Empowering Women in Peace & Security: A U.S. Policy Perspective
By Ellie Langworthy
The IAWJ Joint International Board and Board of Managerial Trustees Meeting commenced with a panel discussion, entitled: “The Role of Women Judges in the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Agenda.” The panel took place on June 27th at American University’s Washington College of Law. Panelists Dr. Geeta Rao Gupta, Rachel Vogelstein, and Lesley Ziman delved into the WPS agenda from a U.S. policy perspective, highlighting their strategic priorities for advancing gender equity and equality at home and abroad.
Dr. Geeta Rao Gupta, the Ambassador-at-Large for the Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues at the U.S. Department of State, discussed GWI’s gender-based violence prevention and response efforts. A recent increase in funding from $1.3 billion to $2.6 billion under the Biden administration has reinforced GWI’s comprehensive, interagency approach to preventing gender-based violence through diplomacy, policy, and programming. During the panel, Ambassador Gupta explained the importance of transitional justice and conflict reduction processes. The "Women Initiative for Security and Equality" (WISE) program in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia is a prime example of a survivor-centered, trauma-informed response program aimed at integrating the needs and perspectives of women in the State Department’s assistance efforts. Explaining that “strategy is only as good as its implementation,” Ambassador Gupta prioritizes a localized and intersectional approach to capacity-building. Supporting Her Empowerment: Women’s Inclusion for New Security (SHE WINS) is a program dedicated to strengthening the capacity of women-led civil society organizations to address and mitigate the impacts of conflict, violent extremism, and GBV through local peacebuilding initiatives and a multi-million-dollar Rapid Response Fund.
Rachel Vogelstein, the Deputy Director & Special Assistant to President Biden’s Gender Policy Council and the Special Advisor on Gender for the National Security Council, explored the inextricable link between women and girls, and peace and security. According to Vogelstein, the White House GPC embraces a “whole-of-government approach” to WPS through partnerships and cross-functional collaboration with multilateral institutions. She highlighted the Biden-Harris administration’s accomplishments, noting that their WPS Incentive Fund allocated $70 million in economic support to 17 countries. In collaboration with NATO Allies, they launched “Women Leading Effective and Accountable Democracy” (Women LEAD), an $850 million public-private partnership to advance women’s political leadership, prevent gender-based violence against women leaders, and support their meaningful participation in peacebuilding and conflict resolution. Additionally, the President has taken steps to empower women in the judiciary and highlight their accomplishments. This is evident through his confirmation of 200 female judges, representing the most diverse cohort in the nation’s history. Vogelstein echoed Ambassador Gupta’s call for trauma-informed justice, stating that “gender-based violence is an expensive offense not just to individuals, but to society at large.” Vice President Harris’s launch of the “Dignity in Documentation Initiative”, which intends to support justice for survivors by promoting accountability for crimes punished under international law, represents the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to a national security foreign policy that prioritizes the status of women and girls.
Lesley Ziman, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs at the US Department of State, highlighted INL’s contributions to fulfill the Women, Peace, and Security Act’s goals. Guided by the motto “Security through justice,” INL focuses on engagement in multilateral fora and implementing holistic foreign assistance approaches to build the capacity of partner countries’ criminal justice and security institutions, including encouraging the meaningful participation of women in criminal justice systems. To carry out this mission, Ziman explained how INL strengthens partner governments’ responses to gender-based violence by increasing the number of women law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges, and by strengthening criminal justice actors and institutions through reforms, training, and other assistance.
For example, the International Law Enforcement Academies (ILEAs) have trained more than 12,000 female criminal justice officials across 100 countries. Dedicated to increasing safety and efficiency in the judiciary, INL allocated approximately $250 million to rule of law programs in FY 2022. Additionally, INL supports the participation of women judges from a variety of partner countries in national and international conferences to discuss substantive legal issues and common challenges facing women practitioners and build communities of practice. INL has sponsored judges from partner countries to attend IAWJ’s Biennial Conferences in Washington, D.C., Buenos Aires, and Marrakech.
Engaging in critical conversations with female leaders who are driving the implementation of the U.S. Women, Peace, and Security strategy overseas resonates with two of the IAWJ’s core values: 1) Recognizing the fundamental importance of gender equality and 2) Using human rights laws as a vehicle to integrate women into society. Amidst emerging challenges and threats to democracy that exacerbate rates of gender-based violence, it is imperative to prioritize women’s perspectives in safeguarding the rule of law and protecting human rights. In particular, expanding professional opportunities for women in judicial institutions yields a global justice system more accessible, inclusive, and representative of society. Ultimately, this panel discussion established the groundwork for future collaboration between the IAWJ and the Gender Policy Council, GWI, and INL on WPS initiatives, and set the tone for a successful day of meetings between the IAWJ Joint International Board and the Board of Managerial Trustees.