls at Risk from Violent 

Extremism and Confict. The Strategy also aligns with legislative mandates on trafcking in persons, 

atrocity prevention and the Global Fragility Act of 2019. Following the release of the WPS Strategy 

in June 2019, the Deputy Secretary of State, the Director of the Secretary’s Ofce of Policy Planning, 

and S/GWI launched a process to develop an Implementation Plan aligned with existing policy. This 

Implementation Plan was developed in consultation with U.S. missions overseas, bureaus, and ofces 

across the Department, and external experts. The plan requires bureaus and ofces to make specifc 

commitments, and will be held accountable through monitoring and evaluation over time, reporting 

up to the White House through the interagency metrics framework. 

Resourcing Implementation 

Women, peace, and security is a cost efective foreign policy tool. Implementation of the WPS 

Strategy supports U.S. national security by providing a more stable and durable foundation on which 

American foreign policy eforts can succeed in areas otherwise prone to, and experiencing, confict 

or crisis. Given that the United States already provides signifcant diplomatic engagement and 

funding for confict prevention and resolution, and recognizing that additional funding is subject 

to Congressional appropriations, the Implementation Plan provides guidance for ensuring that 

existing resources are implemented in a way that will support women and girls, thereby enhancing 

the efectiveness of our foreign policy. By scaling engagement with women in a structured way, we 

multiply our efectiveness and the quality of our investment. 

The Department will build on its historic support for WPS goals by implementing the WPS Strategy 

consistent with Congressional appropriations, including appropriations for gender equality, 

security, and stabilization programs, as well as the Department’s spend plans for gender equality 

programming. The Department will use its core competencies of diplomatic and subject matter 

expertise to complement any foreign assistance, public diplomacy, and in-kind technical assistance. 
To ensure that the Department is a responsible steward of taxpayer resources, the Implementation Plan 

establishes timely and measurable criteria through which we are able to evaluate whether WPS eforts 

are achieving our commitments (Annex A). The Department will make available resources for targeted 

monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) purposes, per Department and statutory guidelines. 

Implementation Architecture, Reporting, and Accountability 

The Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues serves in a coordination role for the Department, 

with bureaus, ofces, and posts accountable for implementing their own commitments, and MEL, 

through a phased approach. Throughout the frst year of the WPS Strategy’s Implementation Plan, 

the Department will build an infrastructure for coordination, reporting, and learning. In addition, the 

Department will leverage existing Department-wide strategic planning and coordination processes to 

integrate and advance the goals of the WPS Strategy. 

Annex D refects the Department-wide MEL framework that will be used to monitor progress, gauge 

efectiveness, adjust eforts, and document learning. Though individual bureaus and ofces may wish 

to track additional indicators for their own evaluation and learning purposes, this framework is what 

will inform the Department’s annual review of the implementation progress. Each bureau and ofce 

is responsible for its own monitoring and evaluation, in accordance with the Foreign Afairs Manual, 

including establishing baselines and endpoint targets. Bureaus and ofces are encouraged to integrate 

women’s perspectives on their eforts via consultations with local women leaders and civil society. To 

ensure learning informs future policy, programs, and best practices, evaluation fndings should be shared 

across the U.S. Government, civil society, and international partners, as appropriate. 

During the Department’s annual review, data from the Department’s MEL framework will be collectively 

compiled and fed into the White House-led Interagency Metrics Framework (Annex C), as well as an 

annual public report by the President on implementation of the WPS Act of 2017 and the WPS Strategy, 

beginning in 2020. The Department will also participate in a briefng to Congress on training for 

relevant U.S. personnel on the participation of women in confict prevention and peacebuilding (on or 

around June 2020). 

The National Security Council staf (NSC) will coordinate at least three senior-level meetings a year 

to discuss progress and revisit metrics related to the interagency WPS Strategy. In order to integrate 

security and economic eforts into a holistic approach to women’s empowerment, the NSC will hold an 

annual high-level meeting on WPS and the W-GDP Initiative to review learning tools, gender analysis 

requirements, and identify and build on mutually reinforcing successes. 

Engagement with civil society is critical to the U.S. Government’s eforts to understand best practices, 

emerging issues, and gaps in our approach. The NSC will coordinate interagency public consultations 

with U.S.-based civil society, where the Department will participate and share, to the extent 

practicable, information on progress toward WPS Strategy objectives to support feedback, learning, and 

dissemination beyond the U.S. Government. 

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The Department of State’s Plan to Implement the U.S. Strategy on Women, Peace, and Security

LINE OF EFFORT 1: PARTICIPATION 

An American flmmaker joins Cameroonian women to discuss women’s leadership in the 

arts in Yaoundé. (U.S. Department of State photo) 

Seek and support the preparation and meaningful 

participation of women around the world in decisionmaking processes related to confict and crisis. 

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Line of Effort 1: Participation

Department Outcome: Women’s meaningful 

participation in decision-making processes 

related to confict and crisis will increase in 

targeted contexts. 

Insecurity and confict directly expose women and girls 

to heightened risk of violence, limit their mobility, and 

drive displacement. Despite their unique experiences and 

contributions, women are underrepresented in decisionmaking related to security, including: formal and informal 

peace processes, political and transitional processes, security 

sectors, countering violent extremism and counterterrorism, 

disarmament, and post-confict and crisis recovery eforts. As 

more women claim opportunities for their full participation 

in political processes, including in leadership roles, they have 

encountered increasing levels of harassment, intimidation, and 

abuse. Because of their underrepresentation in formal political 

and security sector institutions however, women may have 

limited technical knowledge about these formal processes. 

Women who do have the expertise to participate in decisionmaking on peace and security may not have access to the 

high-level fora, networks, and processes where such decisions 

are made. Additionally, when women are underrepresented 

in security sectors, they are less efective operationally, have 

limited access to citizen populations, and can be ill equipped to 

respond to violence, including gender-based violence (GBV). 

MEANINGFUL PARTICIPATION: QUALITY OVER QUANTITY 

The Department defnes meaningful participation as women having access to 

and infuence over decision-making on issues impacting them, their communities, 

and their countries. While “representation” refers to the number of women in a 

process or institution, it does not speak to the quality of women’s participation. 

Is their representation symbolic, politicized, or meant to check a box? Or, are 

their numbers so few that any contributions are likely to be drowned out? Formal 

institutions can also support women’s meaningful participation from the outside 

by building bridges to women’s civil society groups and afected populations. 

Supporting girls as the leaders of tomorrow is essential 

to long-term progress. Scouts attend an event on 

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math at the U.S. 

Embassy in Kyiv. (U.S. Department of State photo) 

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The Department of State’s Plan to Implement the U.S. Strategy on Women, Peace, and Security

In support of this line of efort, the Department has identifed the following key priorities and 

approaches for its implementation eforts: 

Planned Actions: 

 Strengthen women’s and girls’ knowledge, skills, and resources to meaningfully participate in political 

transitions as well as formal and informal peace processes, reconciliation, and security decision-making. 

 Increase women’s and girls’ capacity and agency to address terrorism and violent extremism, particularly in 

fragile and confict-afected environments. 

 Invest in the next generation of women leaders by scaling young women and girls’ expertise, skills, and 

engagement in scientifc felds relevant to security. 

 Strengthen women’s access to, and support women’s infuence in, formal and informal peace and transition 

processes, security initiatives, and decision-making institutions. 

 Advance women’s civic engagement, political participation, and infuence vis-à-vis their governments. 

 Develop and expand women leaders’ access to professional networks and resources. 

 Promote women’s recruitment, retention, and professional growth in the justice and security sectors, including 

as part of broader security sector reform eforts. 

 Support partner governments in enhancing their capacity to engage women and incorporate the perspectives 

and needs of women across their work. 

Indian women campaign for tougher government action against sexual assault. The movement is one of an 

increasing number of citizens’ campaigns led by women worldwide. (Saurabh Das/New York Times) 
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Line of Effort 1: Participation

BEST PRACTICE: INCLUDING WOMEN 

Listen, do not assume. When designing policies, programs, or 

operations, ask civil society and women leaders from diferent 

backgrounds what kind of support they need, and build this 

into your work. Be careful not to steal their ideas; women’s 

contributions are already under-recognized. Building two-way 

relationships with local women leaders will help you, and them, 

navigate this balance. Follow their lead. At times, they may want 

visible support from a U.S. leader. At other times, this could 

endanger them. Indirect support might also be more appropriate, 

such as using diplomacy to amplify women’s perspectives, or 

better yet, advocating for access to the table so they can speak 

for themselves. 

Kenyan women participate in a discussion on CVE through a program funded by the 

Secretary’s Ofce of Global Women’s Issues. (U.S. Institute of Peace photo) 
The Department of State’s Plan to Implement the U.S. Strategy on Women, Peace, and Security

LINE OF EFFORT 2: PROTECTION 

Colombian women highlight the cross-cutting efects of gender-based violence. 

(U.S. Department of State photo) 

Promote the protection of women and girls’ 

human rights; access to humanitarian assistance; 

and safety from violence, abuse, and exploitation 

around the world. 

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Line of Effort 2: Protection

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Department Outcome: Women and girls have improved 

access to aid and protection from gender-based violence 

(GBV), abuse, and exploitation in targeted contexts. 

Women cannot reach their full potential as change agents if they are unsafe in their own homes, public 

spaces, and institutions. Confict, crisis, disaster, and the breakdown in rule of law increase the risk 

and prevalence of GBV, including sexual violence and early and forced marriage. Armed groups and 

terrorists have long used sexual violence as a deliberate tactic of war and terror. Most survivors never 

receive the assistance and justice they need to recover, and the consequences such as trauma, stigma 

and rejection can impact whole communities and span generations. The consequences of violence and 

instability threaten to reverse development and economic gains, which negatively impacts women and 

girls. Preventing the instability and crisis that puts women and girls at heightened risk in the frst place 

is the most efective form of protection. In support of this line of efort, the Department has identifed 

the following key priorities and approaches for its implementation eforts: 

Planned Actions: 

 Support women and girls’ access to humanitarian assistance and provide humanitarian assistance that is tailored 

to their distinct needs. 

 Promote democratic institutions, rule of law, and respect for gender equality and human rights. 

 Enhance the capacity and mobilize political will of the justice and security sectors to prevent and respond to GBV. 

 Promote cross-sectoral support for survivors, including access to justice, medical and psychosocial support, and 

economic opportunity. 

