In Focus: Driving Peace Together: 25 Years of Women, Peace and Security in Europe and Central Asia
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In 2025, the Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region marked the 25th anniversary of United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (WPS), alongside the 10th anniversary of the Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agenda. Across the region, governments, civil society organizations (CSOs), youth leaders, academic and cultural institutions, security actors and international partners came together to reaffirm a shared understanding: sustainable peace is impossible without women’s leadership and meaningful participation.
The anniversary year became both a moment of reflection and a call to accelerate action - addressing persistent gaps while responding to new and emerging security challenges. From high-level regional conferences and policy dialogues to youth-led initiatives, cultural exhibitions and national forums, these collective efforts demonstrated how the WPS agenda continues to evolve - responding to new and emerging security challenges while remaining grounded in women’s lived realities.
Despite ongoing challenges, the WPS agenda (a brief chronology) remained a sustained political priority across Europe and Central Asia. New-generation WPS strategies and policies were developed in Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Kosovo1 and Ukraine, alongside the adoption of updated frameworks in Armenia, Serbia in 2025 and Kyrgyz Republic in January 2026 and the development of the first Regional Action Plan on WPS for Central Asia.
Throughout the year, UN Women Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECARO) played a convening, coordinating and advocacy role, strengthening regional partnerships, amplifying women’s and youth voices, and supporting countries in translating global commitments into concrete, measurable change on the ground.
Regional Initiatives: Advancing the WPS Agenda Across Borders
In 2025, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, emerged as a key hub for WPS and YPS dialogue and knowledge exchange. The International Conference on Women, Peace and Security: "From Gender Justice to Sustainable Peace: A 25-Year Vision", brought together around 150 leaders, civil society, and women peacebuilders to chart a bold path forward from gender justice to sustainable peace in the country and beyond. The conference became a flagship regional moment of the anniversary year, culminating in the adoption of the Sarajevo Pledge - a collective commitment endorsed by 57 organizations and individuals from 29 countries. The pledge reinforced national ownership of WPS commitments, strengthened regional solidarity, and reaffirmed women’s leadership as central to peacebuilding, recovery, and security governance.
Sarajevo also hosted the WPS Summer School from 22–26 September, 2025, at the University of Sarajevo, brining together 48 participants from 11 countries and territories across the Western Balkans, Europe, and Central Asia, selected from over 5,000 applicants globally. Designed as an intensive 50-hour programme of expert lectures, workshops, simulations and field visits, the Summer School strengthened participants’ understanding of the WPS and YPS agendas, fostered inclusive dialogue, and built inter-community trust. Post-programme assessments demonstrated significant gains in knowledge, confidence and leadership, readiness, underscoring the value of experiential, gender- and youth-responsive peacebuilding education.
Together with UNESCO, UN Women hosted the regional conference and residency “Shaping Stories, Building Trust” in Sarajevo on 14–17 October, 2025. The event convened over 100 participants from the UN, EU, academia, media, and youth networks to address ethical journalism, media and information literacy, AI challenges, and gender-based hate speech. A three-day Young Journalists’ Residency strengthened ethical, technical, and gender-sensitive reporting skills, fostered cross-border collaboration, and helped establish a regional network committed to countering misinformation and promoting social cohesion across the Western Balkans.
In Central Asia, the anniversary was marked by the 2025 WPS Forum held on 25 November, 2025, in Dushanbe, Tajikistan under the Central Asian Women’s (Leaders) Dialogue (CAWLC). Women leaders and peacebuilders discussed women's leadership in mediation, cross-border cooperation and regional security, underscoring women’s critical role in fostering dialogue and stability across Central Asia. UN Women ECARO contributed an analytical overview of women’s in peacebuilding and highlighted the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan, with particular attention to access to education, economic opportunities, and protection challenges. Furthermore, the Forum marked the official launch of the global "16 Days of Activism against VAW” campaign, reaffirming a collective commitment to preventing violence and strengthening regional cooperation through the CAWLC.
Republic of Moldova continued to serve as a platform for inclusive peace and security dialogue across the region whereas the CSO–UN Eastern Europe Sub-Regional Dialogue on Peacebuilding convened, in September, 43 civil society representatives from 6 countries to enhance collaboration with the UN and adapt peacebuilding approaches to evolving global challenges, with outcomes feeding into the global CSO–UN Dialogue in Geneva. Also, the International Conference Women4Security, held in November, brought together over 212 policymakers, security sector representatives, civil society and international partners from over 10 countries. Discussions emphasized the need to move beyond symbolic commitments toward concrete institutional change in defence and security sectors, concluding with a joint statement reaffirming commitment to strengthen women’s leadership and embed gender equality in security governance to ensure WPS agenda drives measurable change over the next 25 years.
