UNITED STATES 

STRATEGY 

ON WOMEN, PEACE, 

AND SECURITY

JUNE 2019

Introduction...................................................................................2

The Strategic Challenge...................................................................4

The Theory of Change: A National Strategy on Women, 

Peace and Security .......................................................................... 5

Line of Effort 1.................................................................................................................................. 6

Line of Effort 2.................................................................................................................................. 8

Line of Effort 3................................................................................................................................ 10

Line of Effort 4................................................................................................................................ 12

Metrics and Targets .......................................................................15

Resourcing and Reporting ..............................................................16

Table of Contents
UNITED STATES STRATEGY ON WOMEN, PEACE, AND SECURITY

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The Trump Administration is committed to 

advancing women’s equality, seeking to protect 

the rights of women and girls, and promoting 

women and youth empowerment programs. The 

United States Strategy on Women, Peace, and 

Security (WPS Strategy) responds to the Women, 

Peace, and Security Act of 2017, which President 

Donald J. Trump signed into law on October 6, 

2017.1 This is the first legislation of its kind globally, 

which makes the United States the first country in 

the world with a comprehensive law on WPS, and 

de facto, the first with a whole-of-government 

strategy that responds to such a domestic law. 

The WPS Strategy recognizes the diverse roles 

women play as agents of change in preventing 

and resolving conflict, countering terrorism and 

violent extremism, and building post conflict 

peace and stability. The WPS Strategy seeks 

to increase women’s meaningful leadership in 

political and civic life by helping to ensure they 

are empowered to lead and contribute, equipped 

with the necessary skills and support to succeed, 

and supported to participate through access to 

opportunities and resources. 

Key departments and agencies that will 

implement the WPS Strategy include, but 

are not limited to, the Departments of State, 

Defense (DOD), and Homeland Security (DHS); 

and the United States Agency for International 

Development (USAID). This Administration will 

capitalize on the opportunity to link our new, 

Introduction

The United States is unapologetic in championing the principles upon which our 

country was founded: individual liberty, free enterprise, equal justice under the 

law, and the dignity of every human life. The President’s National Security Strategy

(NSS) highlighted that these principles form the foundation of our most enduring 

alliances, since governments that respect citizens’ rights “remain the best vehicle 

for prosperity, human happiness, and peace.” Further, the NSS also noted that 

“governments that fail to treat women equally do not allow their societies to 

reach their potential [while] societies that empower women to participate fully in 

civic and economic life are more prosperous and peaceful.” 

1

 The WPS Strategy responds to the Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2017 (Public Law 115-68-Oct. 6, 2017), which requires, 

within 1 year of the enactment of the Act, and again 4 years thereafter, the submission of a strategy to the appropriate Congressional Committees and its publication. The WPS Strategy supersedes the 2016 U.S. National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and 

Security; complements relevant laws, appropriations, and Executive Orders, including the State and Foreign Operations Acts 

and the National Defense Authorization Act; and satisfies Executive Order 13595.
UNITED STATES STRATEGY ON WOMEN, PEACE, AND SECURITY

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strategic approach to women, peace, and security 

to the NSS and other national strategic guidance 

on matters of peace and security, including the 

2018 National Strategy for Counterterrorism; 

the 2018 National Defense Strategy (NDS); State, 

DOD, and USAID 2018 Stabilization Assistance 

Review; the 2018 Strategy to Support Women and 

Girls at Risk from Violent Extremism and Conflict; 

efforts to counter trafficking co nsistent wi th th e 

NSS, including pursuant to the Trafficking Victims 

Protection Act (TVPA); and National Security 

Presidential Memorandum (NSPM) 16: Promoting 

Women’s Global Development and Prosperity, 

which the President signed in February 2019, 

establishing the Women’s Global Development 

and Prosperity (W-GDP) Initiative. In line with 

the NSS, the W-GDP Initiative seeks to empower 

women economically around the world, and in so 

doing, create conditions for increased stability, 

security, and prosperity for all.
UNITED STATES STRATEGY ON WOMEN, PEACE, AND SECURITY

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A

round the world, conflict and disasters 

adversely and disproportionately affect 

women and girls, yet women remain 

under-represented in efforts to prevent and 

resolve conflict, and in post-conflict peacebuilding or recovery efforts. Research has shown 

that peace negotiations are more likely to succeed, 

and result in lasting stability, when women participate.2

 The barriers to women’s meaningful participation are numerous, and include under-representation in political leadership, pervasive 

violence against women and girls, and persistent 

inequality in many societies. 