 Strengthen legal reform and accountability 

for confict related sexual violence, including BEST PRACTICE: 

as part of traditional justice processes while PREVENTING VIOLENCE 

advocating for women’s participation in 

such processes. Violence prevention lies at the heart of the WPS 

framework. By promoting equality, the United States  Assist peacekeeping police- and troophelps minimize drivers of gender-based violence. contributing countries in preparing military 

and police peacekeepers to prevent and Meaningfully engaging women and girls in development, 

respond to GBV, and investigate and peace, and security processes enhances outcomes to 

prosecute violations and abuses. better serve the needs of the full population. This, in 

turn, can prevent the outbreak of, or relapse back into  Invest in prevention architectures and confict, which also disproportionately harms women and promote resilience through inclusive girls. In addition to the Department of State’s policies development. and programs, U.S. missions around the world leverage 

 Strengthen resilience to confict by public awareness campaigns, partnerships with the 

expanding and enabling women’s access to private sector, and engagement with men and boys to 

political and economic opportunities and prevent violence. The Women’s Global Development 

promoting violence prevention through and Prosperity Initiative (W-GDP) complements this by 

accountability. focusing on women’s economic empowerment. 
The Department of State’s Plan to Implement the U.S. Strategy on Women, Peace, and Security

LINE OF EFFORT 3: INTERNAL CAPABILITIES 

The Foreign Service Institute empowers world-class diplomacy by 

providing training that is dynamic, innovative, and student-centric. 

(U.S. Department of State Photo) 

Adjust United States international programs 

to improve outcomes in equality for, and 

improvement of, women. 

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Line of Effort 3: Internal Capabilities

13

Department Outcome: Through diplomatic engagement, 

public diplomacy, and programs in targeted contexts, 

the Department models best practices in its leadership, 

training, analytic, and safeguarding practices. 

Research shows that gender equality is a better predictor of a state’s peacefulness than democracy or gross 

domestic product (GDP). Advancing gender equality is therefore a cornerstone of U.S. confict prevention 

and mitigation eforts, codifed by the WPS Act of 2017 and the WPS Strategy’s mandate to adjust U.S. 

government policies and programs to improve outcomes in gender equality and the empowerment 

of women. Expanding the Department’s use of gender analysis, as defned by Public Law 115-428, 

will improve policy and program design, help identify blind spots, and strengthen the efectiveness 

of Department eforts. Strengthening training, adopting safeguarding standards, and modeling our 

commitment to WPS in the Department’s policies and programs enables the U.S. government, as exhorted 

by the WPS Act, to lead by example on the world stage. In support of this line of efort, the Department 

has identifed the following key priorities and approaches for its implementation eforts: 

Planned Actions: 

 Lead by example through our policies, programs, and actions to signal WPS is a priority by incorporating WPS Strategy 

mandate and goals into the Foreign Afairs Manual, bureau strategic frameworks, and Integrated Country Strategies. 

 Update notice of funding opportunity templates for peace and security funding to cite the WPS Strategy, including but 

not limited to WPS policies related on preventing and combating GBV and human trafcking and supporting survivors. 

 Build a coordination infrastructure in the Department to support implementation of the WPS Strategy. 

 Incorporate WPS principles and themes into formal training by the Foreign Service Institute for its personnel, including 

both Foreign Service and Civil Service employees, contractors, and locally employed staf at every level. 

 Develop and strengthen inter- and intrabureau trainings and resources on WPS 

Strategy concepts and themes. 

BEST PRACTICE:  Communicate WPS as a U.S. global policy 

priority through traditional and social media. SAFEGUARDING & GENDER ANALYSIS 

 Leverage relationships with civil society, Populations are not monolithic. Using gender analysis helps 

academia, think tanks, governments, and identify the diferent ways in which women and girls will impact, 

online audiences to signal U.S. leadership and be impacted by your work. Applied to a risk assessment, 

and communicate impact on WPS. this will reveal the diferent risks that benefciaries might face 

as a result of participating in your activity. For example, if your  Expand and apply gender analysis to 

program employs male service providers, and the recipients policy and program design to enhance 

outcomes in gender equality and women’s are marginalized women, is there a risk of providers abusing 

empowerment. their relative power to exploit recipients? How does that risk 

change if the benefciaries are boys? The practices you adopt  Develop and implement Department-wide to prevent and respond to these gender-related risks are called safeguarding standards to promote the “safeguarding standards.” The Department ofers personnel safety and dignity of program participants resources and templates for both. and benefciaries. 
The Department of State’s Plan to Implement the U.S. Strategy on Women, Peace, and Security

LINE OF EFFORT 4: PARTNERSHIPS 

Global partnerships are crucial for the successful implementation of 

the women, peace and security agenda: moving from commitments to 

accomplishments is an international efort. (UN Women Photo) 

Encourage partner governments to adopt policies, 

plans, and capacity to improve the meaningful 

participation of women in processes connected to 

peace and security and decision-making institutions. 

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Line of Effort 4: Partnerships 

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Department Outcome: Targeted partner governments 

will make measurable progress towards adopting 

policies, plans, and capacity to improve the meaningful 

participation of women in processes connected to 

peace and security and decision-making institutions. 

A growing number of countries have National Action Plans (NAPs) or other policy frameworks 

on WPS, yet a wide range of factors nevertheless prevent women from meaningfully participating 

in eforts that promote stable and lasting peace. Overcoming such barriers requires full buy-in, 

burden sharing, and leadership from a diverse range of partners, including governments, civil 

society, religious communities, and the private sector. The Department plays an instrumental role 

in mobilizing new partners, including men and boys, to enhance local, regional, and international 

cooperation. Through their relationships and global presence, U.S. diplomats are also well placed 

to bolster countries’ national frameworks on WPS. Multilateral meetings, events, and conferences – 

including at the UN, regional bodies, informal networks, and technical-level coordination – provide 

unique venues to promote WPS goals and mobilize coalitions. In support of this line of efort, the 

Department has identifed the following key priorities and approaches for its implementation eforts: 

Planned Actions: 

 Support the development and implementation of WPS-related policies at national, regional, and local levels to 

scale women’s contributions to peace and security. 

 Strengthen U.S. diplomatic leadership to mobilize international donors in support of WPS. 

 Develop and expand global coalitions, public-private partnerships, and other collaborations in support of WPS. 

 Collaborate with regional organizations, 

networks, and platforms to advance WPS 

themes. BEST PRACTICE: NATIONAL 

 Scale U.S. infuence and leadership in high- ACTION PLANS ON WPS (NAPS) 

profle multilateral fora, strategic dialogues, 

and international conferences. When designed in partnership with women’s 

groups, NAPs are a powerful tool for merging top-  Support access for women peacebuilders down and bottom-up action. They adapt WPS and survivors of violence to international concepts to the needs and context of a country and institutions and decision-making fora. inclusively outline time-bound, measurable pathways 

 Promote accountability of international to change. The United States emphasizes NAP 

organizations in meeting their responsibilities development in multilateral spheres, and provides 

on WPS, women’s empowerment, and confict technical assistance, peer engagement, and foreign 

prevention, including GBV. assistance to governments and civil society for NAP 

development, revision, and implementation. By  Incorporate WPS principles into global supporting these partnerships between governments disarmament goals. 

and their civil society counterparts, we also facilitate 

the relationship-building necessary to further WPS. 
The Department of State’s Plan to Implement the U.S. Strategy on Women, Peace, and Security

16

The Department plays an instrumental role in mobilizing 

new partners, including men and boys, to build support 

for women and girls’ human rights. Boys leave a UN 

sensitization class in the Central African Republic. 

(United Nations photo) 

ANNEXES 

16
Annex A 

ANNEX A 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE BUREAU STAKEHOLDERS AND COMMITMENTS 

The Department of State’s WPS Implementation Plan priorities provide tangible direction for 

organizing the Department’s diplomatic, programmatic, and in-kind technical assistance activities. 

Corresponding commitments and actions identify lead bureaus and ofces, categorized in brackets, 

which will be implemented within existing appropriations for the Department. Together, these 

commitments refect the Department’s core competencies and equities in policymaking, bilateral 

and multilateral diplomacy, public diplomacy, foreign assistance, training, and operations, all of 

which contribute to the WPS Strategy’s overarching goal: women around the world meaningfully 

participate in preventing, mediating, and resolving confict and countering terrorism, in ways that 

promote stable and lasting peace. 

LINE OF EFFORT 1: PARTICIPATION 

Department Outcome: Women’s meaningful participation in decision-making 

processes related to confict and crises will increase in targeted contexts. 

Strengthen women’s and girls’ knowledge, skills, and resources to meaningfully 

participate in political transitions as well as formal and informal peace processes, 

reconciliation, and security decision-making. 

 Support women and girls in confict-afected areas to design, manage, implement, and evaluate local solutions 

to gender inequality and violence (S/GWI). 

 Strengthen women’s knowledge to enable their meaningful participation and leadership in political processes 

and democratic transitions (DRL). 

 Recognize and foster emerging leaders among women and minority groups through the Indo-Pacifc Strategy’s 

governance pillar (EAP, SCA). 

 Leverage public diplomacy programs to raise awareness of women’s human rights and equality (DRL, EAP, NEA, 

R/PPR, WHA). 

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The Department of State’s Plan to Implement the U.S. Strategy on Women, Peace, and Security

Increase women’s and girls’ capacity and agency to address terrorism and violent 

extremism, particularly in fragile and confict-afected environments: 

 Support women’s groups to strengthen their capacity and skills to counter violent extremism, address 

terrorist ideology, stem recruitment and radicalization to violence, and engage in community initiatives to 

build resilience and peace (AF, CSO, CT, J/IRF, S/GWI). 

 Enhance research and learning on women’s roles in both perpetrating and countering violent extremism and 

terrorism (CSO, CT). 

Invest in the next generation of women leaders by scaling young women and girls’ 

expertise, skills, and engagement in scientifc felds relevant to security, including 

but not limited to: 

 Encourage and increase women and girls’ participation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math 

programs to strengthen their employment opportunities and leadership in scientifc and security felds 

(AVC, ECA, EB, GP, OES, S/GWI). 

As a Burmese peace activist, Naw K’nyaw Paw 

was recognized for her work in 2019 when the 

Department honored her with the Secretary of 

State’s International Woman of Courage Award. 

(U.S. Department of State photo) 
Annex A 

Promote women’s recruitment, retention, and professional growth in the justice 

and security sectors, including as part of broader security sector reform eforts. 

 Promote increased women’s participation in the security and justice sectors by engaging partner 

governments and civil society through diplomacy and foreign assistance, and, where appropriate, raising 

awareness among foreign publics through social media (CSO, CT, DRL, EUR, INL, NEA, PM). 

 Advocate for policies and reform in partners’ security sectors that strengthen women’s retention and 

representation and leadership in security institutions as well as women’s engagement with the security 

sector through diplomacy, messaging, and foreign assistance (AF, CT, DRL, EUR, INL, IO, PM). 

 Increase the number of young women trained in social or leadership skills to advocate for the 

meaningful participation of women in governance, law enforcement, and the military (DRL, S/GWI). 

