Australian National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security 2012-2018

On International Women’s Day, 8 March 2012, the Government launched the Australian National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security 2012-2018, at Garden Island, Sydney.

This National Action Plan is a whole of government effort, coordinated by the Office for Women. It consolidates and builds on the broad program of work already underway in Australia to integrate a gender perspective into peace and security efforts, protect women and girls’ human rights, particularly in relation to gender-based violence, and promote their participation in conflict prevention, management and resolution.

The delivery of a National Action Plan is a 2010 Australian Government election commitment, and is Australia’s next step in implementing United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325) and related resolutions under the UN Women, Peace and Security agenda.

UNSCR 1325 recognises that the experiences and needs of women and girls differ from those of men and boys in conflict and post-conflict situations, particularly in relation to human rights violations such as sexual and gender-based violence.  UNSCR 1325 also underlines the essential role of women in conflict prevention, management and resolution.

As a means to promote UNSCR 1325 and the women, peace and security agenda, the Australian Civil-Military Centre and UN Women, with the support of the Office for Women and the Australian Federal Police, produced a new documentary entitled Side by Side: Women, Peace and Security.  The documentary is used as an educational tool for pre-deployment military, police, civilian and humanitarian personnel to international, missions.

The documentary is complemented by the Side by Side: Women, Peace and Security Educational Toolkit, which includes exercises, lesson plans and facilitators’ notes for trainers and educators of pre-deployed peacekeepers.

Please email any requests for hardcopies of Australia’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, the Side by Side: Women Peace and Security documentary and Educational Toolkit to UNSCR1325@dss.gov.au.

Last updated: