With the United Nations noting the world is witnessing a rise in conflicts not seen since the end of World War II, understanding the role of Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) takes on a new urgency, especially for women and girls. Indeed, enhanced WPS training takes on a new importance, as was highlighted in the June 26 ISOA webinar titled “Operationalization of Women, Peace, and Security for Contract Success and National Security.”

The WPS webinar, moderated by Neelima Grover, Chair of ISOA’s WPS Committee and CEO and Founder of Q2 Impact development company, featured senior U.S. foreign policy leaders from the Department of Defense (DoD), Department of State (DOS), United States Agency of International Development (USAID), and the private sector.

The webinar was divided into two panels with the following panelists:

• Nino Nadiradze, the USAID Country Representative for Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu

• Tiffani Phillips, Director of the Office of Human Security and Resilience, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and United State Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), Strategy, Policy and Plans Directorate; Security Cooperation Division

• Sharon Feist, Director for Women, Peace & Security, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command

• Mick Bednarek, Vice President of Strategic Outreach for Fluor’s Mission Solutions Business Group

• Jennifer K. Johnson, Foreign Affairs Officer in the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, where she leads on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS)

Grover first positioned the discussion by noting “we need to be thinking about Women, Peace, and Security not as a ‘good-to-have,’ but really a necessary component of contract success in national security.”

Starting off Panel One, from the development perspective, Nino Nadiradze pointed to the updated strategy and national action plan on WPS which emphasizes “the critical role of women in peacebuilding, and advocates for their significant and meaningful involvement in peace and security processes, in conflict response and recovery efforts… the strategy is foundational to everything we do and will be doing in the years to come… we need partners who can work with us on the underlying drivers of power dynamics that disproportionately impact women and girls.”

Nadiradze also stressed the importance of execution and effective partnerships, saying that designing and announcing is completely different than operationalizing those strategies. The latter “requires time, and buy in at all levels … and get[ing] recipient countries of our aid to come along and internalize the importance and long-term impact of women’s meaningful and able participation… ‘Do no harm’ not just during design but [during] implementation.”

NORTHCOM’S Tiffani Phillips also focused on WPS implementation and how it has impacted outcomes. From her perspective, matters of WPS at NORTHCOM have evolved from women and children to considering gender perspective and gender analysis. “Conducting a gender analysis [for a proposal] … is a way for [potential contractors] to differentiate yourself, for you to develop better proposals, for you to better support the needs that we have, and as the added benefit … you will also be achieving these very profound objectives of integrating women meaningfully within the development, defense, diplomacy work that you’re doing, and … achiev[ing] more sustainable outcomes.”

Phillips also emphasized the need for data collection and the opportunity to reduce risk, mitigate harm for cost savings and achieve better, more enduring outcomes. One of the next steps for WPS will be to ask, “How do we develop contracts to reflect gender needs?”

Similarly, Sharon Feist noted that there is a growing demand for WPS in USINDOPACOM, especially from partner nations in the Indo-Pacific region.

Feist said that we must set the conditions within the combatant command. “We are setting conditions for not just success – operational effectiveness – but for the long-term game … We see Women, Peace, and Security in a multifaceted way … it is really, truly a smart power capability that is often under-utilized and under-resourced.” The clear benefits are that WPS promotes “democracy in action and promotes U.S. values with like-minded allies and partners in the region.” There is a large demand for WPS programming within INDOPACOM. She provided specific examples of innovative WPS programs with allies and partners that are underway in INDOPACOM and emphasized the need for assessment.

Mick Bednarek foot-stomped the words of Phillips and Feist, noting engagement of contractors, allies and partners is critical. Two key factors are “setting the conditions for success to include the component commanders” and strength through partnership.

Bednarek analyzed the question of how we make a difference “when contracts are leveraged, put out for bid… that [the appropriate] requirement sets the conditions …” How do we push WPS, including requirements in contracts, on Capitol Hill?

From the Department of State, Jennifer Johnson discussed how she utilizes her WPS background as a lead advisor at a CSO, operationalizing work at NATO, and the U.N. Security Council. The State Department is lead implementer of the Global Fragility Act (GFA) which funds efforts to stabilize conflict-affected areas and prevent violence globally. Johnson views WPS as “a joint effort across diplomacy, defense and development” for several purposes. This “addresses root causes of stability like gender inequality and gender-based violence” before they erupt and have consequences. WPS is beneficial to overcome legacies of violence because it “produces stronger decision making” and offers a “proactive rather than reactive approach.”

She further highlights a key insight: “Resist the ‘add women and stir’ approach” without addressing their unique needs because this doesn’t reduce or address gender inequality.

In conclusion, Grover suggested that we need to be doing more advocating on Capitol Hill. But all panelists agreed there is a lack of data available to show the impact of WPS. Grover also emphasized the need for education and training, so people have skills and incorporate gender. Yet there is key challenge. “We need more knowledge management across the ‘Three Ds.’ We don’t have a common vernacular.”

There is much more to learn in this webinar. Listen to the entire recording here and keep an eye out for more ISOA WPS programming at conferences and online.