 Advance women’s participation in counterterrorism programs, including the Anti-Terrorism Assistance 

program (CT, DS). 

 Support women’s participation in the International Military Education and Training program in 

proportion to their representation in host country security sectors at a minimum, with a goal towards 

increasing their participation over time (PM). 

 Enhance women’s professional capacity through security sector reform initiatives, including Security 

Forces Professionalization and the Global Defense Reform Program (PM). 

 Support policewomen to prevent and counter violent extremism, and engage communities afected by 

all forms of terrorism (CT, INL, SCA). 

 Support eforts by the UN, regional organizations, and partner countries to expand the participation of 

women in UN and regional peace operations, especially in leadership positions (INL, IO, PM). 

Support partner governments in enhancing their capacity to engage women and 

incorporate the diferent perspectives and needs of women and men across their 

work. 

 Provide training for foreign governments and regional organizations to enhance their integration of 

gender perspectives, and their ability to identify the need for women’s participation throughout regional 

security initiatives and criminal justice system programming (AF, CSO, INL, NEA, WHA). 

 Build partner governments’ capacities to work with women in communities to address threats from 

violent extremism, terrorism, and related ideologies (CT, CSO, J/IRF, NEA). 

 Promote the Global Counterterrorism Forum’s good practices related to women and CVE, including 

through workshops promoting good practices on the role of women in addressing foreign terrorist 

fghters (CSO, CT, J/IRF). 

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The Department of State’s Plan to Implement the U.S. Strategy on Women, Peace, and Security

Strengthen women’s access to, and support women’s infuence in, formal and informal 

peace and transition processes, security initiatives, and decision-making institutions. 

 Enhance the meaningful participation of women in ceasefre and peace negotiations, reconciliation, and 

political processes, particularly through an initial focus on, but not limited to the following countries: 

Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burma, Cameroon, Colombia, Georgia, Iraq, Kosovo, Moldova, Somalia, 

South Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, and Yemen (AF, CSO, EAP, EUR, IO, NEA, SCA, WHA). 

 Increase women’s opportunities to participate in political and other decision-making forums, including 

transitional justice and those addressing the environmental and economic costs associated with confict, crisis, 

and terrorism through diplomatic leadership and advocacy (AF, DRL, J/GCJ, J/IRF, NEA, OES, S/GWI). 

 Support local civil society eforts to build direct relationships between women and decision-making bodies, 

including local and national governments, security sector actors, and international fora (CSO, DRL, J/IRF, NEA, 

S/GWI). 

 Integrate the needs, perspectives, and roles of women in U.S. stabilization eforts through implementation, and 

monitoring and evaluation, of the Stabilization Assistance Review (SAR) Annexes to the Integrated Country 

Strategies in eleven pilot countries (CSO). 

 Track implementation of the gender-related provisions of Colombia’s peace accord (CSO). 

 Develop and pilot a working defnition and metric for tracking women’s meaningful participation in peace 

processes (CSO). 

Advance women’s civic engagement, political participation, and infuence vis-à-vis their 

governments. 

 Promote women’s civic engagement, leadership, and formal representation in civil society, including faith-based 

organizations, political parties, labor unions and business associations, and elected and appointed ofces (AF, 

DRL, EAP, EUR, J/IRF, NEA, S/GWI). 

 Support strong constituent- and rights-based democratic institutions and ensure that women – particularly 

those from marginalized and underrepresented communities – are able to participate actively in democratic 

processes and decision-making, including as equal and unhindered participants in free and fair elections and in 

countering corruption (DRL, EUR, J/IRF). 

 Advocate for peacekeeping missions’ and special political missions’ engagement with and access to women 

and women’s civil society groups to enhance women’s participation in peace eforts and confict prevention (IO, 

J/IRF, USOSCE). 

Develop and expand women leaders’ access to professional networks and resources. 

 Support the networking of women working in the criminal justice system and peacekeeping through attendance 

at professional conferences (CT, INL). 

 Engage current and emerging foreign leaders, including religious leaders, in international exchange programs 

that address peace and security themes to expand their knowledge, networks, and infuence (ECA, J/IRF, NEA). 
Annex A 

LINE OF EFFORT 2: PROTECTION 

Department Outcome: Women and girls have improved access to aid and 

protection from gender-based violence (GBV), abuse, and exploitation in 

targeted contexts. 

Promote democratic institutions, rule of law, and respect for gender equality and 

human rights. 

 Advance democratic political processes, transparency, accountability and host governments’ responsiveness 

to the unique needs of women and girls in their country through diplomacy and foreign assistance (DRL, NEA, 

S/GAC). 

 Promote the adoption and enforcement of laws and policies that support gender equality and women’s 

empowerment, non-discrimination, and protection from violence through senior-level diplomatic engagement 

and programs (AF, DRL, EAP, J/GCJ, J/IRF, NEA, S/GAC, S/GWI). 

 Strengthen legal reform and accountability for confict-related sexual violence, including as part of transitional 

justice processes while advocating for women’s participation in such processes (DRL, INL, J/GCJ, S/GWI). 

 Support civil society eforts that encourage governments to adopt, implement, and enforce domestic laws on 

GBV and human rights (DRL, NEA, S/GWI). 

 Incorporate GBV and forms of codifed gender discrimination in the Department’s annual Country Reports on 

Human Rights Practices (DRL). 

Survivors of GBV can face stigma 

and isolation; U.S. eforts aim to raise 

awareness and support survivors with the 

tools they need to thrive. (UNICEF photo) 

21
22

The Department of State’s Plan to Implement the U.S. Strategy on Women, Peace, and Security

 Engage with partner governments to address negative performance on human rights and trafcking in persons 

as refected in the Department’s annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices and Trafcking in Persons 

Report (DRL, J/TIP, Regional Bureaus, S/GWI). 

 Advocate for the prevention and reduction of statelessness by advancing women’s equal ability to transmit 

their nationality to their children (PRM). 

Enhance the capacity and mobilize political will of the justice and security sectors to 

prevent and respond to GBV. 

 Train partner government justice, law enforcement, and military forces to recognize, prevent, and respond to 

GBV through a frst-response and survivor-centered approach (AF, INL, PM, NEA, S/GAC, S/GWI, WHA). 

 Support civil society to work with law enforcement and justice sector institutions to strengthen GBV prevention 

and response, and survivors’ access to justice (DRL, J/IRF, NEA, S/GAC, S/GWI). 

 Prevent, and pursue accountability for, abuses perpetrated by the security sector, including SEA and other 

forms of GBV, through targeted engagement that enhances partner governments’ capacities and political will to 

reform security sector governance (AF, DRL, IO, PM, S/GWI). 

 Prevent foreign security units that are credibly known to have perpetrated gross violations of human rights, 

including those involving sexual violence from receiving U.S. security assistance, until host governments have 

brought perpetrators to justice, including through application of the Leahy Law (DRL, PM, S/GWI). 

 Assist peacekeeping Police- and Troop- Contributing Countries (P/TCCs) in preparing military and police 

peacekeepers to prevent and respond to GBV, including sexual violence in confict, as well as SEA (AF, PM, INL). 

 Provide specialized pre-deployment training on international humanitarian law for partner governments’ units 

from African P/TCCs to reduce, investigate, and prosecute violations and abuses, including those involving GBV 

(AF, L, PM). 

Promote cross-sectoral support for survivors, including access to justice, medical and 

 Partner with civil society and the private sector to provide short-term emergency assistance to survivors of 

extreme forms of GBV (DRL). 

 Prioritize protection of trafcking victims, including through systematic victim identifcation and referral to 

service providers for comprehensive, trauma-informed care (J/TIP). 

 Incorporate economic and livelihood assistance into GBV prevention and response programs (EB, DRL, S/GAC, 

S/GWI). 

psychosocial support, and economic opportunity. 

 Engage host governments and local civil society on the needs of GBV survivors, particularly on their access to 

resources, enhancing security and justice sector institutions’ prevention of GBV, and overcoming barriers such 

as addressing stigma and fear of retribution (AF, DRL, EUR, J/GCJ, J/IRF, NEA, S/GAC, S/GWI). 

 Promote multi-sectoral eforts to strengthen survivors’ access to justice, including legal aid, medical and 

psychosocial support, shelter, and economic resources (AF, DRL, EUR, INL, J/GCJ, NEA, PRM, S/GAC). 
Annex A 

Support women and girls’ access to humanitarian assistance and provide humanitarian 

assistance that is tailored to their distinct needs 

 Advocate for the protection of the most vulnerable populations in crises, particularly women and girls who are 

refugees, survivors of confict, and stateless persons through humanitarian diplomacy (NEA, PRM). 

 Support GBV survivors through a range of humanitarian assistance programs, from prevention and awareness 

raising to services, including medical, legal, livelihood, and psychosocial support (NEA, PRM, S/GAC). 

 Build the capacity of humanitarian personnel and service providers in identifying and addressing GBV (NEA, 

PRM, S/GAC). 

Invest in prevention architectures and promote resilience through inclusive 

development. 

 Strengthen early warning tools and data analytics by increasing the collection of sex-disaggregated data, 

including on GBV, as well as the development of new WPS indicators to support U.S. government and 

international confict and atrocity prevention eforts (CSO, S/GWI). 

 Strengthen resilience to confict by expanding and enabling women’s access to political and economic 

opportunities and promoting violence prevention through accountability (AF, DRL, EAP, INL, J/GCJ, NEA, SCA, 

S/GAC, S/GWI, WHA). 

Every year, Embassy Sarajevo and the U.S. Military work together to help bring muchneeded repairs to schools in smaller communities throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

(U.S. Department of State photo, Embassy Sarajevo Public Afairs Section) 

23
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The Department of State’s Plan to Implement the U.S. Strategy on Women, Peace, and Security

 

LINE OF EFFORT 3: INTERNAL CAPABILITIES 

Department Outcome: Through diplomatic engagement, public diplomacy, 

and programs in targeted contexts, the Department models best practices in 

its leadership, training, analytic, and safeguarding practices. 

Lead by example through our policies, programs, and actions to signal WPS is a priority. 

 Develop unifed policy guidance on gender equality 

and women’s empowerment, including by updating the 

Foreign Afairs Manual and other strategic guidance 

documents (S/GWI, S/P). 

 Provide gender analysis tools for budget planning 

processes to align strategies, policies, and programs 

across the Department with gender equality outcomes 

and the needs and perspectives of women, as required 

by law (S/GWI). 

 Incorporate WPS Strategy mandate and goals into 

bureau strategic frameworks and Integrated Country 

Strategies (all implementing bureaus and ofces). 

 Update notice of funding opportunity templates for 

peace and security funding to cite the WPS Strategy, 

including but not limited to WPS policies related on 

preventing and combatting GBV and human trafcking 

and supporting survivors (all implementing bureaus and ofces). 

