UN Women Urges Peace Funding as Global Leaders Back Women’s Role in Security Decisions

The commitments came at a ministerial-level meeting of the Women, Peace and Security Focal Points Network, convened by its 2026 co-chairs, Italy and the Philippines, in partnership with UN Women.

More than 756.1 million women and girls lived within 50 kilometres of at least one armed conflict event in 2025, according to the 2026 Gender Snapshot, a figure that brings the human stakes of security decisions into sharp focus. Against a backdrop of rising armed conflicts, more than 30 Member States and regional organizations reaffirmed their commitment to placing women, peace and security priorities at the centre of defence and security decision-making during the 81st United Nations General Assembly.

The commitments came at a ministerial-level meeting of the Women, Peace and Security Focal Points Network, convened by its 2026 co-chairs, Italy and the Philippines, in partnership with UN Women. Held on 23 September, the event focused on putting the Rome Communiqué, adopted at the Network's Eighth Capital-level Meeting, into practice and making governments accountable for commitments that need to reach women living with conflict.

Women's Safety and Their Voice Belong Together

Mary Akrami, founder and director of the Afghan Women's Skills Development Center, drew on Afghanistan's experience to explain why protecting women and including them in decisions cannot be treated as separate responsibilities. "Women cannot be protected by excluding them from decisions about peace and security. And women cannot meaningfully participate if they are not safe," she said, urging governments and security officials to bring these principles out of policy documents and into everyday security practice.

Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro described the women, peace and security agenda as a practical framework for preventing conflict, strengthening institutions and building sustainable peace at a time when multilateral cooperation is under strain. Her remarks placed women's participation within the broader challenge of making peace efforts effective, reinforcing the need for institutions that take women's experience and expertise seriously when deciding how to prevent violence and resolve conflict.

Governments Outline Where Commitments Must Lead

Government representatives described steps to deliver their national action plans, including financial commitments, bringing women, peace and security priorities into mediation, and strengthening protection against sexual violence in conflict. These measures connect the agenda to decisions about who participates in negotiations, how resources are allocated and what protection is available to people facing violence, giving substance to commitments that can otherwise remain confined to official statements.

The European Union outlined its work to embed these priorities across its Common Security and Defence Policy, and Japan described their application to disaster risk reduction. Italy, Malta, the Netherlands and Spain committed funding to advance the agenda, with other participants, including the African Union, describing efforts to make it a regular part of peace, security and development operations. The responses reflected different national and regional circumstances, with a shared emphasis on implementation.

Peace Needs Investment That Matches the Promise

UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous challenged governments to make greater financial investment in women, peace and security, asking why resources mobilized for war could not also be mobilized for peace. She called for investment equivalent to at least 0.07 per cent of national military spending, setting out a specific benchmark for governments to consider as they translate support for the agenda into financial decisions.

The meeting marked the Network's 10th anniversary, with membership now covering 101 Member States and 11 regional organizations. Participants recognized its role in cooperation, shared learning and accountability over the past decade, and Italian Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Maria Tripodi thanked members for working with civil society and making commitments at the event. The Network will reconvene in Manila in November to examine practical ways to bring peace efforts into local communities, where women's participation and protection must become part of daily reality.