Despite recognition of the importance of gender perspectives in conflict and humanitarian response, there remains a significant gap between states’ normative commitments to Women, Peace and Security (WPS) and their practical application in military doctrine and operations governed by International Humanitarian Law (IHL).
Over 2025-2026, this project will create spaces for military legal and gender advisors, scholars, policymakers, gender experts and practitioners to collectively examine the integration of WPS and gender perspectives in IHL.
This project is supported by the Government of Liechtenstein.
This project’s cornerstone is the creation of a Community of Practice that brings together military legal and gender advisors, scholars, policymakers, gender experts and practitioners.
Peer exchange roundtables, both thematic and context-specific, will enable the Community of Practice to share emergent state practice, consider new and emerging challenges, and build professional collaboration. These will contribute to developing a series of Policy Briefs and a Compendium of successful approaches for implementation of WPS commitments in IHL aspects of military operations and model texts for potential incorporation in military manuals and doctrine.
Find out more in the project-dedicated factsheet: 'Advancing WPS and Gender Perspectives in IHL:Moving from Analysis to Implementation'.
Thematic and country-level roundtables will examine specific issues pertinent to WPS, gender and IHL. Expert roundtables will enable Community of Practice participants to engage with key global experts, military and academic, and to share their own nation’s practices.
The first expert roundtable is on 22 May 2025, examining “Integrating WPS and Gender Perspectives in Civilian Harm Mitigation Frameworks”.
Find out more in the project-dedicated factsheet: 'Advancing WPS and Gender Perspectives in IHL:Moving from Analysis to Implementation'.
In partnership with the ICRC, the development and publication of a Compendium of successful approaches in integrating WPS commitments and gender perspective in IHL aspects of military operations, with model texts for military manuals and/or doctrine.
Find out more in the project-dedicated factsheet: 'Advancing WPS and Gender Perspectives in IHL:Moving from Analysis to Implementation'.
The Elsie Programme has three vital resources which illuminate key lessons learned for advancing women's meaningful participation in peace operations.
The Global MOWIP, drawing on data from several MOWIPs, provides actionable insights for international peacekeeping policy and practice. It emphasizes the centrality of women's meaningful participation and gender equality in shaping future-fit Peace Operations, transcending institutional boundaries to address broader societal issues.
Complementing the Global MOWIP, DCAF´s Elsie Policy Brief series dismantles persistent myths hindering progress in peacekeeping. It advocates for meaningful participation, shifting focus from numerical metrics to transformative actions, as evidenced by MOWIP data.
Furthermore, the Practitioners’ Insights Brief provides advice to practitioners about how to conduct a MOWIP by describing key moments in the process and presenting insider advice for successful implementation.
Relevant Resources:
DCAF provides technical advice to Troop and Police Contributing Countries (TPCCs) to help them implement the recommendations from their MOWIP reports, including in:
To learn more about how DCAF can support your institution in conducting or implementing a MOWIP and its recommendations, contact us at elsie@dcaf.ch
More National Reports:
Megan Bastick, Gender and Security Fellow (m.bastick@dcaf.ch)