 Develop bureau-specifc policies, action plans, and resources on WPS, which signal senior-level support and 

provide guidance on ways to integrate WPS in policies and programming (CSO, DRL, J/IRF, S/GWI). 

 Encourage women’s equal opportunity for participation and representation as speakers in panels and events 

hosted by embassies and consulates and U.S. diplomatic delegations, as well as events the department hosts 

and attends (AVC, EAP, EB, ECA, GPA, J/IRF, NEA). 

 Engage senior-level “key” leaders (see metrics defnition) in foreign governments and international 

organizations on the importance of women’s safety and participation in eforts to promote global peace and 

security (DRL, IO, J/IRF, PM, PRM, Regional bureaus, S/GWI). 

 Promote an open and inclusive working and learning environment for personnel through internal policies to 

promote diversity and inclusion and promote equal opportunity for women’s participation (FSI, HR). 

With more than 200 posts and 630 American Spaces across the 

globe, the Department’s global presence and relationships with 

governments and communities will be integral to advancing the 

WPS Strategy. (U.S. Department of State Photo) 
Annex A 

 Collect voluntary data on men and women’s promotions within the Civil and Foreign Service and collect views 

on gender equality, job satisfaction, and professional development annually (HR). 

 Communicate WPS as a U.S. global policy priority through traditional and social media (AF, CSO, DRL, GPA, 

INL, R, S/GWI). 

 Leverage relationships with civil society, academia, think tanks, governments, and online audiences to signal 

U.S. leadership and communicate impact on WPS (CSO, J/IRF, S/GWI). 

Build a coordination infrastructure in the Department to support implementation of 

the WPS Strategy. 

 Develop and maintain a WPS coordination mechanism to enhance access to resources, support exchange of 

best practices, and enable reporting (S/GWI). 

 Designate the senior ofcial responsible for coordinating implementation of the WPS Strategy as the 

Ambassador-at-large for Global Women’s Issues (S/GWI). 

 Designate at least one expert-level representative to be responsible for WPS implementation within bureaus 

and ofces, along with one Front Ofce representative at the level of Deputy Assistant Secretary or higher (all 

implementing bureaus). 

 Establish and maintain internal bureau gender working groups in Washington to coordinate policy priorities 

(AF, CSO, DRL, EUR). 

Incorporate WPS principles and themes into formal training provided by the Foreign 

Service Institute. 

 Review and update course oferings consistent with the WPS Act of 2017 and fully accommodate the demand 

for such courses (FSI, L, with support from CSO, PRM, and S/GWI). 

 Review all global, regional, and country-specifc courses; integrate or revise material when applicable to 

increase WPS content and trainings (FSI). 

 Include course material on diversity, mitigating bias, and cultural diferences, which encompasses WPS relevant 

themes, in orientation courses for Foreign Service and Civil Service employees (FSI). 

 Incorporate WPS-relevant case studies related to countries at risk of, undergoing, or emerging from violent 

confict into three Policy Implementation Reviews by the end of 2020 (FSI). 

 Provide gender-sensitive programmatic and strategic planning training, including how to develop gendersensitive indicators, quality standards, budgeting, and gender-disaggregated data (FSI, R/PPR, S/GWI). 

25
26

The Department of State’s Plan to Implement the U.S. Strategy on Women, Peace, and Security

Develop and strengthen inter- and intra-bureau trainings and resources on WPS 

Strategy concepts and themes. 

 Provide inter- and intra-bureau training to bureaus and relevant interagency personnel on WPS Strategy 

themes as relevant for specifc bureau mandates (AVC, CSO, DRL, INL, L, S/GWI). 

 Develop and deliver pre-departure briefngs that integrate WPS themes for Ambassadors and other Postbound senior leaders to ensure diplomatic engagement on WPS at the highest levels (AF, DRL, NEA). 

 Require internal training for all appropriate bureau personnel on GBV and SEA prevention standards (PRM, 

S/GWI). 

Expand and apply gender analysis to policy and program design to enhance outcomes 

in gender equality and women’s empowerment. 

 Provide gender analysis tools for budget planning processes to align strategies, policies, and programs 

across the Department with gender equality outcomes and women’s empowerment, outlined in the WPS 

Strategy (BP, F, S/GWI). 

 Integrate gender analysis into procurement practices, including notices of funding opportunities (all 

implementing bureaus and ofces). 

 Encourage federal grant and cooperative agreement applicants to promote the participation of women 

included in all capacity building activities, technical exchanges, and other activities supported with U.S. 

foreign assistance (ENR). 

 Ensure tracking of sex-disaggregation of benefciaries in the Global Peace Operational Initiative, IMET, mine 

risk education under conventional weapons destruction foreign assistance, the Global Security Contingency 

Fund (GSCF), Global Defense Reform Program (GDRP), and Security Forces Professionalization (SFP) 

programs (PM). 

Develop and implement Department-wide safeguarding standards to promote the 

safety and dignity of program participants and benefciaries. 

 Develop Department-wide safeguarding standards for DOS-funded/implemented programming to help 

programming benefciary safety (S/GWI and PRM, with A/OPE support). 

 Integrate safeguarding requirements and standards into awards and notices of funding opportunities 

for grant recipients, sub-grant recipients, and contractors (CSO, DRL, PRM, S/GAC, S/GWI with A/OPE 

support). 

 Ensure humanitarian partners (international organizations and NGOs) implement safeguarding 

mechanisms, including by using gender analysis, to mitigate potential violence or protection risks and 

promote the protection and safety of benefciaries (PRM, S/GAC). 
Annex A 

LINE OF EFFORT 4: PARTNERSHIPS 

Department Outcome: Targeted partner governments will make measurable 

progress towards adopting policies, plans, and capacity to improve the 

meaningful participation of women in processes connected to peace and 

security and decision-making institutions. 

Support the development and implementation of WPS-related policies at national, 

regional, and local levels to scale women’s contributions to peace and security. 

 Promote the development, implementation, and revision of partner countries’ NAPs on WPS through diplomatic 

activities and/or foreign assistance (AF, DRL, IO, NEA, SCA, S/GWI). 

 Support foreign governments’ eforts to advance WPS, including through bilateral partnerships on WPS that 

scale collaboration (S/GWI, WHA). 

 Support partner governments in incorporating issues related to women in security strategies and policies, 

particularly those related to countering terrorism and CVE (CSO, CT, S/GWI). 

Strengthen U.S. diplomatic leadership to mobilize international donors in support of 

WPS. 

 Advocate diplomatically for greater collaboration and pooled funding among donors, allies, and partners to 

counter global threats to women and girls and promote their roles in peace and security processes globally 

(CSO, DRL, EUR, S/GAC, S/GWI). 

 Participate in the Call to Action on Protection from Violence in Humanitarian Emergencies, including as part of 

the donor working group, and develop a new Call to Action Roadmap (PRM). 

 Convene civil society, private sector, regional representatives, and multilateral partners to specifcally discuss 

how to partner in promoting WPS (AF, DRL, J/IRF). 

Develop and expand global coalitions, public-private partnerships, and other 

collaborations in support of WPS. 

 Increase and enhance engagement with the private sector and civil society, including survivors, to strengthen 

federal and global anti-trafcking eforts (J/IRF, J/TIP). 

 Provide capacity building workshops for partner governments to encourage greater collaboration with civil 

society, regional, and multilateral entities on WPS (AF). 

 Incorporate marginalized populations issues, including women, into human rights-focused public diplomacy 

campaigns targeting local civil society audiences (DRL, J/IRF, S/GAC). 

27
28

The Department of State’s Plan to Implement the U.S. Strategy on Women, Peace, and Security

 Through the 630 American Spaces around the globe, increase collaboration with civil society to empower 

women and girls on such WPS issues as GBV prevention and response (ECA, J/IRF). 

 Support men and boys in developing knowledge and tools to become advocates for gender equality and 

women’s empowerment (DRL, NEA, PRM, R/PPR, S/GAC, S/GWI). 

 Implement and grow a public-private partnership initiative to encourage women’s perspectives, leadership, and 

participation in the security feld through a digital platform, an annual forum, networking opportunities, and 

webinars (DS/OSAC). 

 Sustain collaboration with alumni of U.S. exchange programs to share approaches on strengthening the role 

of women in peace and security, protecting them from GBV, and supporting their inclusion in economic and 

political spheres (ECA, NEA, WHA). 

 Leverage exchange programs such as Fulbright to exchange knowledge on WPS topics and collaborate with civil 

society partners during PD-focused events on WPS topics (ECA). 

 Publicize partnership engagements through traditional and social media to attract new public-private 

partnerships, and other collaborations (R). 

Women and girls participate in a workshop at the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan. 

(U.S. Department of State photo) 
 Enhance the resources available to U.S. diplomats to strengthen their efectiveness in promoting WPS in 

multilateral settings, including through development of unifed policy guidance and other tools (AVC, EAP, IO, 

 Introduce WPS-related content into multilateral products, agreements and communiques, and mandate 

renewals, particularly in contexts where WPS has not historically been discussed (EAP, IO, NEA, S/GWI). 

 Enhance U.S. messaging that signals WPS as a priority, including in national statements in a range of formal and 

 Integrate WPS into U.S.-hosted strategic and security dialogues, such as the Warsaw Ministerial Process 

on Security in the Middle East, the U.S. G7 Presidency in 2020, the Stabilization Leaders Forum, and the 

International Atrocity Prevention Working Group (CSO, DRL, EUR, NEA, S/GWI). 

Support access for women peacebuilders and survivors of violence to international 

 Promote the participation of women civil society representatives in multilateral decision-making processes, the 

UN, and regional bodies, including through logistical support, where appropriate, to enable their travel (IO and 

USUN, with support from AVC, CA, relevant Regional bureaus, S/GWI). 

 Leverage U.S. diplomatic infuence to enhance women peacebuilders’ and survivors’ access to senior 

representatives of international organizations (EAP, IO, J/IRF, NEA, S/GWI). 

 Promote international organizations’ and agencies’ engagement with women in the development of 

assessments and reports, including the UN Counterterrorism’s Committee’s country assessments (CT, IO). 

Annex A 

Collaborate with regional organizations, networks, and platforms to advance WPS 

themes. 

 Increase collaboration with regional platforms and networks globally to advance WPS Strategy goals (CT, IO, 

Regional bureaus, S/GWI). 

 Promote WPS in policy development, revision, and implementation through regional initiatives such as the 

Lower Mekong Initiative, the Indo-Pacifc Strategy, Asia-Pacifc Economic Cooperation, the Association of 

Southeast Asian Nations, the Pacifc Islands Forum, and ongoing engagement with likeminded countries (EAP, 

EB, S/GWI, WHA). 

