Women, Peace and Security

Between November 2018 and November 2019, we conducted semi-structured interviews in Jordan and Lebanon, primarily in Arabic, with 100 women between the ages of 18 and 63 (most in their 30s and 40s). Our previous paper provides a snapshot of their personal experiences, showing the multi-faceted reality and diverse situations Syrian women face.

Consultation with, and the leadership of, women and gender diverse people is a fundamental underpinning of the WPS agenda. Action to secure peace and security is strengthened when it draws from diverse knowledge, perspectives, and experiences, and the Australian Government has explicitly committed to support women and girls’ capacity to speak out, be heard, innovate, and drive change.

This paper presents a snapshot of what it is like to be a Syrian woman in transition in Jordan or Lebanon. In 2019 we investigated the lives of these women to find out what challenges they face and the conditions, policies and structures that help or hinder their opportunities.

Moving past the theoretical by drawing together the real-life experiences, reflections and lessons of male leaders from the Australian Defence Force, the Australian Federal Police and civilians.

The purpose of this report is to identify the lessons learned and emerging best practices of UN Member States committed to the implementation of this agenda through National Action Plans (NAPs).