EPLO's Gender, Peace and Security Working Group (GPS WG) works to promote the inclusion of a gender perspective and the meaningful participation of women in European peace / security policy and practice.

The GPS WG has the following five objectives (2010-2012):

• Promoting the inclusion of women and a gender perspective in EU peace / security policy and practice, inclusing in the current EU institutional reform process

• Exchanging information, joint advocacy and promoting co-operation, between governments / institutions and civil society, and among civil society organisations, on EU and EU Member States' implementation of women, peace and security (WPS) commitments - including seeking to act as the platform in Brussels / Europe for gender, peace and security issues

• Designing and promoting WPS accountability mechanisms

• Ensuring and enabling the inclusion of a gender perspective in EPLO's work and in the work of interested EPLO member organisations

• Increasing the participation of women in policy processes pertaining to peace / security, in particular the participation of women from conflict-affected areas

For more information about the GPS WG, please contact Giulia Pasquinelli.

Background Information

The GPS WG was established in January 2006. It responds to the fact that the interests, roles and rights of all gender groups are still not equally considered or used, especially in conflict and security situations. This occurs despite the fact that women, as a group, are disproportionately affected by conflict. As such, the expertise, knowledge, and skills of sections of the community are under-utilised when it comes to early warning, planning for peace, and sustainable rebuilding after conflict. Through the GPS WG, EPLO works to promote the inclusion of a gender perspective and the meaningful participation of women in European security and peacebuilding policy and practice.

Recent and Upcoming Activities

• From 26 to 28 March 2012: EPLO in cooperation with GPPAC and WIIS is organising a 3-day online dialogue on Civil Society Support to Monitoring and Evaluating National Action Plans on Women, Peace and Security. The dialogue will be hosted by the peaceportal . If you would like more information or are interested in joining the discussion please contact Giulia.

• In November 2011, EPLO released a follow-up to the '10 points on 10 Years of implementation of UNSCR 1325 in Europe' published in 2010 on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Resolution.

• EPLO, together with GPPAC, organised an online dialogue on the 'Implementation of UNSCR 1325 in Europe and Beyond: Lessons Learnt and Ways Forward' from 3 to 7 October 2011. The dialogue was hosted by the Peace Portal and saw the participation of over 20 civil society organisations and representatives from across the globe. Click here here to access the outcome document. 

• On 21 June 2011, a Civil Society Dialogue Network (CSDN) meeting on women, peace and security in EU Common Security and Defence Policy took place in Brussels. The meeting aimed to contributed to the implementation of all WPS commitments (UNSCRs 1325, 1820, 1888, 1889 and 1960) in CSDP missions and operations, and more precisely to assess the EU operational document Implementation of UNSCR 1325 as reinforced by UNSCR 1820 in the context of ESDP. Flash recommendations and a background paper are now available. Click here to access the full report.

• On 29 March 2011, EPLO organised a brown bag lunch discussion on tools for implementation of the participation pillar of UNSCR 1325. Click here to download a brief report.

•  In March 2011, several EPLO members endorsed an NGO statement prepared for International Women's Day 2011. 

• On 23 November 2010, a Civil Society Dialogue Network (CSDN) meeting on women's participation in peace processes took place in Brussels. The overall aim of this meeting, which followed on from the tenth anniverary of UNSCR 1325, was to improve the EU's efforts to enable the participation of women in peace processes, i.e. going beyond peace talks to also include short- and long-term implementation of peace agreements. Click here to download a meeting report and other relevant documents.

• In September 2010,  a CSO position paper entitled '10 Points on 10 Years of Implementation of UNSCR 1325 in Europe' was released. EPLO took the initiative to and coordinated this joint advocacy effort. The paper, available in English and French, includes ten suggestions that should help further implementation of SCR 1325 in Europe. Over 80 networks and organisations explicitly align themselves with the recommendations. 

• In July 2010, EPLO and EPLO member organisation International Alert organised a workshop on developing a plan for joint European WPS advocacy in 2010. 

• In late June 2010, EPLO published a set of case studies of civil society experiences of working on women, peace and security (WPS) policies and practices in Europe, focusing on national action plans (NAPs) for the implementation of UNSCR 1325 and other related WPS commitments. Click here to download the publication entitled UNSCR 1325 in Europe: 21 case studies of implementation.

• In June 2010 Donald Steinberg (International Crisis Group) and EPLO co-organised two informal roundtables on 10 years of implementation of UNSCR 1325 in Europe with Brussels-based CSOs. 

• In April 2010, EPLO organised a training seminar on European civil society advocacy on WPS issues. For more information, please click here. 

• In late March 2010, EPLO facilitated the first exchange between the EU Task Force on WPS and Brussels-based CSOs.

• In March 2010, EPLO and EPLO member organisation International Alert organised a CSO consultation on the EU indicators for measuring progress on the implementation of UNSCRs 1325 and 1820. For more information, click here.

• In September 2009, EPLO in close co-operation with EPLO member organisation International Alert organised a CSO conference on the implementation of UNSCR 1325 and other WPS commitments in Europe in advance of the first EU Member State exchange meeting on the national implementation of UNSCR 1325. Click here to download the list of civil society recommendations which were developed during that meeting.