International Peace Alliance

WOMEN FOR PEACE

The International Peace Alliance (IPA) recognizes and addresses the disproportionate and unique impact of armed conflict on women and their role as active agents of change in peace and security. Experiences of peace and conflict have always had deep implications on gender. IPA’s Women For Peace International Division (WPI) engages in an agenda which includes issues for gender equality, including but not limited to the following:

Increased participation and representation of women at all levels of decision-making
Attention to specific protection needs of women and girls in conflict
Gender perspective in post-conflict processes

THE NUMBERS

61%

44% of lesbians and 61% of bisexual women experience rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner, compared to 35% of heterosexual women.

24%

Women make up less than 24% of the world’s parliamentarians and 5% of its mayors.

24%

On average, women are paid 24% less than men for comparable work, across all regions and sectors.

2/3

Nearly two thirds of the world’s 781 million illiterate adults are women, a proportion that has remained unchanged for two decades.

153

153 countries have laws which discriminate against women economically, including 18 countries where husbands can legally prevent their wives from working.

1 in 3

Worldwide, 1 in 3 women and girls will experience violence or abuse in their lifetime.

1 in 10

Prior to the pandemic, nearly one in ten LGBTQ+ people were unemployed, approximately twice that of non-LGBTQ+ people.

*Oxfam Data

International Peace and Security

Conflict affects everyone, but especially women who are confronted by discrimination and inequality every day, in every country in the world. Women face violence, abuse, unequal treatment at home, at work and in their wider communities, and are denied opportunities to learn, to earn and to lead.

Thus, recognizing the different ways women may experience peace and security, the International Peace Alliance (IPA) and its Women For Peace International Division (WPI) have made an important commitment to uphold women’s rights in the context of international peace and security with an agenda that draws attention to the unparalleled importance of women’s participation in peace and security governance.

Political Engagement and Leadership Participation

To this purpose, WPI has adopted a transformative approach that puts gender equality and equal participation of men and women in leadership positions back at the heart of the agenda. This includes leadership positions in conflict-resolution and political processes at all levels of society.

In line with United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 National Action Plans (NAPs) for ensuring the effective implementation of the women, peace and security (WPS) agenda, the WPI also encourages strategic engagement between national governments and local women’s rights organisations and networks that form the linchpin for the advancement of the WPS agenda as key to promoting political engagement and participation of women.

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Research and Networking

A collaborative approach is fundamental to the WPI’s achievements, which involve many and varied partners, and IPA’s wider networks. Periodic learning events bring together the project’s national and international researchers to share their experiences and knowledge, as well as the challenges they encounter. All those involved in the research process are given the opportunity to reflect on these issues in an open and self-critical manner.

ALLIANCE INTERNATIONALE DE LA PAIX