Despite advancements in women’s social, 

political, and economic rights, women still 

enjoy fewer freedoms and opportunities than 

men worldwide. Instability and conflict magnify 

these challenges in places where malign actors 

frequently exploit individual, community, and 

societal vulnerabilities for their own gain. In these 

instances, women and girls are often targeted 

for various forms of violence, exploitation, and 

abuse. Oftentimes, their physical vulnerability 

can be directly traced back to their politically and 

socially disadvantaged place in society. 3 

The United States recognizes the linkage 

between women’s empowerment and global 

peace and security. Social and political marginalization of women strongly correlates with the 

likelihood that a country will experience conflict. 

One metric indicates that 14 of the 17 lowestscoring countries in the Index for Gender Discrimination of the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development have experienced 

armed conflict in the last two decades. Global 

insecurity also affects the national security of 

the United States, as regions of conflict often 

provide safe haven for terrorists and other 

illicit actors; become proxies for broader wars 

between nation-states; and lead to massive 

population displacement, migration, and further 

regional instability. 

This Strategy promotes the meaningful inclusion 

of women in processes to prevent, mediate, 

resolve, and recover from deadly conflict or 

disaster. While the United States maintains 

a deep commitment to promoting women’s 

equality, we recognize that fully achieving that 

goal globally has proven elusive. Much remains to 

be done, both to enhance the equality of women 

and girls, and to secure the meaningful inclusion 

of women in preventing and resolving conflict, 

and in post-conflict peace building and recovery. 

The Strategic Challenge

2

 Valerie Hudson, Bonnie Ballif-Spanvill, Mary Caprioli, and Chad F. Emmett, Sex and World Peace (New York: Columbia 

University Press, 2012).

3

 Report of the United Nations Secretary-General on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence, March 23, 2018, S/2018/250, Section 11, p. 

4
UNITED STATES STRATEGY ON WOMEN, PEACE, AND SECURITY

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T

he WPS Strategy acknowledges a 

tremendous amount of untapped potential 

among the world’s women and girls to 

identify, recommend, and implement effective 

solutions to conflict. At its core, the WPS Strategy 

recognizes the benefits derived from creating 

opportunities for women and girls to serve as 

agents of peace via political, economic, and social 

empowerment. The WPS Strategy therefore aims 

to make meaningful progress around the world 

to empower women in preventing conflict and 

building peace, while endeavoring to rectify the 

disproportionate, adverse impacts of armed 

conflict on women and girls.4 The United States 

embraces these concepts and recognizes the 

powerful role that women can play as peacemakers and political agents in societies that are 

transitioning out of conflict and toward peace. It is 

therefore crucial that ongoing United States efforts 

to engage in preventing and mitigating conflict 

around the world strategically factor in the participation, perspectives, and interests of women, 

including those from under-represented groups. 

This Strategy defines women’s political empowerment and equality as the end state whereby 

women can meaningfully participate in 

preventing, mediating, and resolving conflict 

and countering terrorism, in ways that 

promote stable and lasting peace, including in 

conflict-affected areas.

To work toward this end state, the WPS Strategy 

identifies three separate, yet interrelated, strategic 

objectives that must be achieved. These strategic 

objectives aim to make demonstrable progress 

(defined below) by 2023: 

■ Women are more prepared and increasingly 

able to participate in efforts that promote 

stable and lasting peace;

■ 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; and

■ United States and partner governments have 

improved institutionalization and capacity

to ensure WPS efforts are sustainable and 

long-lasting. 

The WPS Strategy also identifies four lines 

The Theory of Change: 

A National Strategy on Women, 

Peace and Security 

4

 Security Council Resolution 1325, October 31, 2000, S/RES/1325
UNITED STATES STRATEGY ON WOMEN, PEACE, AND SECURITY

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of effort, which are the separate-yet-interrelated ways to synchronize and prioritize United 

States actions to achieve the strategic objectives. Importantly, actions (tasks) completed 

within each of the lines of effort will focus on 

improving women’s empowerment and equality 

in one or more of the conflict phases: preventing 

conflict and preparing for disasters; managing, 

mitigating, and resolving conflict and crisis; 

and post-conflict and post-crisis efforts in relief 

and recovery.

