Women, Peace & Security Dialogues

The Civil Society Dialogue on Women, Peace and Security brings together civil society, government and policy makers to discuss women, peace and security and to contribute to effective implementation of the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security. To date the Dialogue has aimed to:

– Showcase the contribution of civil society organisations to the women, peace and security agenda in the context of UNSCR 1325.
– Facilitate effective dialogue between civil society and the Australian Government on women, peace and security in the context of UNSCR 1325.
– Support shadow reporting on the Australian National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security.
– Elevate the national discussion on women, peace and security.

2023

What do peace and security mean to diverse women in Australia? Roundtable summary and recommendations for action

The Coalition is in the process of delivering a multi-year project, funded by the Australian Civil Military Centre, designed to support civil society dialogue and engagement on WPS as part of the implementation of Australia’s Second National Action Plan on Women Peace and Security (2021-2031). Details on the first phase of the project (October-December 2022) and it’s findings were published in a report available here. 

The second phase of the project involved an in-person Roundtable in Sydney, where Coalition members and partners gathered to develop recommendations for the Australian Government. These recommendations focus on five priorities identified in the broader consultation: achieving peace and security for all Australians, reshaping Australia’s role as a peacemaker, restructuring departments for global diplomacy, empowering diverse women and gender diverse individuals, and addressing climate change. The report aims to include inputs from partner organizations representing diverse women who couldn’t attend the Roundtable. Involving women and gender diverse people is crucial for the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda, as their perspectives strengthen efforts for peace and security. Recommendations contained in this report are not intended to represent an exhaustive list. Each recommendation includes (in brackets) a suggestion for the Australian Government departments and agencies with responsibility for taking it forward. 

Further and regular consultation is warranted to ensure that Australia’s policy and action on WPS is shaped by the perspectives and priorities of diverse women, girls and gender diverse people.

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Centering First Nations Perspectives in the
Women, Peace and Security Agenda in
Australia: Recommendations for Action

In October 2022, the Australian Civil Society Coalition (the Coalition) undertook consultations with women and gender diverse people across Australia, to explore their perspectives on peace and security and priorities for action. Participants in the consultation raised a variety of challenges facing First Nations women, who are disproportionately impacted by conflict and insecurity. The unique peace and security issues faced by First Nations women in Australia were a strong emerging theme and warranted further exploration.

As a result, in March 2023, the Coalition engaged Professor Sandra Creamer, to carry out additional research focused on the perspectives of First Nations Women. Professor Creamer conducted yarning, individually and in yarning circles, with 50 First Nations women from across Australia. Yarning is an Indigenous methodology based on storytelling with similarities to semi-structured interviews, and which recognises the strong oral communication preferences of Indigenous peoples

This paper summarises the responses to both consultations in the hope of serving as a foundation for embedding the WPS agenda within Australia’s First Nations Policy. First Nations perspectives are often overlooked in discussions related to the Women, Peace and Security agenda and the Coalition hopes to help bridge the gap in policy and research by amplifying the diverse voices and lived experiences of First Nations women. 

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2022

What do peace and security mean to diverse women in Australia? Consultation findings

 

The Coalition is in the process of delivering a multi-year project, funded by the Australian Civil Military Centre, designed to support civil society dialogue and engagement on WPS as part of the implementation of Australia’s Second National Action Plan on Women Peace and Security (2021-2031). The first phase of the project involved a consultation to explore understandings of peace and security amongst women and gender diverse people in Australia, how perceptions of peace and security have been shaped by the changing national and global context, and what action diverse communities want to see the Australian Government take to build a safer and more peaceful world. The responses gathered through the consultation process have yielded a rich seam of data, which is outlined in this report and will inform the second phase of the project, aiming to generate detailed recommendations to inform the implementation and monitoring of Australia’s second National Action Plan on WPS.