Scale U.S. infuence and leadership in high-profle multilateral fora, strategic dialogues, 

and international conferences. 

 Represent the United States at a chief of mission level during UN Security Council Discussions on WPS 

(USUN). 

INL, S/GWI, USNATO/EUR). 

informal multilateral fora (AVC, IO, WHA). 

institutions and decision-making fora. 

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The Department of State’s Plan to Implement the U.S. Strategy on Women, Peace, and Security

Promote accountability of international organizations in meeting their responsibilities 

on WPS, women’s empowerment, and confict prevention, including GBV. 

 Promote mainstreaming of WPS themes into the mandates and work of multilateral bodies to enhance their 

efectiveness and reach (AVC, EAP, IO, PM, USNATO/EUR). 

 Maintain a list of qualifed American women for consideration for senior-level positions, as appropriate, in 

international organizations to enhance the representation of women in senior leadership roles (IO). 

 Target diplomatic support, and funding support, where appropriate, to the mandates of special envoys and 

committees overseeing WPS in international organizations, including: WPS representatives at the Organization 

for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the UN 

Special Representative of the Secretary General on Sexual Violence in Confict, and the NATO Committee on 

Gender Perspectives (IO, S/GWI, USNATO/EUR, USOSCE/EUR). 

 Promote prevention of, response to, and accountability for, SEA among all foreign personnel deployed to 

international peacekeeping missions (AF, IO, PM). 

 Strengthen women’s participation in peacekeeping through diplomatic advocacy, mandate renewals, training 

for P/TCCs, and oversight of peacekeeping missions (AF, INL, IO, PM). 

Incorporate WPS principles into global disarmament goals. 

 Assuming conformance with other U.S. policies, co-sponsor the UN First Committee resolution on women, 

disarmament, nonproliferation, and arms control (AVC, IO). 

 Advocate for the inclusion of WPS concepts, guest speakers, and national progress updates in disarmament 

dialogues, particularly the OSCE Forum for Security Cooperation (AVC). 
Annex A 

List of Stakeholders 

AF ...........Bureau of African Afairs 

A/OPE ....... Ofce of the Procurement 

Executive 

AVC..........Bureau of Arms Control, 

Verifcation and Compliance 

BP ...........Bureau of Budget Planning 

CSO..........Bureau of Confict and 

Stabilization Operations 

CT ...........Bureau of Counterterrorism and 

Countering Violent Extremism 

DRL ..........Bureau of Democracy, Human 

Rights, and Labor 

DS ...........Bureau of Diplomatic Security 

EAP ..........Bureau of East Asian and 

Pacifc Afairs 

EB ...........Bureau of Economic and 

Business Afairs 

ECA ..........Bureau of Educational and 

Cultural Afairs 

ENR ..........Bureau of Energy Resources 

EUR ..........Bureau of European and 

Eurasian Afairs 

F .............Ofce of U.S. Foreign 

Assistance Resources 

FSI . . . . . . . . . . .Foreign Service Institute 

GPA..........Global Public Afairs 

INL...........Bureau of International Narcotics 

and Law Enforcement Afairs 

IO............Bureau of International 

Organization Afairs 

ISN...........Bureau of International Security 

and Nonproliferation 

J/GCJ ........ Ofce of Global Criminal Justice 

J/TIP......... Ofce to Monitor and Combat 

Trafcking in Persons 

J/IRF ........ Ofce of International 

Religious Freedom 

L .............Ofce of the Legal Adviser 

NEA..........Bureau of Near Eastern Afairs 

OES ..........Bureau of Oceans and 

International Environmental 

and Scientifc Afairs 

PM ..........Bureau of Political-Military 

Afairs 

PRM .........Bureau of Population, Refugees, 

and Migration 

R.............Under Secretary for Public 

Diplomacy and Public Afairs 

R/PPR ....... Ofce of Policy, Planning, 

and Resources for Public 

Diplomacy and Public Afairs 

SCA .........Bureau of South and Central 

Asian Afairs 

S/GAC ....... Ofce of the Global AIDS 

Coordinator and Health 

Diplomacy 

S/GFS........Secretary’s Ofce of Global Food 

Security 

S/GWI .......Secretary’s Ofce of Global 

Women’s Issues 

S/P ..........Secretary’s Ofce of Policy 

Planning 

WHA.........Bureau of Western Hemisphere 

Afairs 

USUN ........ U.S. Mission to the United Nations 

USNATO ..... U.S. Mission to the North Atlantic 

Treaty Organization 

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The Department of State’s Plan to Implement the U.S. Strategy on Women, Peace, and Security

ANNEX B 

METHODOLOGY 

The Secretary’s Ofce of Global Women’s Issues (S/GWI) led the Department through a resultsbased, consultative process for developing this implementation plan, drawing on the combined 

expertise of its policy, and programs teams, including its Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning 

(MEL) experts. This methodology is based on international best practice 3 for the development, 

monitoring, and evaluation of National Action Plans on WPS (NAPs), and lessons learned from the 

Department’s previous implementation of the 2011 U.S. National Action Plan on WPS (U.S. NAP). 

This plan will be implemented in a phased approach in order to ease into commitments and metrics. 

The plan’s inclusive, bottom-up approach follows fve principles to deliver an integrated, resultsoriented, and measurable plan: 

Leadership: Following the release of the WPS Strategy in June 2019, the Deputy Secretary of 

State, the Director of the Secretary’s Ofce of Policy Planning, and S/GWI conducted an executive 

briefng to emphasize the importance of high-level buy-in and participation. Senior leaders from 

25 bureaus and ofces attending the briefng and nominated expert personnel from their bureaus 

to act as the policy and programming points of contact. This was done to ensure collaboration 

between all aspects of Department eforts, and to encourage the submission of concise, streamlined 

commitments. All bureau commitments were required to be cleared not only through the 

subject matter experts, but also through their bureau leadership, highlighting the importance 

of accountability throughout the implementation process. To inform bureau commitments, the 

Secretary released a cable to all U.S. missions to inform them of the Strategy, demarche host 

governments about the strategy, and to solicit input from Chiefs of Mission on ongoing and proposed 

activities under the strategy. 

Results-Based Design: Our methodology leverages results-based planning, which emphasizes the 

long-term results (outcomes) that the Department aims to achieve, rather than activities and inputs. 

Results-based planning articulates what success looks like, maps clear pathways to change, and 

aligns actions and inputs to achieve these, ensuring a coherent strategy and responsible stewardship 

of U.S. taxpayer dollars. 

To ensure unity of vision across the Department’s many stakeholders, S/GWI’s Programs Team 

MEL experts facilitated a design workshop early in the drafting process, using a logical framework 

approach to help stakeholders from across the Department collaboratively identify the results 

(outcomes) of this plan. The outcomes mirror the Lines of Efort outlined in the U.S. Strategy 

on WPS. Working backwards, participants split these results into more tangible, measurable 

components around which they could organize their eforts (outputs). By convening stakeholders 

from across policy, public diplomacy, programs, and operations, this workshop laid the foundation 

for integrating WPS across all of the Department’s core competencies, broadening the 2011 U.S. 

NAP’s more narrow focus on programs. 

3. https://www.inclusivesecurity.org/publication/creating-national-action-plans-a-guide-to-implementing-resolution-1325/ 
Annex B 

Inclusion: Following this workshop, S/GWI established three workstreams for (1) policy and public 

diplomacy, (2) programs, and (3) training and operations, which convened Department stakeholders 

in each of these areas. Through these workstreams, personnel discussed with external experts. 

Personnel identifed relevant, specifc commitments (outputs) that each of their bureaus and ofces 

will take to achieve the long-term and mid-term outcomes of this plan, tailored to their respective 

missions, strategies, and existing resources. See Annex A for these commitments. 

Engagement with civil society is critical to the U.S. government’s eforts to understand best practices, 

emerging issues, and gaps in our approach. The NSC will coordinate interagency public discussions 

with U.S.-based civil society, where the Department will participate and share, to the extent 

practicable, information on progress toward WPS Strategy objectives to support feedback, learning, 

and dissemination beyond the U.S. Government. 

MEL: When submitting their commitments to implement this plan, bureaus and ofces also proposed 

indicators to measure progress against them. To mainstream WPS and prevent duplicative MEL 

systems, S/GWI encouraged the use of existing Foreign Assistance (FA) indicators, where possible. 

This also aims to drive uptake of existing gender-related FA indicators that have been underreported to date. Our MEL framework provides new indicators only where existing ones are lacking, 

and innovates by creating new indicators for tracking diplomatic eforts. To prevent reporting 

fatigue, we include only those indicators that are necessary and sufcient for measuring Department 

progress towards its outcomes. Each indicator corresponds with one of the interagency metrics 

established by the U.S. Strategy on WPS, enabling the Department to feed its data into broader, 

whole-of-government reporting. 

While many of the Department’s indicators remain at the output level, they will be annually revisited 

to iterate towards, and ultimately graduate to, more outcome-level indicators. All bureaus and ofces 

with relevant diplomatic and/or programmatic eforts will feed into indicators marked “Departmentwide” beginning in 2020. S/GWI will support those that are unable to do so in the frst year to 

strengthen their ability to do so in the second. 

Coordination: The Department will create an internal coordination infrastructure to help bureaus 

and ofces coordinate, report on, and learn from implementation of this plan. This will also serve 

as the technical hub to provide Department personnel with tools and training for implementation, 

including, but not limited to, the expansion of gender analysis, preventing sexual exploitation and 

abuse (PSEA) safeguarding standards, and gender-responsive MEL. 

Challenges: There are several challenges that may afect the implementation of this plan, including 

difcult security environments that may afect diplomatic and programmatic engagement. Foreign 

assistance resources may not always be available or may limit the scope of engagement. As we begin 

implementing this plan, it may be challenging for bureaus to report against indicators given demands 

on resourcing. Furthermore, turnover in personnel and bandwidth at U.S. missions given other 

pressing priorities may impact implementation. 

33
34

The Department of State’s Plan to Implement the U.S. Strategy on Women, Peace, and Security

ANNEX C 

WOMEN, PEACE AND SECURITY INTERAGENCY METRICS 

A.1 

Milestone: The National Security Council staf (NSC) will coordinate at least three seniorlevel department and agency meetings a year to discuss progress and revisit metrics related 

to the WPS Strategy. One of these meetings will include a cross-over discussion with 

W-GDP. (Reporting organization: NSC) 

A.2 

Milestone: Departments and agencies will coordinate two public consultations with U.S. 

based civil society organizations a year. (Reporting departments or agencies: State, USAID, 

DOD, and DHS) 

A.3 

Milestone: Departments and agencies will collectively compile an annual review of the U.S. 

implementation of WPS Strategy 

objectives, including the preparation of a public report.(Reporting department or agencies: 

State, USAID, DOD, and DHS) 

Line of Efort 1: 

Seek and support the preparation and meaningful participation of women around the world in 

decision- making processes related to conficts and crises. 