LINE OF EFFORT 1: Seek and support the preparation and meaningful participation of women 

around the world in decision-making processes 

related to conflict and crises;

LINE OF EFFORT 2: Promote the protection of 

women and girls’ human rights; access to humanitarian assistance; and safety from violence, 

abuse, and exploitation around the world;

LINE OF EFFORT 3: Adjust United States international programs to improve outcomes in equality 

for, and the empowerment of, women; and

LINE OF EFFORT 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.

Further, we acknowledge that we will likely not 

be able to advance WPS principles in every corner 

of the globe. As with all matters of national 

security, the United States will continue to 

engage selectively, and in ways that advance 

America’s national interests. The United States 

Government will also serve as responsible 

stewards of taxpayer dollars, seeking to optimize 

investments and ensure accountability. When 

and where the United States does choose to 

engage, the WPS Strategy will help inform how 

the United States approaches and prioritizes 

its involvement, including in coordination with 

like-minded partners, to secure more effective 

and lasting gains. 

Line of Effort 1: 

Support the preparation and meaningful 

participation of women around the 

world in informal and formal decisionmaking processes related to conflict 

and crisis. 

The Goal

Increase women’s meaningful participation in 

political, civic, and military processes to prevent 

and resolve conflicts, prepare for disasters, and 

set conditions for stability during post conflict 

and post-crisis efforts. 

The Problem

In spite of the growing evidence of a direct 

correlation between the equality and empowerment of women and a nation’s stability, 

women remain critically under-represented in 

conflict prevention, conflict-resolution, and 

post-conflict peace building efforts. The voices 

and concerns of women affected by violence 

during conflict — those who will carry much 

of the burden for healing and rebuilding their 

communities in peacetime — are routinely absent 

from, or overlooked at, the negotiating table. 

Despite numerous examples of women who 

have provided leadership to prevent and resolve 
UNITED STATES STRATEGY ON WOMEN, PEACE, AND SECURITY

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conflict at local, national, and regional levels, 

persistent inequality and marginalization often 

prevents women from realizing their full potential 

and influence as negotiators, mediators, and 

decision makers. The United Nations (UN) 

reports that between 1992 and 2011, women 

made up just 2 percent of mediators, 4 percent 

of witnesses and signatories, and 9 percent of 

negotiators in formal post-conflict peace talks.5

The first step in advancing WPS principles 

requires that we empower women and girls with 

the tools and capabilities they need to engage 

meaningfully in conflict and crisis situations, 

whether before, during, or after these events, and 

then encourage their meaningful participation 

in efforts to promote stable and lasting peace. 

Increasing women’s capacity to participate 

meaningfully in peace and political processes 

provides them with the distinct advantage to be 

prepared to contribute to a range of formal and 

informal peace proce sses, dialogues, and negotiations that determine the fates of their families 

and communities. 

The factors that preclude women’s meaningful 

participation vary from one country to the next. 

Legal, structural, and other barriers also often 

interact with deeply entrenched social norms 

to undermine women’s influence and representation. For the United States to be successful 

in its efforts, it is critical that we understand 

local barriers before setting out a program to 

overcome them. The design of efforts must go 

hand-in-hand with research, and implementers 

must seek the continuous input of the women 

they are trying to serve.

The WPS Strategy Approach

Departments and agencies will tailor their 

engagements and programs in ways that help 

women around the world be more prepared 

for, and able to participate in, decision-making 

processes related to conflict and crisis. 

Illustrative activities in support of the above goal 

could include (and noting primarily in which conflict 

or crisis phase(s) the activities would be focused):

ALL PHASES:

■ Encourage the increased, meaningful participation of women in security-sector initiatives 

funded by the United States Government, 

including programs that provide training to 

foreign nationals regarding law enforcement, 

the rule of law, and professional military 

education. United States courses that historically attract only male international students 

from certain countries or regions should 

consider ways to incentivize the inclusion of 

female students as well.