Intergenerational Pathways to Peace: Advancing WPS and YPS Together
Intergenerational cooperation featured prominently throughout the anniversary year. In November 2025, six young peacebuilders from ECA participated in the Second EU Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) Conference and the first YPS Week in Brussels. With UN Women’s support, youth representatives led discussions on equality, inclusion and intergenerational cooperation, contributed to YPS dialogues and to the EU Joint Declaration for YPS Week, reinforcing the central role of young women and men in advancing peace and security agendas.
In Central Asia, UN Women facilitated youth dialogue around the first Regional WPS Action Plan, strengthening links between youth engagement and regional peace and security frameworks. ECARO also contributed to the development of the OSCE Chair in Office YPS Roadmap (adopted in December 2025) by sharing its best practices and models of meaningful youth participation.
The Regional Training of Trainers (ToT) on WPS and YPS for Western Balkans, held in Skopje from 23–27 June, brought together 23 young participants. Organized by the UN System Staff College, UN Women, UNDP, UNFPA, and NALAS, the programme established a regional pool of trainers to advance WPS and YPS implementation at local and national levels. Participants reported high satisfaction with the programm’s inclusive, experiential design and will continue their engagement through regional networking, youth-focused training and the development of an online NALAS e-academy module.
The Born in 2000 regional initiative highlighted youth perspectives on peace and security, showcasing young activists’ experiences and reflections on the future of the WPS agenda. Through storytelling and digital engagement, the initiative amplifies youth voices and explores innovative ways to visualize intergenerational leadership and continuity within the WPS framework.
Reinforcing the Normative Foundations of WPS
Towards the end of 2025, UN Women ECARO convened Regional Civil Society Consultations to inform the Addendum to CEDAW General Recommendation No. 30 on women in conflict prevention and post-conflict contexts. Fifteen women’s rights organizations formally endorsed the submission, with additional organizations contributing perspectives on emerging conflict dynamics, shrinking civic space and the need for survivor-centered justice and accountability. The consultations strengthened regional advocacy and ensured that diverse lived experiences from Europa and Central Asia informed global normative processes.
Regional Advocacy and Visibility: Women Lead. Peace Follows.
On 25 August, UN Women ECARO launched the regional campaign Women Lead. Peace Follows with a video statement by the ECA Regional Director Belén Sanz Luque and posts in the social media channels, amplifying women’s leadership stories across Europe and Central Asia and reaching 150,000 users through social media. The campaign highlighted 25 women peacebuilders through the series “Past, Present, and Future of WPS”, elevating their voices and encouraginged reflection on the evolution of the agenda. The campaign concluded with “A Letter to the Future: To those who will mark UNSCR1325+50 in the year 2050”, calling on future generations to carry forward the WPS agenda as a living evolving commitment that rooted in dignity, equality and justice.
“We leave this letter as both a gift and a challenge. Carry forward the Women, Peace and Security agenda not as a legacy frozen in time, but as a living commitment - one that evolves, responds, and remains rooted in dignity, equality, and justice. May you inherit a world where women’s leadership in peace is no longer questioned - only expected.”
Country-Level Initiatives: Translating Global Commitments into National Action
Across the region, commemorations were translated into concrete national action. Armenia hosted two international dialogues as part of the development of its next NAP 1325. On 27 November, NATO, the Public Defender’s Office, and UN Women convened a high-level conference on advancing women’s meaningful participation in the armed forces. This was followed on 1–2 December by an international conference marking the 25th anniversary of UNSCR 1325, bringing together government institutions, women-led civil society, academics, and regional partners. These consultations informed the new NAP 1325, which was adopted by the Government of Armenia on 4 December 2025, reaffirming the country’s commitment to women’s leadership, participation, and human-centred security.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the anniversary was marked through culture and collective memory. The exhibition “Our Woman,” opened on 31 October 2025 at the History Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, highlighted women’s contributions to post-war recovery after 1945 and 1995. By reclaiming women’s place in peace history, the initiative challenged dominant narratives and positioned women as agents of change. With this step, the museum became the first cultural institution in the country and beyond to join the WPS-Humanitarian Action Compact, together with signatories representing the government, civil society, and academia.
