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IFES Signs the Generation Equality Compact on Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action

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The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) is proud to announce our commitment to promote women’s meaningful participation in peace and security processes through signature of the Generation Equality Compact on Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action (WPS-HA).

In signing the WPS-HA Compact, IFES committed to taking nine specific actions:

  • Establish and strengthen partnerships between international civil society and national and local women’s organizations to better strengthen capacity and eligibility to receive and manage donor funding and address barriers to that funding
  • Establish and strengthen partnerships with youth-led and young women-focused organizations and networks to embed their priorities in youth, peace and security and women, peace and security (WPS) advocacy
  • Engage men and boys as allies and partners to support the work of women and girls on gender equality and human rights, without shifting support or resources away from women’s rights advocacy and development
  • Build feminist movements that harness women’s leadership from the ground up and include traditionally marginalized women, as well as smaller civil society organizations representing diverse geographical regions and marginalized groups
  • Invest in inclusive sustainable approaches and equitable partnerships to increase the influence, visibility and resource base of local women leaders – including young women – in humanitarian, political and peace processes and decision-making
  • Design and implement campaigns that promote equitable progressive social norms, attitudes and behaviors toward women and girls and inclusive leadership of women
  • Document and share knowledge, effective practices and lessons learned on women’s and young women’s leadership and contributions to peace and security, resilience and humanitarian/crisis response including through partnerships with media and academic institutions
  • Commit to developing equitable and intergenerational partnerships, relationships between international nongovernmental organizations and grassroots organizations and building partnerships with male advocates for women's rights
  • Recognize and engage men and boys as partners in addressing and reversing harmful gender norms

Signing this compact is a continuation of IFES’ important work to advance the WPS agenda around the world. For more than three decades, IFES has worked toward ensuring women’s meaningful and equal participation in democratic and peacebuilding processes and has worked with local partners to build democracies that deliver for all. Given the importance of gender equality in democratic societies and the prevalence of IFES’ work in conflict-affected countries, WPS has been and continues to be a cornerstone of IFES’ work around the world. For example, as part of our efforts to ensure that conflict and security programs integrate gender considerations, IFES developed a global framework for gender-sensitive early warning indicators with the goal of enhancing the predictive power of early warning systems and violence monitoring efforts. It includes evidence-based, adaptable and gender-sensitive early warning indicators and guidance to implementors on how to integrate them into their work.

The WPS-HA Compact was launched as one of the outcomes of the Generation Equality Forum (GEF), a global gathering for gender equality, convened by United Nations (UN) Women, held in Paris from June 30-July 2, 2021. The GEF was a renewed call to action for governments, multilateral organizations, civil society, academics and activists to fill in gaps from past efforts and advance collective action to address gender equality and women’s empowerment priorities at the local, national and international levels.

IFES is excited to join over 100 governments, civil society organizations and networks, UN entities, academic institutions, private sector organizations, youth organizations and networks and international and regional organizations in this “inter-generational, inclusive movement for action on women, peace and security and gender equality in humanitarian action.” The WPS-HA Compact calls for the redesign of peace and security and humanitarian processes to systematically and meaningfully include women and girls in the decisions that impact their lives. Signatories are invited to take transformative action for gender equality through strengthened coordination on existing mechanisms for WPS and humanitarian action; improved monitoring and assessment of progress; and a focus on financing, advocacy and increased visibility.

Published on September 29, 2021.