■ Integrate women’s perspectives and interests 

into conflict prevention, conflict-resolution, 

and post conflict peace-building activities and 

strategies, including women from under-represented groups, via consultation with local 

women leaders in the design, implementation, 

and evaluation of United States initiatives;

■ Encourage the inclusion of women leaders 

and women’s organizations in the prevention 

and resolution of conflict, and in post-conflict 

5

 UN Women, “Women’s Participation in Peace Negotiations: Connections between Presence and Influence,” (October 2012) p. 3.
UNITED STATES STRATEGY ON WOMEN, PEACE, AND SECURITY

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peace-building efforts. Where appropriate, 

United States diplomatic, military, and development interventions will lead by example 

through inclusion of American women in such 

efforts, and will engage local women leaders 

as vital partners, including through support 

that advances their meaningful political 

participation and empowerment, capacity, 

credibility, and professional development; and

■ Use relevant analysis and indicators, including 

the collection of sex-disaggregated data, to 

identify and address barriers to women’s 

meaningful participation in the prevention 

and resolution of conflict, and in post-conflict peace-building efforts and programs, 

including early warning systems related to 

conflict and violence.

PREVENTING CONFLICT AND PREPARING 

FOR DISASTERS: Provide, as appropriate, 

technical assistance and training to female 

negotiators, mediators, peace-builders, and 

stakeholders.

MANAGING, MITIGATING, AND RESOLVING 

CONFLICT AND CRISIS: Provide, as appropriate, logistical support to female negotiators, 

mediators, peace-builders, and stakeholders, 

particularly during democratic transitions, which 

is critical to sustaining democratic institutions, 

creating more inclusive democratic societies, and 

contributing to long-term stability. 

POST-CONFLICT AND POST-CRISIS RELIEF 

AND RECOVERY: Support, as appropriate, local 

women’s peace-building organizations.

Line of Effort 2: 

Promote the protection of women and 

girls’ human rights, access to aid, 

and safety from violence, abuse, and 

exploitation around the world. 

The Goal

Women and girls’ security, human rights, and 

needs are protected – by their governments, 

augmented as appropriate with regional or other 

security sector forces – so they can meaningfully 

contribute locally, nationally, and globally. 

The Problem

Women and girls bear unique, and sometimes 

disproportionate, impacts of armed conflict.6

In many conflict-affected and fragile settings 

around the world, malign actors deliberately 

target and attack women and girls, often 

with impunity, for various forms of violence, 

including, but not limited to, physical and sexual 

violence, torture, mutilation, trafficking, and 

slavery. While women and girls sometimes 

voluntarily join terrorist organizations, some 

may be coerced or manipulated into becoming 

terrorists or foreign terrorist fighters themselves. 

Post-conflict, women and girls continue to 

experience high levels of violence and insecurity. 

Most survivors never receive justice, and, 

instead, face considerable challenges in gaining 

access to the medical, psychosocial, legal, and 

economic support that is necessary to help them 

heal, recover, and rebuild their lives. These 

patterns have been shown to have devastating 

6

 Security Council Resolution 2106, S/RES/2106, 24 June 2016
UNITED STATES STRATEGY ON WOMEN, PEACE, AND SECURITY

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effects on societies, and lead to continued cycles 

of insecurity and instability.7

Breakdowns in the rule of law and forced 

displacement from conflict and disaster expose 

refugees and internally displaced persons, particularly women and girls, to additional risks of 

violence and exploitation. Women cannot fully 

participate in the prevention or resolution of 

conflict or participate in recovery efforts if they 

themselves are victims of violence or intimidation, and pervasive violence against women 

and girls undermines the recovery of entire 

communities and countries affected by violence 

or disaster. 

In situations of conflict and crisis, during which 

populations rely on humanitarian assistance and 

other aid to meet their basic needs and begin the 

challenging process of recovery, the United States 

Government must design our efforts to address 

the distinct needs of women and girls, including 

women’s economic security, safety and dignity. 

Women cannot participate in the prevention or 

resolution of conflict or recovery from disaster if 

they cannot meet their basic needs or provide for 

their children. 

Data also indicates that the consequences 

of terrorism and terrorism-related violence 

in conflict uniquely affect women and girls. 