1. 1 

Metric: Number of engagements by key USG leaders focused on increasing women’s 

meaningful participation and leadership. (Reporting departments or agencies: State, USAID, 

DOD, DHS) 

1. 2 

Metric: Number of local women who participate in substantive roles or positions 

infuencing peace eforts, both formal and informal, in which the United States is involved. 

(Reporting departments or agencies: State, and USAID) 

1.3 Metric: Number of women who participate in U.S.-funded training for foreign nationals. 

(Reporting departments or agencies: State, USAID, DOD, and DHS) 

Line of Efort 2: 

Promote the protection of women and girls’ human rights; access to humanitarian assistance; 

and safety from violence, abuse, and exploitation around the world. 

2.1 

Metric: The USG will review, revise, and adopt safeguarding standards that guide the 

conduct of implementers’ of USG funded programs. (Reporting department or agency: 

State, USAID, DOD, DHS) 

2.2 

Metric: Number of USG key leader engagements focused on women’s safety and prevention 

of gender-based violence (GBV) in confict, crisis, and disaster contexts. (Reporting 

departments or agencies: State, USAID, DOD, and DHS) 

2.3 Metric: Number of people who beneft from U.S.-funded support to GBV survivors. 

(Reporting departments or agencies: State, USAID) 

2.4 

Metric: Percentage of USG funded projects with non-governmental and international 

organizations that include activities to prevent and/or respond to GBV in humanitarian 

emergencies. (Reporting departments or agencies: State, USAID) 
Annex C 

Line of Efort 3: 

Adjust United States international programs to improve equality for, and the empowerment 

of, women. 

3.1 

Metric: Departments and agencies designate one or more senior ofcial to be the lead for 

Women, Peace, and Security. (Reporting departments or agencies: State, USAID, DOD, and 

DHS) 

3.2 Metric: Number of USG trainings that integrate WPS principles. (Reporting departments or 

agencies: State, USAID, DOD, and DHS) 

3.3 Metric: Departments and agencies establish internal WPS coordination structures and 

mechanisms. (Reporting departments or agencies: State, USAID, DOD, and DHS) 

3.4 Metric: Total funding of activities aligned with WPS Strategy objectives. (Reporting 

departments or agencies: State, USAID, DOD, and DHS) 

3.5 Metric: Number of key USG strategies that explicitly integrate WPS principles. (Reporting 

departments or agencies: State, USAID, DOD, DHS, and NSC) 

3.6 Metric: Number of U.S. strategies, policies, and programs are informed by a gender 

analysis. (Reporting departments or agencies: State, USAID, DOD, and DHS) 4 

Line of Efort 4: 

Encourage partner governments to adopt policies, plans, and capacity to improve the meaningful 

participation of women in processes connected to peace and security and decision-making 

institutions. 

4.1 

Metric: Number of engagements by key U.S. leaders that lead to formal partnerships on 

WPS with partner nations. (Reporting departments or agencies: State, USAID, DOD, and 

DHS) 

4.2 Metric: Number of high-level commitments on WPS introduced or led by the USG in 

multilateral fora. (Reporting departments or agencies: State, DOD) 

4.3 

Metric: Number of p artner nation legal instruments and policies drafted—including 

national-level frameworks on WPS and GBV response—that are developed or implemented 

with assistance or encouragement from USG actors. (Reporting departments or agencies: 

State, USAID, and DOD) 

4. The WPS Strategy incorporates the defnition of “gender analysis” outlined in the Women’s Economic Empowerment and 

Entrepreneurship Act, namely, to undertake analysis of “quantitative and qualitative information to identify, understand, and 

explain gaps between men and women. This indicator will also mutually support best practices under the Women’s Global 

Development and Prosperity Initiative (W-GDP). 

35
36

The Department of State’s Plan to Implement the U.S. Strategy on Women, Peace, and Security

ANNEX D 

INTERAGENCY METRICS AND U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE INDICATORS 

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning 

The WPS Act, signed into law by President Trump in 2017, requires a USG-wide monitoring and 

evaluation plan to ensure the accountability and efectiveness of all policies and initiatives carried 

out under the Strategy. Because the following indicators enable the U.S. Department of State (the 

Department) to report into the Interagency’s Women, Peace, and Security Strategy: Milestones & 

Metrics 5, bureaus and ofces that integrate them into their policy and program monitoring and 

evaluations will have satisfed the law’s and Strategy’s requirements. 

The Department defnes monitoring and evaluation as distinct, but related processes (see 18 FAM 

301.4). Monitoring occurs throughout the lifetime of a policy or program to assess progress towards 

established goals and objectives. Evaluations collect and analyze information about the outcomes of 

policies and programs, typically after their completion, to make judgements and inform decisions 

about current and future policies and programs. While monitoring data can inform an evaluation 

and/or indicate when an evaluation is needed to understand how or why certain results are being 

observed, it is not a substitute. 

Each bureau and ofce is responsible for its own monitoring and evaluation (see 18 FAM 301.4), 

including establishing baselines and endpoint targets. 

Bureaus and ofces are encouraged to integrate women’s perspectives via consultations with 

local women leaders and civil society. To ensure learning informs future policy, programs, and 

best practice, evaluation fndings should be shared across the U.S. government, civil society, and 

international partners, as appropriate. 

5. https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Women-Peace-and-Security-Metrics-and-Milestones.pdf 
Annex D 

Indicators 

The following indicators will be used to monitor and evaluate the success of the U.S. Department 

of State’s Plan to Implement the U.S. Strategy on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) by 2023. 

By streamlining the number of indicators available throughout the Department, this framework 

collects only the data that is necessary and sufcient for measuring Department progress toward 

its outcomes. This follows international best practice and facilitates Department-wide reporting. 

Individual bureaus and ofces, however, may still elect to track each of their assigned actions in 

the Plan. 

To mainstream WPS eforts and prevent duplicative systems, the framework encourages use of 

existing Foreign Assistance (FA) indicators where possible. It provides new FA indicators only 

where existing ones are lacking, and innovates by adding new indicators for tracking diplomatic 

eforts. 

Implementing bureaus and ofces will not track the Interagency’s metrics 6

 directly. 

“Corresponding Interagency Metrics” are intended only to illustrate how the Department’s 

indicators will feed into the interagency reporting. One interagency metric may correspond with 

more than one outcome. 

The Department will build a framework for reporting during the frst year of implementation. All 

bureaus and ofces with relevant diplomatic and/or programmatic eforts will feed into indicators 

marked “Department-wide” beginning in 2020. Those that are unable to do so in the frst year 

can strengthen their ability to do so in the second. The Department will collectively compile an 

annual review of implementation progress, which will include the preparation of its contributions 

to an interagency public report. 

These indicators may be adapted annually to capture new learning and strengthen Department 

reporting and analysis. The NSC will coordinate three senior-level meetings a year to discuss 

progress and revisit metrics. One of these meetings will include a crossover discussion with the 

Women’s Global Development and Prosperity (W-GDP) Initiative. 

6. https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Women-Peace-and-Security-Metrics-and-Milestones.pdf 

37
WPS STRATEGY LOE 1: Seek and support the preparation and meaningful participation of women around the world in decision-making processes related to confict and crisis. Outcome 1 Women’s meaningful participation in decision-making processes related to confict and crises will increase in 

Priority Area Women and girls have the knowledge and skills to meaningfully participate in substantive roles related to preventing, res

confict, crisis, and terrorism. Type Name Interagency Metric 

Corresponding 

Interagency Metric IA 1.3 Number of women who participate in U.S.-funded training for foreign nationals. 

Interagency Explanation: Many women face multiple barriers when trying to enter, remain, or advance in the workforce. The USG will assess whether women have access to the same capacity-building and careerstrengthening opportunities we provide to their male colleagues by measuring women’s participation in U.S.-funded training and initiatives. This will help the USG identify gaps in U.S. eforts to guide future programs and outreach. 

State Department Defnition: The Department defnes U.S.-funded training according to existing Foreign Assidefnitions. 

Type Name Department Indicator 

Foreign Assistance IndicatorsDR.3.1-2a Number of women’s rights groups trained in confict mediation/resolution skills or consensus-building techniques with U.S

Government assistance. 

YOUTH- 4b Number of females age 10-18 who participate in civil society activities following social or leadership skills training or initiati

from USG-assisted programs. 

DR6.1-2b Number of women human rights defenders trained and supported. DR3.3-1b Number of women who receive USG-assisted political party training. DR1.3-1b Number of female judicial personnel trained with USG assistance. 

New 

Indicator WPS1.1-1 Number of programs that are designed to support women and girls with the knowledge and/or skills to prevent, manage, or resolve confict, and/or counter terrorism, and are reporting using the WPS key issue. 

38
Priority Area Partner governments’ security sectors increase women’s participation and engage women among the populations they s

Type Name Interagency Metric 

Corresponding

Interagency Metric

Priority Area Women have increased opportunities to access and infuence decision-making bodies, networks, and processes. 

Type Name Interagency Metric 

Corresponding

Interagency 

Metric

Type 

Foreign 

Assistance 

Indicator

New Indicators

IA 1.3 

Name 

GDNR-9 WPS1.2-1 WPS1.2-2 IA 1.2 

Number of women who participate in existing USG--funded training for foreign nationals. 

Interagency Explanation: See IA 1.3. State Department Defnition: See IA 1. 3. 

Department Indicator 

Number of training and capacity building activities conducted with U.S. Government assistance that are designed to promoparticipation of women or the integration of gender perspectives in security sector institutions or activities. Number of foreign national women who participate in USG-funded training related to security, justice, criminal justice, law enforcement, and/or peacekeeping professionals [tracks IA 1.3]. Number of USG-supported activities that help advance the existing GCTF good practices (i.e. on gender as well as on FTFs)Number of local women who participate in substantive roles or positions infuencing peace eforts, both formal and informal, in which the United States is involved. 

Interagency Explanation: Peace processes and peacebuilding eforts are more successful when women have infuential roles. Women exercise infuence across a range of roles, including negotiators, mediators, representatives of constituent groups, and technical experts. The USG will initially track women’s meaningful participation in the peace eforts and will look to develop future metrics to capture women’s infuence, in formal and informal roles in peace and security initiatives to measure the outcomes of their participation. 

