More Than A Magazine, A Movement
Last week, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced on social media that he proudly ended the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) program inside the Department of Defense (DOD). He tweeted: “WPS is yet another woke divisive/social justice/Biden initiative that overburdens our commanders and troops—distracting from our core task: WAR-FIGHTING.”
This attack on WPS efforts at the DOD undermines the safety and security of America and its troops, at home and abroad.
Ukrainian and international leaders are gathering in London this month for a summit to generate critical support for Ukraine’s economic and social recovery. Placing gender equality and women’s meaningful participation at the forefront of these efforts is key to success.
Aweng Ade-Chuol was born in a Kenyan refugee camp. As a child she immigrated with her family to Australia, where she was scouted by a modeling agency. Today, at age 22, she is a world-famous model who advocates for mental health and equality—especially for refugee girls.
“Women’s rights are human rights” still reverberates around the world as it did in Beijing 25 years ago. Yet gender equality has not been reached in any country, though it is both a moral imperative and smart policy.
On April 7, the UN announced it was suspending rotations of uniformed personnel until June 30, 2020. The suspension has major implications for host countries and their populations—from understaffing to prolonged deployments.
“I just knew that if we didn’t focus on peace and security and the role that women can and should play, we would be missing opportunities that would make a big difference to ending conflict, saving lives and creating more peaceful situations that would be good for the United States.”
“We have irrefutable evidence that when women are included, it accelerates peace-building, it improves humanitarian response and it helps the economies of these countries that have been in conflict recover faster. But despite this, less than one percent of international aid to countries in crisis is given to women’s organizations—and I just, I find that kind of unacceptable. I think women are more than one percent of the solution.”