The National Action Plan sets out what Australia will do, at home and overseas, to integrate a gender perspective into its peace and security efforts, protect women and girls’ human rights, and promote their participation in conflict prevention, management and resolution. It also commits the Government to report every two years to the Australian Federal Parliament on the progress of this work.
This National Action Plan is a practical step forward in establishing a framework for a coordinated, whole of government approach to implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325) and related resolutions which address the impact of conflict on women and girls, and highlight the critical role women can play in preventing, managing and resolving conflict. It outlines Australia’s action plan for 2012-2018 on how to achieve better outcomes for women and girls in five thematic areas: prevention, participation, protection, relief and recovery and normative.
A series of strategies were developed on how to implement the Women, Peace and Security agenda, with subsequent actions detailed on how to practically deliver these strategies. A number of the actions contained in this National Action Plan cut across two or more of the five thematic areas—prevention, participation, protection, relief and recovery and normative. It is for this reason that actions are categorised by strategy as opposed to thematic area.
Key Findings:
The strategies that the Australian Government plan to undertake to progress the Women, Peace and Security agenda are:
1. Integrate a gender perspective into Australia’s policies on peace and security.
2. Embed the Women, Peace and Security agenda in the Australian Government’s approach to human resource management of Defence, Australian Federal Police and deployed personnel.
3. Support civil society organisations to promote equality and increase women’s participation in conflict prevention, peace-building, conflict resolution, and relief and recovery.
4. Promote Women, Peace and Security implementation internationally.
5. Take a co-ordinated and holistic approach domestically and internationally to Women, Peace and Security.
