Opinions & Insights

Blog pieces written by OSF and guest authors

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Where's the Money? Exploring the Budget Gaps in Women, Peace and Security Initiatives

This analysis looks at the crucial role of funding in shaping the national Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agendas. By examining nations with varying levels of financial commitment and exploring the concept of gender budgeting, this article aims to explore how targeted financial strategies could potentially affect policy-making and WPS implementation strategies.

August 28,2024

In the Shadows of Conflict: The Role of Sudanese Women in Building Peace and Stability

In light of the ongoing conflict in Sudan, Our Secure Future intern Luz Velazquez discusses the contributions made by Sudanese women in advocating for peace and the necessity of including their voices in the formal peace negotiations.

June 25,2024

Tech's Gender Blindspots: How to Create a Safer Digital Future

Technology has become an integral part of everyone’s daily lives. However, the digital ecosystem is not immune to the gender inequalities that persist in society.

May 24,2024

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August 28, 2019

Brave Girls Film Review

Brave Girls tells a universally relatable coming-of-age story about rebellion against societal expectations, falling in love, and how the consequences of your decisions can shape the rest of your life. Following three young women from Dholka, India, the film shows how they are charting their own pat...

Erin Cooper

August 22, 2019

What Happens When (Feminist) People Win

What role can men play in ensuring a more feminist future?

Gloria Steinem of Ms. Magazine and the Women’s Action Alliance speaking during ONE ON ONE

Erin Cooper

August 16, 2019

Feminist Friday: António Guterres

“The UN must be at the forefront of the global movement towards gender equality, an inalienable and indivisible feature of all human rights and fundamental freedoms: progressively moving from perceiving women and girls as a subject of protection to promoting their empowerment; from an isolated focus...

August 09, 2019

Indigenous Women and the Women, Peace and Security Movement

Epidemic. Crisis. Genocide. These are all words used to describe the sheer volume of violence Native and indigenous women face in North America. How can the Women, Peace and Security movement be leveraged for the benefit of indigenous women?

August 01, 2019

The Parallels of Human Trafficking and Human Security

The past three presidents have made human trafficking a governance priority. But is human trafficking a threat against individuals or a national security threat? Can it be both?

July 25, 2019

Feminist Friday: Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury

“Without peace, development is impossible, and without development, peace is not achievable, but without women, neither peace nor development is possible.”

July 22, 2019

Podcasts for Peace and Security

In honor of summer vacations and long road trips, we’re recommending three podcasts that are giving us life! Each puts a unique focus on varying security issues. Some shows dedicate more attention to the application of a gender perspective.

July 08, 2019

Policy Frameworks Supporting the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in the U.S. Context

What are the national and international policy frameworks that shaped the U.S. Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2017 and the mandated WPS Strategy that followed? Our Secure Future partnered with some congressional offices to request the Congressional Research Service to illuminate these structures ...

June 29, 2019

OSF Fellow Ambassador Donald Steinberg on the U.S. Strategy for Women, Peace and Security—Seizing the Moment?

OSF Fellow Ambassador Donald Steinberg shares his thoughts on the recently released U.S. Government Strategy on Women, Peace, and Security and next steps to ensure implementation.

May 31, 2019

Cameroonian Women, Peace and Security Frontline Advocates

Let me take you through my beautiful country, Cameroon where our women have an age-long tradition of advocating for peace and security. The English regions of Cameroon have a group of post-menopausal women known as Takembeng. Takembeng is a female social movement in the Northwest Region of Cameroon....

May 31, 2019

Finding Our Voices, Communicating our Peace – a Pacific Journey

But I was a small voice amidst a multitude of human rights defenders and political activists including many women who protested the overthrow of democracy. They faced far more serious intimidation and violence. There were riots and looting. A political deadlock resulted in a second coup on September...

May 28, 2019

Embracing Who We Are, Just the Way We Are

Security to me is not just a word, it’s a goal in life. That can be financial, social and most importantly personal. Often people misunderstand security for wars and guns, but they forget that at the end of the day the only one who or what can make you feel secure is yourself and the people around y...

February 21, 2019

Upholding Social Justice Since 2000

As February 20th marks World Day of Social Justice, we are proud to look back at the accomplishments of the Women, Peace and Security agenda towards a world free of discrimination.

February 05, 2019

Parity on the Frontline: UN Seeks to Boost Number of Female Peacekeepers

With 8,000 women deployed in peacekeeping missions as of 2018, women comprised only 4 percent of peacekeeping soldiers and 10 percent of peacekeeping police.

January 23, 2019

Key Takeaways from Just the Facts: A Selected Annotated Bibliography to Support Evidence-Based Policymaking on Women, Peace and Security

Key takeaways from OSF’s newest publication which compiles 30 years of research on the effectiveness of the WPS agenda in the fields of governance, peacebuilding, peace and security operations, and countering violent extremism and counterterrorism.

January 21, 2019