Women are often the first targets of terrorism 

and violent extremist ideologies, which restrict 

their rights and can lead to increases in violence 

against them. Terrorists often advocate for, 

and carry out, the enslavement of women and 

girls. Tactics such as human trafficking, sexual 

slavery, and recruiting women to become 

terrorists themselves have become a hallmark 

of terrorist groups, trapping thousands of 

women and girls in cycles of repression and 

violence. Ongoing efforts to address the adverse 

impact of terrorism and violent extremism are 

therefore more effective and sustainable when 

we empower women and girls to be active participants and leaders in preventing and responding 

to terrorism and political violence.

The WPS Strategy Approach

Departments and agencies will support 

countries’ local and regional efforts to seek to 

ensure women and girls are protected from 

all forms of violence, and benefit equally from 

governmental and non-governmental assistance 

and development programs. 

Illustrative activities in support of the above goal 

could include the following:

ALL PHASES: Address security-related barriers 

to the protection of women. This includes the 

following:

■ Identify and reduce obstacles or barriers not 

codified in formal rules or regulations but that 

nonetheless reflect sex-based discrimination, 

sex-based bias, or lack of recognition for 

women’s rights;

■ Address the use of violence, intimidation, or 

harassment to prevent women from participating in decision-making or related political, 

diplomatic or military processes;

7

 According to the UN Secretary General’s 2018 Report on Conflict-related Sexual Violence, the accumulation of unresolved 

crimes fuels new cycles of violence, vengeance and vigilantism, which are inimical to reconciliation. Report of the Secretary-General on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence, Sec. 20 p. 7, S/2018/250 (March 23, 2018).
UNITED STATES STRATEGY ON WOMEN, PEACE, AND SECURITY

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■ Champion efforts to prevent and respond 

to sexual abuse and exploitation by peacekeepers and relief workers; and 

■ Encourage countries’ local law-enforcement 

and judicial systems to appropriately address 

gender-based violence against women and 

girls, especially as part of transitional justice 

processes and initiatives.

PREVENTING CONFLICT AND PREPARING 

FOR DISASTERS:

■ In coordination with broader United States 

efforts to provide humanitarian assistance 

and disaster relief, ensure women and girls 

have safe and equal access to humanitarian 

assistance, including food, shelter, and 

heath security targeted at saving lives. This 

includes efforts to increase access to humanitarian assistance in line with the Unites States 

Government’s interpretation of the laws of 

armed conflict and International Human 

Rights Law;

■ Support solutions to prevent and respond 

to violence against women and girls. This 

includes collecting and analyzing sex-disaggregated data for the purpose of developing and enhancing early warning systems 

of conflict and violence; supporting multilateral efforts, including at the UN, to address 

violence in conflict, including sexual violence, 

human trafficking, and slavery; and integrating 

efforts to combat drivers of violence against 

women and girls into conflict and efforts to 

prevent atrocities; and

■ Empower women as partners in preventing 

terrorism and countering radicalization and 

recruitment. This includes promoting voices 

of pluralism and tolerance, undermining the 

power of terrorist ideologies; undercutting 

terrorist recruiting; and raising awareness of 

radicalization and recruitment dynamics via 

outreach, training, and international exchanges.

POST-CONFLICT AND POST-CRISIS RELIEF 

AND RECOVERY: 

■ Design United States diplomatic, military, and 

development interventions in conflict- and 

disaster-affected areas to maximize protection 

for women and girls, and seek to ensure 

women and girls receive equal access to 

justice, humanitarian assistance, appropriate 

medical care, and psycho-social support for 

survivors of violence, exploitation, and abuse, 

including for their children; and

■ Design humanitarian-assistance programs to 

reduce risks faced by women and girls in crisis 

and conflict, and to meet the specific needs of 

women and girls who have experienced or are 

at risk of violence, exploitation, and abuse.

Line of Effort 3: 

Adjust United States international programs to improve outcomes in equality 

for, and the empowerment of, women.

The Goal

The United States maintains its role as a leader 

on the world stage in promoting the meaningful 

participation of women in preventing, managing, 

and resolving conflict, and efforts in post-conflict 

relief and recovery. 
UNITED STATES STRATEGY ON WOMEN, PEACE, AND SECURITY

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The Problem

The United States has long proven its commitment 

to address injustice against women and girls in 

conflict areas, alongside our broader commitment 

to help those in need and those trying to build a 

better future for their families. Through engagements with partners and at multilateral organizations such as the United Nations, the United States 

has won recognition from friends and competitors 

alike as a champion of women’s empowerment 

across the phases of conflict and crisis resolution. 