State Department Defnition: This defnition supports the Department in tracking women’s representation to inform eforts. Local women is defned as women from trelevant confict, country, area, or region. Substantive roor positions are defned as those where the participant hrealistic opportunities to share information and represenown perspectives or those of a group she represents; deissues, problems, and solutions; and infuence decisions outcomes associated with the process or initiative. To thextent practicable, individuals should be counted only onper fscal year under this indicator. Peace eforts are defas formal (diplomatic or ofcial) or informal (grassrootssociety) eforts, initiatives, or activities aimed at preventor managing violent confict, resolving confict or the drivers of confict, and sustaining peace following an end violent confict. U.S. involvement is defned as diplomatengagement, public diplomacy, and/or foreign assistancactivities. This interagency indicator is based on FA IndiGNDR-1 (see for guidance). 

39
WPS STRATEGY LOE 1 (CONTINUED): Type Name Interagency Metric Interagency Explanation: USG senior-level engagement helps to: raise awareness of State Department Defnition: The Department defnes k

Number of engagements the importance of women’s leader engagements as U.S. Senior Executive Service (SEby key USG leaders focused participation in peace / Senior Foreign Service (SFS) level or equivalent, to inclon increasing women’s and security processes; Ambassadors and DCMs, engaging senior-level foreign meaningful participation and and mobilize political will government or international organization counterparts ileadership. and action from foreign formal settings. governments, international organizations, and non- governmental actors. Department Indicator Number of local women participating in a substantive role or position in a peacebuilding process supported with U.S. Government assistance. 

Corresponding 

Interagency Metric IA 1.1 

Type Name 

Foreign Assistance 

Indicators 

GDNR-10 DR.4.2-2b Number of women’s rights civil society organizations (CSOs) receiving USG assistance engaged in advocacy interventions. DR3.1-1b Number of U.S. Government-assisted consensus-building processes related to women’s rights resulting in an agreement. 

New Indicators 

DR 4-1 Number of U.S. Government-supported activities designed to promote or strengthen the civic participation of women. DR 3.3-2 Number of U.S. Government-assisted political parties implementing initiatives to increase the number of candidates and/o

members who are women, youth and from marginalized groups. 

WPS1.3-1 Number of key leader engagements for Washington-based principals focused on increasing women’s meaningful participat

and leadership [tracks IA 1.1]. 

WPS1.3-2 Number of countries where bureaus and/or posts report substantial and sustained diplomatic engagements promoting wom

meaningful participation and leadership in peace and security, including Front Ofce involvement. 

WPS1.3-3 Number of women in U.S. exchange programs focused on human rights and/or preventing violence or confict. WPS1.3-4 Number of U.S. exchange programs focused on women, peace, and security themes. 

40
WPS STRATEGY LOE 2: 

Promote the protection of women and girls’ human rights; access to humanitarian assistance; and safety from violence, abuse, and exploitation around the world. 

Outcome 2 

Priority Area 

Type Name 

IA 2.2 

Name 

WPS2.1-1 WPS2.1-2 

Corresponding 

Interagency Metric

Type 

New Indicators 

WPS2.1-4 

Women and girls have improved access to aid and protection from gender-based violence (GBV), abuse, and exploita

Partner governments enhance prevention of and response to GBV, including through the justice and security sector and p

Interagency Metric 

Number of USG key leader engagements focused on women’s safety and prevention of gender-based violence (GBV) in confict, crisis, and disaster contexts. 

Interagency Explanation: Senior-level engagement raises awareness of the importance of protecting women’s and girls’ safety, including from GBV, and helps mobilize political will and action from partner governments, international organizations, and nongovernmental actors. Tracking this metric will measure the commitment of key and infuential leaders across the USG to safety issues and bolster USG commitment to advancing accountability for abuse. 

State Department Defnition: The Department defnes leader engagements as U.S. Senior Executive Service (/ Senior Foreign Service (SFS) level or equivalent, to inAmbassadors and DCMs, engaging senior-level foreiggovernment or international organization counterparts formal settings. 

Department Indicator 

Number of key leader engagements for Washington-based principals focused on women’s safety and prevention of GBV in confict, crisis, and disaster contexts [tracks IA 2.2]. Number of countries where bureaus and/or posts report substantial and sustained diplomatic engagements promoting enhGBV eforts, including Front Ofce involvement. Number of activities/trainings that build criminal justice and/or peacekeeping professionals’ abilities to prevent and/or respto GBV. Number of activities/trainings on preventing and/or strengthening accountability for SEA and/or GBV perpetrated by partn

WPS2.1-3 nation security sectors. 

41
WPS STRATEGY LOE 2 (CONTINUED): Priority Area Survivors of violence have the resources they need to recover and thrive through access to justice, support, and opportun

Type Name Interagency Metric State Department Defnition: Peop

beneft is defned as individuals, m

Interagency Explanation: The USG is committed female, supported by GBV serviceto mitigating the harmful efects of GBV through is defned according to standard Uassistance that supports the needs of survivors. This defnitions. This interagency indica

Number of people who metric will assist the interagency in tracking the based on FA Indicator GNDR-6 (sebeneft from U.S.-funded efectiveness of USG eforts to assist survivors of GBV indicator for additional guidance). support to GBV survivors. through services that include legal, psychosocial and Department will respect the privac

economic support, shelter, and access to telephone security of benefciaries and partnhotlines services. prior to collecting data following U

protocol protections for personally identifable information. Department Indicator Number of people reached by a U.S. Government-funded intervention providing GBV services (e.g. health, legal, psycho-so

counseling, shelters, hotlines, other) [tracks IA 2.3]. 

Corresponding

Interagency Metric IA 2.3 

Type Name 

Foreign 

Assistance 

Indicator GNDR-6 

New 

IndicatorsWPS2.2-1 Number of trafcking victims referred to services, as documented in the annual TIP report. 

WPS2.2-2 Milestone: Call to Action Roadmap on Protection from GBV in Emergencies is fnalized. 

Humanitarian eforts, from the earliest phases of a crisis, include policies, systems, and mechanisms to identify and mitisafe, comprehensive resources and support to survivors. Priority Area 

Type Name Interagency Metric 

Corresponding

Interagency Metric IA 2.4 Percentage of USG- funded projects with non-governmental and international organizations that include activities to prevent and/or respond to GBV in humanitarian emergencies. 

Interagency Explanation: Confict and natural disasters (humanitarian emergencies) often exacerbate the vulnerability of individuals, particularly women and girls, to GBV. The USG is a leader in the international community in supporting activities to prevent and respond to GBV in humanitarian emergencies. This metric will assist departments and agencies in tracking eforts to address GBV for women and girls in humanitarian emergencies, ensuring that it remains a priority for the USG and an integral part of disasterresponse strategies and funding. 

State Department Defnition: Programming with NGO and other international organizations include specifc objective around addressiGBV, with the aim of ensuring that GBV is included as part and parcehumanitarian programming. 

42
Type Name Department Indicator 

New 

Indicators WPS2.3-1 Percentage of NGO or other international humanitarian organization projects that include dedicated activities to prevent an

respond to GBV. 

Priority Area Women’s and girls’ risk of experiencing violence is reduced through confict prevention. 

Type Name Department Indicator 

Foreign 

Assistance 

Indicator PS.6.2-4b Number of women participating in U.S. Government-supported events, trainings, or activities designed to build mass suppo

peace and reconciliation. 

New Indicators WPS2.4-1 Milestone: Inclusion of Armed Confict Location and Event Dataset (ACLED) data on political violence targeting women in 

Instability Monitoring Analysis Platform (IMAP). 

WPS2.4-2 Milestone: Development of a comprehensive, publically available, set of WPS indicators for integration in early warning sy

WPS STRATEGY LOE 3: Adjust United States international programs to improve outcomes in equality for, and the empowerment of, women. 

Outcome 3 Through diplomatic engagement, public diplomacy, and programs in targeted contexts, the Departme

best practices in its leadership, training, analytic, and safeguarding practices. 

Priority Area Department models WPS leadership in policies and actions. 

Type Name Interagency Metric 

Corresponding 

Interagency Metric Departments and agencies IA 3.1 designate one or more senior ofcial to be the lead for WPS. 

Interagency Explanation: Senior-level leadership is essential to marshalling support for the WPS Strategy. Developing infrastructure and senior leaders to implement the WPS Strategy will ensure that this strategy receives the highest levels of support at each department and agency. Senior ofcials will be responsible for coordination of WPS Strategy implementation in their departments and agencies and serve at the SES-equivalent level. 

State Department Defnition: The Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues will be the Departlead senior ofcial for coordinating implementation, supported by prinlevel representatives from other buFront Ofces. 

43
WPS STRATEGY LOE 3 (CONTINUED): Type Name Departments and agencies establish internal WPS coordination structures and mechanisms. Interagency Metric Interagency Explanation: Establishing internal mechanisms to track, coordinate, and implement WPS Strategy initiatives within a given department or agency will advance WPS Strategy integration across strategies, policies, and programs and amplify WPS Strategy impact. State Department Defnition: Coordination structures and mechanisms are defned as dis

bodies or entities that support representatives from ofces, posts, and bureaus to exchange technical expertise and resources on policy, pdiplomacy, and foreign assistance, and report progress. 

Corresponding

Interagency Metric 

IA 3.3 IA 3.5 

Number of key USG strategies that explicitly integrate WPS principles. 

Interagency Explanation: Prioritizing integration of the WPS Strategy across key U.S. department and agency strategies will ensure USG foreign policy and processes will be more informed and successful in endeavors relating to preventing, mitigating and responding to confict. 

State Department Defnition: Key U.S. strateginclude, but are not limited to, Integrated Country Strategies, Functional Bureau StrategRegional Strategies, and thematic and regionaframeworks, as they arise. Explicit integration of WPS principles is defned, for the purposes this indicator, as DOS strategies that explicitly mention the title or content of the U.S. Strategon WPS or the U.S. Department of State Implementation Plan in their goals, objectiveslines of efort, actions, indicators, milestones, comparable strategic frameworks. 

Type Name Department Indicator 

New IndicatorsWPS3.1-1 Milestone: Department designates one or more senior ofcials to be the Department lead for WPS [tracks IA 3.1]. 

WPS3.1-2 Milestone: Department establishes an organization-wide WPS coordination and learning body [tracks IA 3.3]. WPS3.1-3 Number of ICS, FBS, RS, and thematic and regional frameworks that explicitly integrate WPS principles, as defned above [tracks IA 3.5]. 

Priority Area Department personnel are equipped to model and advance WPS goals 

Type Name Interagency Metric 

Corresponding

Interagency Metric IA 3.2 Number of USG trainings that integrate WPS principles. Interagency Explanation: In order to be successful, U.S. personnel must be equipped and supported to implement the WPS Strategy. Given that WPS is a cross-cutting efort that can be applied across a wide array of issue areas, departments and agencies recognize the importance of integrating WPS themes into existing training in addition to stand-alone eforts. State Department Defnition: Integration of W

principles, for the purposes of this indicator, is defned as trainings and/or courses that addrewomen’s roles and contributions to peace and security as described in the WPS Strategy and WPS Act. 

