A WPS Agenda Fit for Purpose in the Indo-Pacific

As the world prepares to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda next year, many countries are taking stock of their WPS priorities and initiatives to ensure they stand up to the challenges we face at present and are able to adapt to evolving needs and future threats.

There is no better place to examine whether the WPS agenda is fit for purpose than the Indo-Pacific; a vast, vibrant and diverse region rapidly becoming the global centre of economic dynamism and strategic competition.

ASPI and the High Commission of Canada to Australia invite you to join us on Tuesday 9 April for a panel event which will explore how countries like Canada and Australia are evolving their approaches, tools and initiatives to meet the WPS needs of Indo-Pacific partners.

Lieutenant General Frances Allen, Vice Chief of Defence Staff, Canadian Armed Forces; Lieutenant General Natasha Fox, Chief of Personnel, Australian Defence Force; Ms Stephanie Copus-Campbell AM, Australia’s Ambassador for Gender Equality; and Dr Elise Stephenson, Deputy Director, Global Institute for Women's Leadership, will join Dr Alex Caples for a timely discussion on the WPS agenda and priorities in the Indo-Pacific.

At its core, WPS emphasises that all people, including women and girls in all their diversity, have the equal right to participate in national-level decision-making, including on peace and security. Both Australia and Canada have committed to strengthening and refining their own WPS agendas to ensure the two nations are engaged and active partners for Indo-Pacific countries on the full range of WPS issues.

This enhanced partnership is particularly important in light of two current and rising challenges. First, a growing polarisation of the international community, including in some regions a backlash against women’s rights which both poses a threat to the advancement of, as well as demonstrates the need for, the WPS agenda. Second, the common misperception that WPS only applies to conflict contexts continues to contribute to the frequent underrepresentation of the Indo-Pacific in global WPS debates.

Despite this, Canada and Australia can support regional advancements on WPS, as well as new and innovative ways to increase women’s participation in the peace and security realm.

Join us in person or online on 9 April for what promises to be an insightful event. For those attending in-person, light refreshments will be provided during a networking reception after the event.