As noted in the NSS, the competitions, rivalries, 

and challenges that face the United States are 

real and ongoing. As the United States responds 

to growing political, economic, and military 

competitions around the world, we must also 

ensure we mitigate conflict at its source – 

including the role that systemic inequality faced 

by women and girls serves as a known driver of 

conflict.8 Just as the United States Government is 

modernizing and integrating our tools to counter 

terrorism and protect the homeland, we will also 

update our policies, training, and approaches 

to emphasize the relationship between women 

and security, helping ensure our WPS efforts are 

sustainable and long-lasting. This will include 

giving consideration to the unique security 

requirements of both females and males, while 

finding opportunities to promote the equal rights 

and opportunities of women and girls. 

The WPS Strategy Approach

The United States Government must equip and 

empower its diplomatic, military, and development personnel to advance the goals of this 

strategy through an ongoing process of training, 

education, and professional development in 

partnership with specialists who can provide 

insight and understanding to this challenging field.

Illustrative activities in support of the above goal 

could include the following:

ALL PHASES:

■ Train United States diplomatic, military, and 

development personnel, as appropriate, 

on the needs and perspectives of women in 

preventing, mediating, and resolving conflict, 

including women from under-represented 

groups; on protecting civilians from violence, 

exploitation, and trafficking in persons; and, 

in accordance with the United States Government’s understanding, on International 

Humanitarian Law and International Human 

Rights Law; 

■ Support research into, and the evaluation 

of, effective strategies and the development 

and sharing of best practices for ensuring the 

meaningful participation by women, to include 

exchanges with international partners;

■ Expand and apply gender analysis, as appropriate, to improve the design and targeting of 

United States Government programs; 

■ Conduct assessments of new initiatives, 

including perspectives from affected women, 

including women from under-represented 

groups; 

8

 See Mary Caprioli, “Primed for Violence: The Role of Gender Inequality in Predicting Internal Conflict,” International Studies 

Quarterly 49, No. 2 (2005): 161–178.
UNITED STATES STRATEGY ON WOMEN, PEACE, AND SECURITY

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■ Develop public-private partnerships; leverage 

non-Federal entities such as non-governmental organizations, faith based organizations, and businesses; and foster relationships 

between non-Federal partners and partner 

governments to increase burden-sharing and 

ensure the sustainability of programs;

■ Target assistance strategically, by identifying 

a limited set of cases in which United States 

Government WPS programs have a significant opportunity for measurable impact and 

avoiding duplication, reduced impact, and 

wasted resources; and

■ Demonstrate and quantify the tangible 

outcomes and impact of its assistance under 

the WPS.

Line of Effort 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 Goal

Partner governments are reforming policies, 

programs, and plans to increase women’s 

meaningful participation in processes connected 

to peace and security and decision-making institutions. 

The Problem

Around the world, a wide range of factors prevent 

women from participating meaningfully in efforts 

that promote stable and lasting peace. Some 

of these factors stem from biases based on 

normative perceptions about the roles of women 

and men. However, others are consequences 

of legal, regulatory, and structural barriers 

designed to prevent women from having a formal 

say in how issues related to peace and security 

are brokered in their societies. These barriers 

are often supported by imbalanced or corrupt 

systems of power and influence that neglect and 

exploit women at the cost of effective governance 

and lasting peace.

Research indicates that when women are involved 

in peace negotiations, they are more likely to 

raise social issues that help societies reconcile 

and recover. Furthermore, studies suggest that 

when women meaningfully participate in peace 

negotiations, the likelihood that the resulting 

peace plan will last more than 2 years increases 

by 20 percent, and the likelihood that it will last 

more than 15 years increases by 35 percent.10

Considering that more than half of all peace 

agreements fail within 5 years, the inclusion of 

women in conflict resolution arguably saves lives 

and limits the devastating economic costs of war. 

