This month, GAPS met with its members to discuss Women, Peace and Security priorities for the first time in-person before the pandemic. GAPS also have been continuing  to attend meetings with the UK Government on various work such as the National Action Plan, PSVI, Afghanistan and Ukraine…

GAPS is deeply concerned by last week's announcement of new UK asylum and returns policy by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood. The proposals focus on restricting rights rather than ensuring safety and protection and mark an alarming shift in the UK's…

October 2025 marks 25 years since the signing of the landmark United Nations Resolution 1325. This milestone should have been a moment of reflection, recommitment and collective mobilisation to advance the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda; however, the current…

In this Shadow Report Assessing UK Government Action of Women Peace and Security in 2024, GAPS assesses the UK Government’s implementation of its fifth National Action Plan (NAP) on…

This set of Case Studies - Assessing UK Government Action on Women Peace and Security in 2024 complements GAPS’ 2024 Shadow Report by grounding its analysis in the lived experiences of women and girls in conflict-affected contexts. Focusing on Ukraine, the…

Statement from GAPS Network Members on the UK Government’s Deprioritisation of Gender Equality in Aid Spending Members of the GAPS Network have issued a joint statement expressing deep concern at the UK Government’s deprioritisation of gender equality and the rights…

Friday’s devastating earthquakes in Myanmar not only caused mass casualties and widespread destruction, they also deepened long-standing gender inequalities – leaving millions of women and girls at heightened risk. With at least 1,600 people have been killed, read Saferworld's response here. UN Women have provided a rapid gender analysis reporting that 'the earthquakes add another layer of hardship as (women and girls) face unsafe conditions, disrupted health services, and heightened risks of gender-based violence and exploitation—especially for girls separated from their families.' 

Women’s movements are critical in driving transformative change and preventing conflict. They are made up of frontline defenders; experts of their communities; prevention actors; and deliver critical services at times of crisis and conflict. Recent cuts in funding globally are…

Read GAPS's secretariat statement in response to the recent UN Commission of Inquiry (COI) report on Israel's systematic use of sexual, reproductive and other forms of gender-based violence since 7 October 2023.The COI report explicitly states that Israel has committed "genocidal acts" against Palestinians in Gaza by "deliberately inflicting on the Palestinian population conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction, in whole or in part."

Bénédicte Aboul-Nasr, Senior Programmes Officer, Great Lakes- Peace Direct The first two months of 2025 have been bleak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Following the resurgence of the Mouvement du 23 mars (M23)/Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC) in 2021,…

The UK has announced cuts to the aid budget while increasing defence spending. CARE’s recent report revealed that UK aid for gender equality fell from £6.3bn in 2019 to £3.4bn in 2022—the lowest on record since reporting began in 2014. With the latest round of cuts announced today, this decline will only deepen, compounding the effects of previous reductions and contributing to a global trend where major donors are pulling back from gender equality commitments.

The Labour government’s decision to further slash the aid budget while increasing defence spending is a stark reinforcement of militarism at the expense of those most vulnerable. Despite performative claims that women and girls are at the heart of UK…

There has been a critical escalation of violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) over the past few weeks, with Rwanda-backed rebel group M23 seizing control of Goma. The heightened risk of sexual violence has been reported by organisations, including Médecins Sans Frontières, who have said more than 1 in 10 young women in camps reported being raped between November 2023 and April 2024.

Alexia Lizarraga, Amos Trust Across Mexico and Central America, women activists are at the forefront of a profound struggle. These are not just battles for climate justice or environmental preservation. They define themselves as land defenders —many of them indigenous and from rural communities—fight against extractive, agricultural, and industrial projects that…

More than 30,000 Syrians have returned home since the fall of the Assad regime on 8 December 2024. The UK has now paused its decision over Syrian asylum-claims. As of December 2024, 6,502 Syrians are waiting the outcome of their asylum claim in the UK. Nadia Hardman, a researcher in the Refugee and Migrants Rights Division of Human Rights Watch, outlined…

Toni Haastrup, University of Manchester Among global North countries like the UK, the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda has primarily focused on its implications within international peacebuilding and its applicability to conflict settings. In this context WPS is seen as applying only to the foreign policy domain, in places impacted by challenges that are seen as irrelevant to Global North contexts. This view is endemic to many Western countries’ perceptions of who WPS applies to.

25 November marked the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

This also marked the beginning of #16DaysofActivism against Gender-Based Violence. GAPS has been amplifying resources and activities from partners globally who, amidst the rollback on rights and shrinking civic space, are building a new world that is just and fair. View GAPS's tweets here. The FCDO hosted a reception to mark the 16 Days of Activism, hosted by Minister Phillips and Minister Dodds, which GAPS attended. GAPS was also present at the FCDO-hosted event, with Minister Falconer, to view "The Women Who Beat ISIS" travelling photo exhibition by Farida Global Organisation.

Read the UK's statement at the UN Security Council on CRSV here. 

Detmer Kremer- Policy, Advocacy and Communications Coordinator (GAPS)The Shaping Feminist Foreign Policy Conference hosted by the Dutch Government in November 2023 was marked by its sleek branding: banners, free water bottles, brochures, an app, TV screens, t-shirts, cut-outs for Instagram backdrops, lanyards and more all featured images of carefully selected diverse figures indicating a wide range of gender identities, ethnic backgrounds and abilities. It was also marked by pro-Palestine attendees demanding the then-Dutch Foreign Minister support a ceasefire, which amid this cascade of colourful branding proclaiming inclusion and solidarity, she was unable to do.

Following the Foreign Secretary Rt Hon David Lammy MP’s response to a parliamentary question on 28th October 2024, GAPS and 37 concerned organisations are deeply troubled by these comments and call on the Foreign Secretary to reaffirm the Government’s commitment…

The Security Council held its annual debate on women, peace and security in New York this month, titled:  “Women Building Peace in a Changing Environment”. UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, spoke to the contexts of Gaza, Sudan, Afghanistan and Yemen, emphasising that we must 'reinforce our resolve to support women advocating for their rights, agency and inclusion at every opportunity'.