UN Reaffirms Gender Equality as Cornerstone of Lasting Global Peace

The United Nations has reaffirmed that achieving gender equality is essential to building and sustaining global peace, as it marks 25 years of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda, established under Security Council Resolution 1325.

“The resolution was a real game-changer,” said Laura Flores, Americas Division Director at the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), in an interview with UN News. “People finally began to recognize that women are not just victims of conflict they are key to resolving it.”

A statement published on the UN website on October 31, 2025, highlighted the ongoing importance of the agenda, which seeks to ensure that women’s voices are included in peace negotiations and post-conflict recovery efforts. “It’s about making sure women have a seat at the table when peace is being negotiated, and that their voices shape the future of security and stability,” Flores added.

According to the latest UN Secretary-General’s Report on Women, Peace and Security, nearly 700 million women lived within 50 kilometres of deadly conflict zones in the past year. The report also noted an 87 per cent increase in sexual violence over the last two years, while nine out of ten peace processes excluded women as negotiators.

Despite these challenges, Flores said there are signs of progress, particularly in the Americas. “The region recorded the highest average of women in parliament globally, with Caribbean countries averaging 41 per cent, South America 31.9 per cent, and Central America 30.8 per cent,” she said.

She cited Mexico, Chile, and Colombia as examples of nations adopting foreign policies that prioritize gender equality in diplomacy, peacebuilding, and development. “These policies are still new and require strong coordination and political support to fully take root, but they are promising steps forward,” she noted.

The UN continues to support countries in implementing the WPS Agenda through a range of initiatives. In Chile, it assisted a presidential commission tackling the root causes of conflict affecting Indigenous communities, focusing on challenges faced by Mapuche women. In Colombia, the DPPA helped draft the country’s first national action plan aligned with Resolution 1325, while in Haiti, the department collaborates with UN Women to support survivors of gender-based violence.

However, Flores described the rates of gender-based violence across the region as “alarmingly high,” noting that at least 11 women are killed daily in Latin America. She also warned of rising political violence and online harassment targeting women leaders. “The region has momentum, but it needs protection, investment, and political will to keep moving forward,” she stressed.

Flores also underscored the resilience and leadership of Indigenous women in promoting peace and democracy. Among them is Otilia Lux de Cotí, an Indigenous leader and the only Maya K’iche’ woman to have served as a minister in Guatemala’s government.

“I am the daughter of Guatemala’s war,” Lux said, recalling the country’s 36-year civil conflict that claimed more than 200,000 lives. Since the 1996 peace accord, she has worked to document violence against women and Indigenous Peoples.

Flores noted that Indigenous women played a crucial role during Guatemala’s 2023 elections, when the peaceful transfer of power was under threat. “Indigenous communities took to the streets, raising varas traditional staffs symbolising ancestral authority in defence of their votes,” she said.

Lux described the movement as a product of deep community dialogue. “The decision to act was not spontaneous; it followed long discussions and consultations within our communities,” she explained. “We call this process Yacataj in K’iche’ a collective awakening of consciousness. Raising our ancestral symbols was not just protest; it was an act of democratic participation.”

As the UN commemorates 25 years of the WPS Agenda, Flores said the courage and leadership of women like Lux exemplify the spirit of Resolution 1325. “The women of the region are proving that achieving peace means refusing to stay silent,” she said.