Experience further indicates that when women 

participate in security sector roles, they achieve 

substantive and lasting gains in peace and 

security. For example, female peacekeepers are 

more likely to gain admission to geographic and 

10 Laurel Stone, “Annex II: Quantitative Analysis of Women’s participation in Peace Processes,” Reimagining Peacemaking: 

Women’s Roles in Peace Processes (New York: International Peace Institute, 2015) (study of 156 peace agreements, controlling 

for other variables).
UNITED STATES STRATEGY ON WOMEN, PEACE, AND SECURITY

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population sectors traditionally closed to their 

male counterparts, which gives them unique 

access to information about the local security 

environment and potential risks. Women peacekeepers are also more likely to enjoy the trust 

and confidence from the communities they 

serve, and more likely to empower women to join 

security sector ranks, including the military and 

law enforcement.11

The WPS Strategy offers a foundation for 

long-lasting change. However, sustainability will 

require the support of the global community, 

including non governmental entities, such as 

civil society and faith-based organizations, and 

private businesses, which have a long-term 

presence in country and often play a role in 

helping to rebuild post-conflict and fragile states. 

The WPS Strategy Approach

Departments and agencies will aim to reduce 

barriers and enhance protections in partner 

countries’ policies, laws, regulations and 

practices that impede women’s ability to 

engage or participate in preventing conflict and 

preparing for disasters; managing, mitigating, 

and resolving conflict and crisis; and post-conflict and post-crisis relief and recovery. 

Illustrative activities in support of the above goal 

could include the following:

ALL PHASES:

■ Address host-nation barriers that discriminate against the meaningful participation of 

women. This includes encouraging partner 

governments to revise formal laws, rules, 

and regulations that disadvantage women 

as equal participants in all phases of conflict 

and crisis resolution; support the effective 

implementation of laws, rules, and regulations 

that promote women as equal participants 

in all phases of resolving and responding to 

conflict and crisis; and adopt plans to improve 

the meaningful participation of women in 

processes connected to peace and security 

and decision-making institutions;

■ Assist partner governments to increase the 

opportunity for women to serve in security 

sector forces, including peacekeeping, 

military, and law enforcement organizations. 

This includes developing women’s technical 

and professional competencies so they can 

better compete for security sector roles, and 

seeking to cultivate and promote qualified 

women in peace operations, peacekeeping 

missions, and national administrations, 

including at senior leadership levels across all 

relevant areas, including political, diplomatic, 

development and military sectors, on par with 

their male counterparts. This also includes 

encouraging partner governments to foster 

professional growth for women as security 

sector professionals via career counseling, 

networking, targeted recruitment, and 

mentoring programs; 

■ Support, and coordinate with, other countries 

in their efforts to improve the meaningful 

participation of women in processes 

connected to peace and security, conflict-pre11 UN Women Policy Brief, Exploratory Options On Using Financial Incentives to Increase the Percentage of Military Women in UN 

Peackeeping Missions (UN Women, 2015), http://wps.unwomen.org/resources/briefs/financial.pdf .
UNITED STATES STRATEGY ON WOMEN, PEACE, AND SECURITY

14

vention, peace-building, transitional justice, 

and decision-making institutions;

■ Confer with host governments and non-governmental organizations to reduce barriers 

to and enhance the meaningful participation 

of women in economic, political, and security 

spheres, including the engagement of men and 

boys in support of women’s equality; and

■ Promote the American values of individual 

liberty, religious freedom, and equal treatment 

under the law in our engagement with other 

nations to implement the WPS Strategy.

PREVENTING CONFLICT AND PREPARING 

FOR DISASTERS: Support partner countries’ 

training, education, and mobilization of men and 

boys as partners in support of the meaningful 

participation of women in society.

MANAGING, MITIGATING, AND RESOLVING 

CONFLICT AND CRISIS: Encourage the development of transitional justice and accountability 

mechanisms that are inclusive of the experiences 

and perspectives of women and girls, including 

women from under-represented groups. Work 

with willing partners to strengthen their national 

frameworks for justice and accountability with 

the goal of ending impunity for all types of crimes 

and atrocities, including gender-based violence 

in conflict. This includes supporting survivors 

of violence by providing access to healing and 

recovery programs, combating norms that 

exacerbate violence in conflict, and seeking timely 

justice and accountability for crimes committed.
UNITED STATES STRATEGY ON WOMEN, PEACE, AND SECURITY