44
Type Name Department Indicator 

New Indicators 

WPS3.2-1 Milestone: Establish and adapt reporting processes to measure implementation plan commitments and interagency indicaWPS3.2-2 Number of FSI courses that integrate WPS Strategy goals [tracks IA 3.2]. WPS3.2-3 Number of inter- and intra-bureau trainings to bureau and relevant interagency personnel on WPS strategy themes. WPS3.2-4 

Number of staf participating in WPS-relevant FSI training or outside trainings. • Number in FSI trainings • Number in outside trainings 

WPS3.2-5 Number of pre-deployment briefngs [for assignment for key leaders that include WPS]. 

Priority Area U.S. assistance promotes gender equality outcomes, including through gender analysis 

Type Name 

Total funding of activities aligned with WPS Strategy objectives. 

Interagency Metric 

Interagency Explanation: Identifying the scope of U.S. support for WPS Strategy goals in terms of both funding and personnel, serves as a refection of USG commitment and will enhance USG ability to identify gaps and opportunities. 

State Department Defnition: Total funding is defned as the total amouof Department funding, including poprograms, and public diplomacy funthat are budgeted in support of WPS Strategy objectives. 

Corresponding

Interagency Metric 

IA 3.4 

IA 3.6 

Number of U.S. strategies, policies, and programs are informed by a gender analysis. Note from NSC: The WPS Strategy incorporates the defnition of “gender analysis” outlined in the Women’s Entrepreneurship and Economic Empowerment Act, namely, to undertake analysis of “quantitative and qualitative information to identify, understand, and explain gaps between men and women. This indicator will also mutually support best practices under the (W-GDP). 

Interagency Explanation: Ensuring U.S. strategies, policies, and programs are informed by a gender analysis makes U.S. policy and programming more efective by allowing the USG to identify how these activities afect men, women, boys, and girls and to adjust activities to improve outcomes. 

State Department Defnition: Gendeanalysis is defned by the Women’s Entrepreneurship and Economic Empowerment Act of 2018, Section and entails understanding the ways which men and women experience oare afected by an issue or engagemdiferently, and the use of that analyto design policies or programs that address the diferences and limit riskharm to women and girls. 

45
WPS STRATEGY LOE 3 (CONTINUED): Type Name Interagency Metric 

Corresponding

Interagency Metric IA 2.1 The USG will review, revise, and adopt safeguarding standards that guide the conduct of implementers’ of USG funded 

programs. 

Interagency Explanation: The USG is committed to protecting benefciaries of U.S. assistance and advancing human dignity by preventing sexual exploitation and abuse. Establishing ef ective safeguarding standards, in consultation with implementing partners, benefciaries, and program participants, will strengthen accountability and lay the groundwork for necessary and appropriate action. 

State Department Defnition: For the purposes this Implementation Plan, safeguarding standaare defned as the required process by which all DOS funded/implemented programming, public diplomacy, and diplomatic eforts will prevent and ensure accountability for any harm that might befall benefciaries as a result of thparticipation. 

Type Name Department Indicator 

Foreign 

Assistance 

IndicatorGNDR 4 Percentage of participants reporting increased agreement with the concept that males and females should have equal acce

social, economic, and political resources and opportunities. 

GNDR 8 Number of persons trained with U.S. government assistance to advance outcomes consistent with gender equality or fema

empowerment through their roles in public or private sector institutions or organizations. 

New Indicators 

WPS3.3-1 Milestone: Updated gender analysis guidance and resources for use in strategy and budget planning. WPS3.3-2 Number of U.S. strategies, policies, and programs that are informed by a gender analysis as defned above [tracks IA 3.6]. WPS3.3-3 Number of bureaus and ofces that require respondents to notice of funding opportunities (NOFOs) and/or requests for proposals (RFPs) to include a gender analysis in their proposals. WPS3.3-4 

Milestone: Department safeguarding eforts are reviewed, revised as needed, and standardized and/or adopted to ensure all Department-funded and implemented programming, public diplomacy, and diplomatic eforts prevent and ensure accountability for harm that might befall benefciaries as a result of their participation [tracks IA 2.1]. 

46
WPS STRATEGY LOE 4: 

Encourage partner governments to adopt policies, plans, and capacity to improve the meaningful participation of women in processes connected to peace and security and decision-making institutions. 

Outcome 4 Targeted partner governments will make measurable progress towards adopting policies, plans, and capa

the meaningful participation of women in processes connected to peace and security and decision-makin

Priority Area Partners adopt and enforce laws and implementation frameworks that promote women’s meaningful participation. 

Type Name Interagency Metric 

Corresponding 

Interagency Metric IA 4.3 

Number of partner nation legal instruments and policies drafted --including nationallevel frameworks on WPS and GBV response -- that are developed or implemented with assistance or encouragement from U.S. actors. 

Interagency Explanation: Legal and policy frameworks of partner nations are critical to building supportive environments for women and girls’ participation in forums for decision-making and safety. They also provide local women’s groups with a framework to hold their own governments accountable. By measuring the number of partner nations’ policies and plans that have been created as a result of U.S. funding or diplomatic encouragement, we can monitor both our commitment to systemic reform and its impact. 

State Department Defnition: Partner nation legal instruments, strategies, policies, plans, aimplementing frameworks that explicitly seek (1) prevent and/or respond to GBV AND/OR advance women’s roles as agents in preventinresolving, or recovering from confict, counterterrorism and violent extremism, and/or building peace and stability. These include but are not limited to National Action Plans oother strategies on WPS. USG “assistance or encouragement” is defned as diplomatic inpuand exchanges, technical assistance, and foreassistance. 

Type Name Department Indicator 

Foreign Assistance 

Indicator 

GNDR 1 Number of legal instruments drafted, proposed or adopted with U.S. Government assistance designed to promote gender equality or non-discrimination against women or girls at the national or sub-national level [tracks IA 4.3]. GNDR 5 Number of legal instruments drafted, proposed, or adopted with U.S. Government assistance designed to improve preventio

and/or response to sexual and gender based violence at the national or sub-national level [tracks IA 4.3]. 

DR.4.3-1b Number of U.S. Government-assisted women’s rights civil society organizations (CSOs) that participate in legislative proceedings and/or engage in advocacy with national legislature and its committees. 

New Indicators WPS4.1-1 Number of countries that develop, revise, or implement National Action Plans on WPS with U.S. diplomatic or programmat

support. 

WPS4.1-2 Number of countries who integrate WPS concepts into their CVE policy frameworks with U.S. diplomatic or programmatic support. 

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WPS STRATEGY LOE 4 (CONTINUED): Priority Area A diverse range of partners across governments, civil society, and the private sector are mobilized to promote WPS Type Name Interagency Metric State Department Defnition: The Department defnes key leader engagements as Senior Executive 

(SES)/Senior Foreign Service (SFS

Number of engagements Interagency Explanation: USG senior-level engagement or equivalent, to include Ambassaby key U.S. leaders that raises awareness of the importance of WPS and and DCMs, engaging senior-level flead to formal partnerships helps mobilize political will and action from other government or international organon WPS with partner governments, international organizations, and non- counterparts in formal settings. Fonations. governmental actors. partnerships on WPS are defned a

consistent, sustained collaboration(bilateral, multilateral, or through programming) focused on mobilizjoint action on WPS. Department Indicator Number of key leader engagements for Washington-based principals that lead to partnerships or sustained collaboration o

[tracks IA 4.1]. 

Corresponding

Interagency Metric IA 4.1 

Type Name 

New IndicatorsWPS4.2-1 

WPS4.2-2 Number of countries where bureaus and/or posts report sustained and ongoing collaboration and partnerships with diverse 

on WPS, including Front Ofce involvement. 

WPS4.2-3 Milestone: At least one annual forum convenes women security leaders in the OSAC per year. 

Priority Area Multilateral institutions and fora accelerate action and shared responsibility 

Type Name Interagency Metric 

Corresponding

Interagency Metric IA 4.2 Number of high-level commitments on WPS introduced or led by the USG in multilateral fora. 

Interagency Explanation: The USG should serve as a global leader in promoting women’s meaningful participation in confict prevention, management and resolution, and post-confict relief and economic, political, and social recovery. Tracking USG eforts to advance the WPS Strategy in multilateral fora measures our commitment to exercising global leadership on WPS and contributing to normative change and accountability. 

State Department Defnition: Highlevel commitments are defned as negotiated multilateral products suresolutions or statements that incllanguage proposed or sponsored bthe United States to ensure womemeaningful participation in addrespeace and security challenges and protection from violence, including Multilateral fora are defned as formultilateral settings, regional bodiinformal networks. 

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WPS STRATEGY LOE 4 (CONTINUED): 

Type 

New Indicators

Name 

WPS4.3-1 WPS4.3-2 WPS4.3-3 

Department Indicator 

Number of high level negotiated commitments (i.e. resolution, statements, etc.) that refect WPS concepts introduced or cosponsored by the United States in multilateral settings [tracks IA 4.2]. Number of events or activities focused on WPS at multilateral fora, summits, or convenings that are sponsored by the U.S. Milestone: Number of U.S. remarks or speeches at multilateral fora focused on peace and security that include WPS theme

WPS Strategy Interagency Process Milestones 

Type Name 

IA A.1 

The NSC will coordinate at least three senior-level department and agency meetings a year to discuss progress and revisit metrics related to the WPS Strategy. One of these meetings will include a crossover discussion with W-GDP. 

Milestone 

Interagency Explanation: The White House’s continued high-level engagement will eleand drive the WPS Strategy’s implementation. Senior leadership meetings at the NSC will ensure WPS principles are integrated across U.S. national security priorities and foreign policy. In order to integrate security and economic eforts into a holistic approato women’s empowerment, the NSC will hold an annual high level meeting on WPS anW-GDP to review learning tools, gender analysis requirements, and identify and build mutually reinforcing successes. 

Interagency Process Milestones

IA A.2 Departments and agencies will coordinate two public consultations with U.S -based civil society organizations a year. Interagency Explanation: United States engagement with civil society is critical to our eforts to understand best practices, emerging issues in the feld, and learning of key g

in our approach. In return, departments and agencies will share, to the extent practicainformation on progress toward WPS Strategy goals to support feedback, learning, and dissemination beyond government. 

IA A.3 

Departments and agencies will collectively compile an annual review of the U.S. implementation of WPS Strategy objectives, including the preparation of a public report. 

Interagency Explanation: In order to ensure our eforts are successful and sustainable, USG will need to continuously assess and adapt our approaches and activities under tWPS Strategy. The USG also recognizes the importance of transparency and informatisharing with key stakeholders 

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