Who We Are.
Gender Action for Peace and Security (GAPS) is the leading UK’s network on Women, Peace and Security (WPS), uniting 17 international NGOs and civil society organisations working across peacebuilding, development, humanitarian response, women’s rights, human rights, gender justice, conflict prevention, inclusive peace and security. Alongside our formal membership, we work closely with a global Women, Peace and Security Community Network- an informal network of national, subnational and grassroots women’s rights organisations (WROs) and civil society partners who shape and inform our work.
As a network, GAPS convenes, coordinates and leads collective policy and advocacy on the Women, Peace and Security commitments, bringing together our membership to develop shared positions, amplify evidence and influence decision-makers. We strengthen the capacity and collective power of our network to advance WPS both domestically and internationally.
Alongside this convening role, GAPS also undertakes independent policy, research, programming insight and advocacy work. We engage directly with the UK Government, governments internationally, parliamentarians, multilaterals, donors, academia and other stakeholders to provide expert gender analysis and promote feminist, intersectional and evidence-based approaches to peace and security.
Founded to progress UN Security Council Resolution 1325, GAPS works internationally and domestically to advance the rights of women and girls and promote gender equality across all contexts- before, during and after conflict, as well as in situations of crisis, insecurity, stabilisation, development and peace. We advocate for approaches that recognise the interconnectedness of peace, rights and security, ensuring that the WPS agenda is applied at all times, not only in moments of emergency.
We work to highlight and address the experiences of women, girls and marginalised groups whose needs are often overlooked in policy and practice. GAPS delivers rigorous policy analysis, programming insights and advocacy, and acts as a critical friend to the UK Government, providing expert advice, evidence and accountability on its commitments to the WPS agenda and broader gender equality objectives.
As an influential and collaborative network and organisation, we champion the leadership, priorities and expertise of women and girls, and the civil society organisations who work alongside them, grounding our work in national, subnational and grassroots realities.
How We Work.
Through our collective advocacy, campaigning, policy and research, GAPS highlights the realities of women, girls, and marginalised groups living in conflict-affected countries to decision-makers and practitioners and promotes their meaningful participation at all levels.
Specifically
We work in solidarity with women, girls and marginalised groups in the UK and globally to ensure our work is rooted in rights, needs, and experiences.
We support our members and partners in their advocacy on WPS by identifying, building and managing relationships with key stakeholders and creating channels of influence to decision-makers within government, parliament and civil society.
We amplify our members’ and partners’ collective analysis, research, resources and influence to highlight to decisionmakers the differing realities of women, girls, men, boys and gender and sexual minorities in conflict settings as well as how gender inequality is a driver of conflict and make clear their needs and recommendations for peace.
We advocate for evidence-based changes in policies and practices that directly affect women and girls’ rights, security and ability to live safe, peaceful and fulfilling lives.
We challenge policies and practices that undermine peace, perpetuate or exacerbate conflict, and do not consider or uphold the rights of women and girls.
We collaborate with partners, members, governments, parliaments, multilateral institutions, international and local CSOs, WROs and WLOs, NGOs, human rights defenders, and peacebuilders to achieve better policies and practices for gender equality and women and girls’ rights.
We learn with members, partners and allies around the world lessons learned and best practices for advancing WPS.
We communicate clearly, openly, and democratically with our members, partners, government officials and ministers, and parliamentarians.
We commit to advancing a decolonising aid agenda rooted in intersectional feminism, inclusivity, anti-racism, equality, and representation.
We ensure our work addresses both existing and emerging crises as well as priority issue areas such as climate change, migration, and arms control.
OUR VALUES
Our work is guided and informed by our commitment to and belief in peace, meaningful participation, representation, nonviolence, non-partisanship, cooperation, democratic decision-making, transparency, openness, intersectional feminism, inclusion, anti-racism, equality, clear communication, learning, integrity and independence.