Georgia’s commemorations focused on youth engagement and intergenerational dialogue. In October 2025, 31 youth delegates took part in a Model UN Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security, followed by a young women‑led WPS–YPS dialogue linking the WPS and Youth, Peace and Security agendas. The annual WPS Open Day brought together conflict‑affected women, civil society and decision‑makers to reflect on progress and remaining gaps. Women’s leadership in peace and defence also gained international visibility through global partnerships and recognition, including the Bertha von Suttner Peace Prize awarded to Georgian peacebuilder Elene‑Maia Rusetskaya, and international recognition in the defence sector, where Captain Khatia Gogoladze from Georgian Defence Forces won the International Award at the Women in Defence UK Awards, becoming the first Georgian woman to receive this honour.
In Kazakhstan, the anniversary year supported forward-looking policy development. A national workshop held on 31 October 2025 convened government representatives, civil society and experts to inform the development of the country’s next NAP 1325. Discussions emphasized emerging security risks, including climate change and environmental stress, and their gendered impacts. The process generated evidence-based recommendations to strengthen gender-responsive peace and security planning.
Kyrgyz Republic advanced the WPS agenda through sustained national dialogue and public engagement. In September 2025 Yntymak (Peace) Week, held in Osh and Bishkek, fostered discussions on social cohesion and conflict prevention, while the National WPS Forum “Women Lead Peace” organized in partnership with the OSCE, the Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Labour, Social Welfare and Migraiton in October reviewed progress and commitments under the WPS framework. The anniversary year also coincided with the endorsement of YPS NAP in March, reinforcing interlinkages between the two agendas, and commitments to operationalize the 5th WPS NAP (2026–2028).
Kosovo marked 25 years of UNSCR 1325 through an intergenerational dialogue that highlighted progress in women’s leadership, legal reform and access to reparations for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence bringing together government leaders, UN representatives, civil society, women’s organizations, youth, and diplomatic partners. The event highlighted Kosovo’s progress over 25 years in advancing women’s participation in decision-making, strengthening legal frameworks for gender equality, and ensuring reparations and recognition for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence. Opening remarks by Belén Sanz Luque, UN Women ECARO's Regional Director, underscored that “lasting peace depends on women’s leadership — when women lead, peace follows.” Another event the PREP – UN Global Open Day Forum “Women, Peace and Security: Lessons Learned and Ways Forward ahead of the 25th Anniversary of UNSCR 1325” brought together government leaders, UN representatives, civil society, and women peacebuilders to reflect on achievements, share best practices, and highlight champions advancing WPS in the country.
In North Macedonia, a high-level national commemoration event held in October led by the Ministry of Defence and UN Women reviewed achievements under the 2nd NAP on WPS. The event brought together the President of North Macedonia, the Minister of Defence, the Chief of the General Staff of the Army, senior government officials, ambassadors as well as national and international partners. Discussions highlighted progress in of women in defence leadership, strengthened gender-responsive policies and training, and women’s participation in peacekeeping missions. While recognizing these achievements, participants reaffirmed the need for stronger data, accountability and institutional ownership to ensure lasting impact. A commemorative postal stamp and postmark symbolizing women’s resilience and peacebuilding leadership were launched in partnership with the Post Office of North Macedonia.
In the Republic of Moldova, the anniversary year focused on dialogue and inclusion. UN Women supported Dialogues of women’s associations in security institutions and women’s networks on both banks of the Nistru River, strengthening cooperation, solidarity and trust-building. These exchanges highlighted women’s role as bridge-builders in peace and security processes.
Serbia commemorated the anniversary through an international conference “From Adoption to Implementation – 25 Years of UNSCR 1325” in Belgrade, reflecting on progress since the adoption of UNSCR 1325 and identifying priorities for improved implementation. Discussions emphasized the importance of moving from policy commitments to measurable results on the ground.
In Ukraine, the anniversary took place in the context of the full-fledged Russian invasion in Ukraine with a sharp increase in civilian casualties, giving particular urgency to discussions on women’s leadership and protection. As the first country in the world, Ukraine accomplished the implementation of the second NAP (2021-25) and developed its third NAP (2026-30) during the war and humanitarian crisis. In November National Forum “From Lessons to Action; Implementing the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in Ukraine” and the Second International Forum “The Role of Women in Achieving Peace” on women in defence and security assessed progress under the WPS NAP 1325 and gender responsive security sector reform. Forums laid the groundwork for the next NAP 1325 (2026-2030) implementation, with a strong focus on women’s leadership in defence, humanitarian response and recovery during wartime and reconstruction.