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2018

Strengthening the Engagement of Australian Civil Society in Australia’s Second National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security

 

In 2018, the Australian Civil Society Coalition on Women, Peace and Security (WPS Coalition) brought together diverse women and civil society organisations with one goal in mind: to determine how best to strengthen civil society engagement during the development, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of Australia’s second National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security. The sixth Annual Civil Society Dialogue report provides clear recommendations on how to strengthen this engagement. The Second National Action Plan is still in the early stages of development. The critical issues, recommendations, and implementation options presented in this report, therefore, provide a timely and useful resource for the development of second National Action Plan during 2019. They offer a clear articulation of principles, processes, and mechanisms that will promote and strengthen ongoing engagement between civil society and the government.
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Background Papers

2018 Civil Society Roundtable Summary

 

The Australian Civil Society Coalition on Women Peace and Security (the WPS Coalition) as part of its 2018 Annual Civil Society Dialogue on Women, Peace and Security, organised Civil Society Roundtables in October 2018. The purpose was to engage with civil society organisations (CSOs) and diverse women to discuss what the role of civil society should be in the development, implementation and monitoring of the second NAP.

This report provides an overview of the key themes discussed at the Civil Society Roundtables, which will inform the Civil Society – Government Policy Dialogue on 29 November 2018. Summarised below are key recommendations from the Roundtables. The intention was to generate ideas for ongoing dialogue about processes/mechanisms within civil society and between civil society and government on women, peace and security.

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2017

The Fifth Report of the Annual Civil Society Dialogue on Women, Peace and Security

“Listening to Women’s Voices and Making the Connections to the Women, Peace and Security Agenda”

During 2017, the Australian Civil Society Coalition on Women, Peace and Security held a series of community engagement Roundtables to enable diverse women across Australia to express their views on what peace and security mean in practice. The findings of these Roundtables provided the platform for a Civil Society-Government Policy Dialogue on the Australian Government’s current National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (2012-2019). The Fifth Report sets out the findings of the 2017 Annual Dialogue. The recommendations on the development of Australia’s second National Action Plan highlight the need for a focus on peace and conflict prevention across all aspects of policy development and implementation, and meaningful engagement with civil society, especially women’s organisations.
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Issue Papers

Women Shape The Women, Peace And Security Agenda: Roundtable Discussion Summary

The Civil Society Roundtables provided a forum for women and girls from diverse backgrounds in Australia and our region to express their views on what peace and security mean in practice today. The Roundtables, which engaged both individuals and organisations working domestically and those with an international focus, were conducted in all Australian capital cities (with multiple events in Adelaide, Canberra, Melbourne, and Sydney) during September 2017. Over 200 women from diverse backgrounds attended a total of thirteen roundtables and the Talanoa discussion.
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2016

The Fourth Annual Civil Society Report Card on Australia’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security

Annual Civil Society Report Card on Australia’s National Action Plan. Launched by the Australian Civil Society Coalition on Women, Peace and Security and Monash Gender, Peace and Security. Funded by the Australian Civil Military Centre.
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2015

The Third Annual Civil Society Report Card on Australia’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security

2015 has been an important year for the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda in terms of both developments and challenges. The release of the Global Study on the Implementation of UNSCR 1325 and the adoption of UNSCR 2242 offer renewed emphasis on the importance of women’s participation in conflict prevention and resolution, while ongoing conflicts in Syria and around the world provide daily reminders of the imperative of WPS implementation.
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2014

The Second Annual Civil Society Report Card on Australia’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security

Significant advancements have been taken in Australia’s implementation of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda since the release in August 2013 of the first Annual Civil-Society Report Card on Australia’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security. Internationally Australia has promoted the WPS agenda during its term on the UN Security Council and at the Global Summit on Ending Sexual Violence in Conflict, while at home Government departments have taken measures to mainstream the WPS agenda into their policy and programs.
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2013

The First Annual Civil Society Report Card on Australia’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security

Australia’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (hereafter called the NAP), is an essential document for implementing United Nation Security Council Resolution 1325 and related resolutions on women, peace and security. Released in 2012, it aims to bring together actors across the Australian Government and civil society to ensure that both domestically and when we act overseas, Australia listens to and includes the voices of women in defence, peace and security initiatives.
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