A Security Sector Governance Approach to Women, Peace and Security: Policy Brief

This Policy Brief explains how applying the principles of good security sector governance and reforming the security sector can help achieve the goals of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda.

Over the past decade the United Nations system and many states and international actors have recognized that security sector reform (SSR) should be gender-responsive, identifying and addressing the different security and justice needs of women and men, girls and boys, across different parts of the community. In some SSR programmes, priorities have been set to promote the participation of women in the security sector. At the same time, there is a need to step up the engagement of the WPS community with issues of security sector governance. This Policy Brief argues that applying a security sector governance lens to WPS helps reveal the key barriers to and drivers of change.

Part of the Gender and Security Toolkit, the Policy Brief:

- explains the principles of good security sector governance;

- examines how security sector governance and SSR are addressed in the WPS Agenda;

- outlines how a security sector governance approach can catalyze the transformative and sustained change needed to realize the WPS Agenda.

The Toolkit was published with the support of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR). Its content does not necessarily reflect the policy and position of the OSCE/ODIHR.