From Commemoration to Acceleration
Twenty-five years after the adoption of UNSCR 1325, the experience of Europe and Central Asia demonstrates that the WPS agenda is not a legacy to be commemorated, but a mandate to be advanced. The anniversary year delivered concrete results across the region. New coordination frameworks and political commitments - anchored by the Sarajevo Pledge - strengthened cooperation between governments, international organizations, and civil society. Countries used the milestone to advance or renew National Action Plans on WPS, deepen institutional ownership within security sectors, and expand dialogue with conflict-affected women. Youth-led consultations elevated intergenerational leadership, while civil society engagement ensured that lived experiences shaped regional and global policy debates. Together, these efforts positioned the 25th anniversary not as an endpoint, but as a catalyst for accelerated and measurable progress on WPS across Europe and Central Asia.
WPS Knowledge Hub
25 years after UNSCR 1325, this Gender Snapshot on Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action examines progress and persistent challenges across 18 countries in Europe and Central Asia. The snapshot highlights opportunities to strengthen women’s leadership, gender-responsive peacebuilding, and financing for the WPS agenda. The snapshot supports policy action toward inclusive, sustainable peace and contributes to SDGs 5 (Gender Equality) and 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions).
Climate change and water scarcity in Central Asia intensify conflict risks and disproportionately affect women and girls, who remain underrepresented in water governance and peacebuilding. This brief outlines how gender inequality intersects with water, climate, and security challenges, and presents programmatic entry points for action. Investing in women’s leadership and knowledge is essential to advancing inclusive, sustainable solutions across the water - climate - peace nexus.
Invisible No More: Women Influencing Peace in Europe and Central Asia
This brief underscores the essential - yet often overlooked - contributions of women to peacebuilding across Europe and Central Asia, extending beyond formal negotiations. It spotlights women’s leadership in informal dialogue, civil society, and grassroots initiatives, illustrating how these roles advance reconciliation and conflict prevention. The brief also reviews UN Women’s support for inclusive peace processes and offers strategic insights for policymakers, peacebuilders, and international actors to enhance women’s participation and promote gender-responsive peace in the region.
Resilient Futures: Empowering Women to Influence Peace in Europe and Central Asia, the brief highlights UN Women’s impact in advancing Women, Peace, and Security across Europe and Central Asia through a holistic, conflict-responsive approach. By integrating conflict analysis with participatory peace processes and economic recovery, supporting gender-responsive security programs, and funding feminist networks, UN Women has strengthened women’s leadership and inclusion in peacebuilding.
Strengthening Climate Resilience in Women, Peace and Security Frameworks: Tackling the Impact of Human Insecurity - the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2022 highlighted the urgent need to address the interconnected challenges of climate change, gender inequality, and conflict. This brief, part of the UN Women ECARO series, offers policy recommendations to enhance the WPS agenda, promoting gender-responsive approaches in crisis contexts. It aims to strengthen climate resilience and support SDGs 5, 13, and 16 by addressing gender, climate, and peacebuilding intersections.
Enhancing gender equality and women's empowerment in the humanitarian-development-peace nexus in countries affected by the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the brief examines the implementation of the WPS agenda in countries affected by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, specifically Georgia, Poland, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Slovakia and Ukraine. It explores gaps and opportunities for further integrating the WPS agenda within the Humanitarian-Development-Peace (HDP) nexus in these contexts. The potential of feminist foreign policy (FFP) to advance the WPS agenda and HDP nexus is briefly discussed.
Key findings of the dialogue to UN agencies in Tajikistan with Afghan women
The discussion sheds light on the experiences and obstacles Afghan women face, stressing their exclusion from the peace negotiations. Special focus was given to the critical limitations on education for Afghan women and girls, and the economic and employment barriers they encounter.
15 Years of Implementing the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in BiH: Lessons Learned and Recommendations summarizes key findings on the progress and challenges of the WPS agenda since 2010. It provides insights and actionable recommendations to strengthen human security, promote gender equality, and advance the goals of the WPS agenda in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The cross-sectoral study The Status of Women in the Security and Defense Sector: Between Stability and Transformation reveals persistent structural and cultural barriers - such as stereotypes and work-life balance challenges—which continue to hinder progress in Moldova. It provides a strategic framework to support an inclusive reform process for modernizing the security and defence sector, identifying legislative and institutional gaps and formulating actionable recommendations that would respond to society needs more efficiently.
UN Women sincerely thanks all donors who have supported the WPS agenda in recent years and in 2025 – Canada, Denmark, NORAD, SIDA, UK, Switzerland, Peacebuilding Fund. Your contributions have been essential in strengthening women’s leadership, peacebuilding, and resilience across communities and countries.
[1] All references to Kosovo should be understood to be in the context of UNSCR 1244 (1999)