15

Metrics and Targets

To track progress toward women’s ability 

to participate meaningfully in and 

contribute to preventing, mediating, and 

resolving conflict and countering terrorism, the 

Administration will commit to rigorously track 

and report on metrics across the interagency 

on an annual basis, and will seek meaningful 

change in all three strategic objectives by 

2023. This will include reporting on training 

requirements for applicable United States 

Government personnel, as well as a summary 

and evaluation of this strategy’s implementation by departments and agencies; applicable 

interagency coordination completed; and the 

monitoring and evaluation tools, mechanisms, 

and common indicators to assess progress 

made within this strategy’s lines of efforts and 

to achieve the strategic objectives by 2023. 

Departments and agencies will coordinate this 

reporting with the reporting requirements of 

NSPM 16: Promoting Women’s Global Development and Prosperity, to ensure data tracking 

for the two efforts is complementary and 

non-duplicative. To the extent common metrics 

are reported and counted towards both efforts, 

departments and agencies will clearly indicate 

where that is the case.

The WPS Strategy understands “meaningful” as 

having a measurable, enduring impact on one or 

all of the identified strategic objectives, and in 

one or all phases of conflict or crisis prevention 

and resolution. “Meaningful” participation is not 

defined by a set proportion of women’s participation in every context. Instead, we will take 

relevant circumstantial factors into account, and, 

where necessary, apply lessons learned from the 

past, analytic rigor, and evidence-based research 

to inform targeted and effective policies and 

programming going forward. We will develop 

context-specific markers by which to measure 

progress on our efforts. 

To fulfill our responsibility to be good stewards 

of national resources, programs carried out 

in furtherance of the WPS Strategy must 

measurably accomplish their goals. Departments 

and agencies must modify or reassess programs 

that fail to do so, and must harness learning to 

inform future planning and implementation. To 

ensure accountability, departments and agencies 

will provide measurable goals, benchmarks, and 

timetables for their proposed WPS initiatives as 

part of their implementation plans, in addition to 

estimating resource requirements. 
UNITED STATES STRATEGY ON WOMEN, PEACE, AND SECURITY

16

Resourcing and Reporting

No later than 90 days after this Strategy goes 

into effect, departments and agencies will 

nominate criteria to the Assistant to the 

President for National Security Affairs (APNSA) 

for inclusion in a United States Government-wide 

WPS framework for monitoring and evaluating 

programs. Nominated criteria must include 

proposed measures of effectiveness in furthering 

each of the Strategy’s articulated goals. After the 

approval of the WPS monitoring-and-evaluation 

framework, relevant departments and agencies 

will use it to assess and report on progress and 

results under the WPS Strategy. 

Within 120 days of the approval of this WPS 

Strategy, State, DOD, DHS, and USAID shall each 

develop, in coordination with the APNSA and 

Office of Management and Budget, and provide 

to the Congress a detailed, consolidated implementation plan that provides the following information with respect to their WPS Strategy implementation plan:

1) The anticipated technical, financial, and in-kind 

contribution of each department or agency;

2) Roles and responsibilities across the 

department or agency;

3) Processes required to support the WPS 

Strategy, such as new policy or doctrine, or 

capabilities assessments;

4) Corresponding timelines and milestones, 

with clear benchmarks and deliverables for 

each necessary action; and

5) Approved measures of effectiveness and 

associated methods of assessment that, at 

minimum, measure involvement both preand post intervention, to ensure the policies 

and initiatives are effective at achieving 

strategic goals.

Not later than 1 year after submission of this 

strategy, the Secretary of State, in conjunction 

with the Secretary of Defense and the Administrator of USAID, shall brief the appropriate 

Congressional Committees on existing, enhanced, 

or newly established training for relevant United 

States personnel on the participation of women 

in conflict-prevention and peace building. 

Not later than 2 years after submission of this 

strategy, the Secretary of State, in conjunction 

with the Secretary of Defense and the Administrator of USAID shall submit to the APNSA, and be 

prepared to brief the appropriate Congressional 

Committees on, a report that summarizes and 

evaluates departments’ and agencies’ implementation plans; describes the nature and extent of 

interagency coordination on implementation; 

outlines the monitoring and evaluation on policy 

objectives; and describes existing, enhanced, or 

newly established training. n