UN Secretary-General António Guterres on 28 October called for urgent, concrete steps to advance the women, peace and security agenda, telling a UN Security Council open debate that meaningful female participation in peace processes is essential — not ceremonial — for achieving durable stability worldwide.

Why Women's Inclusion Matters for Peace

'Peace processes are more likely to endure when women participate meaningfully in advancing them,' Guterres said, adding that societies become 'stronger and more resilient when women and girls can live free from fear and violence.' He framed women's inclusion not as an aspirational ideal but as a practical prerequisite for lasting agreements.

The Stark Implementation Gap

Guterres pointed to a sobering disconnect between commitments and reality. Women represented just 5 per cent of negotiators across 57 peace processes last year, he noted. Fewer than one-fifth of global peace agreements signed in the same period included even a single reference to women, girls, gender, or sexual violence.

'Twenty-six years after Resolution 1325, this implementation gap is unacceptable,' Guterres said, referring to the landmark Security Council resolution adopted in 2000 that first formally linked women's participation to international peace and security. 'Durable peace must reflect the leadership, aspirations and contributions of all people, including those of women and girls.'

Three Priority Areas Identified

Guterres outlined three areas requiring immediate action. First, he called for delivering on the promise of Resolution 1325 — ensuring women sit at every peacemaking table and that their needs are embedded in every peace agreement, without exception.

Second, he stressed the need to scale up funding, particularly for women's organisations in conflict-affected areas and those addressing forced displacement, where women and girls face heightened vulnerability. 'I call on all countries to live up to their official development assistance commitments, and urgently restore funding to organisations that support women and girls in conflict settings,' he said.

Third, Guterres called for zero tolerance for violence against women and girls — spanning victims of gender-based violence through to peacebuilders, community organisers, human rights defenders, and humanitarian workers on the front lines. He also renewed his call for 'the lifting of all restrictions on women humanitarian workers — and their full protection — as they carry out their lifesaving work.'

Broader Accountability Demanded

Beyond the three headline priorities, Guterres urged member states to strengthen accountability for gender-based violence, anchor women, peace and security commitments in domestic laws and policies, ensure women's economic security, and close data gaps through what he termed a 'gender data revolution.'

'Equality is not a dream. It's a decision,' he said, calling on the international community to make that decision — at the negotiating table, in national budgets, and in policies governing conflict and post-conflict settings alike.

With multiple active conflicts straining multilateral institutions and overseas development funding under pressure in several donor nations, the Secretary-General's remarks carry particular urgency as the global community marks 26 years since the adoption of Resolution 1325.