# NDU Women Peace and Security Student Writing Award

/ Published Aug. 15, 2017

**BACKGROUND**

Beginning in 2000, with Resolution 1325, the UN Security Council adopted a set of seven resolutions in what is

now referred to as its “Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda.” Binding on UN member states, the Security

Council resolutions address a significant gap—that of the perspective that can be gained from taking a gender lens

to matters of global peace and security. Gender is a concept that captures and explains the ways that our societies

construct ideas of being masculine and feminine, and the ways that power is associated with resulting gender

identities, norms, and values. The resolutions recognize that, as a result of these gender norms, insecurity, conflict

and violence are experienced differently by men, women, boys, and girls, and that there is a need to overcome

the ways in which the concerns, interests, and needs of women and girls have been excluded from issues of

international peace and security. The resolutions call for increased participation of women in peace and security

related initiatives, such as women’s participation in conflict resolution and peacebuilding; they emphasize the

active role women play in conflict prevention and the need for support of these roles, and make provision for the

protection of women and girls from violence during and after conflict. States are implementing these women,

peace, and security resolutions around the globe through their domestic, security, military, and foreign policies.’

To date, 60 countries2 have developed roadmaps for implementation of the UN Security Council WPS agenda.

President Barack Obama issued Executive Order 13595 on December 19, 2011, making a gender-inclusive

approach to diplomatic, development, and defense-related work a US national security priority. The Executive

Order, the US National Action Plan, and the DOD Implementation Plan all refer to “enhanced professional

education and training” to institutionalize the WPS agenda.

**CRITERIA FOR SELECTION**

As part of NDU’s commitment to implement the US National Action Plan on WPS, students are invited to

participate in the annual WPS Writing Award competition.3 Regardless of area of study, students can submit

research papers, theses or written assignments from any of their courses for award consideration.

Winning papers will address one or more of the following areas:

How a gendered understanding, perspective and/or approach (i.e. consideration of the gendered norms and

values attached to the status of women, men, girls and boys within a societal or institutional context) relate to:

• Advancing peace, national security, economic and social development, and/or international cooperation

• Conflict resolution

• Peacebuilding

• Conflict prevention

• Protection of rights

• Protection from gender-based harms

• Protection during and after conflict

• Access to relief and recovery

• Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief

• Leadership

**GUIDELINES**

1. Papers should be double-spaced, typed, and between 8-12 pages. Candidates are strongly encouraged to

proof read papers prior to submission.

2. Candidates need not be enrolled at NDU the semester when the award is made. (Papers written during

the preceding spring/summer/fall are also eligible.)

3. Candidates (or instructor with the consent of the student) may submit graded papers for submission to

the WPS Selection Committee.

4. Include a cover sheet with the student’s name, paper title and course number (and semester taken) for

which the paper was originally written.

5. Papers may be submitted to the WPS Selection Committee anytime during the year, but must be

submitted no later than 4 May, 2018.

**JUDGING & NOTIFICATION**

Submissions will be read and judged by the WPS Writing Award Selection Committee members. The winner will

be notified in June of the academic year by a member of the Committee. This award resides in Academic Affairs.

**AWARD**

The winner will be awarded a Certificate of Achievement signed by NDU-P.

**RESOURCES**

• NDU Library’s Women Peace and Security website: http://ndu.libguides.com/MERLN WPS

• For any questions, please contact one of the following WPS Writing Award Selection Committee

mem bers:

Neyla Arnas - Senior Research Fellow/NDU WPS Lead. 202-685-2590 arnasn@ndu.edu

COL Linda Jantzen - National War College. 202-685-3667 linda.c.iantzen.mil@ndu.edu

Dr. Andrew Leith - Eisenhower School. 202-685-3985 leitha@ndu.edu

Dr. Matthew Dearing - College of International Security Affairs. 202-433-5229

matthew.dearing.civndu.edu

Dr. John Vaeger — Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. 202-685-1330 yaegerindu.edu