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…

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,…

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…

19 August marked International Humanitarian Day:

Civil society demonstrated their support for the day, including aid workers in Gaza who paused for a moment of silence, in solidarity with fellow humanitarians and to honour the 289 colleagues killed since October 2023. GAPS joined the calls to #ActforHumanity to ensure the protection of civilians, including humanitarians, in conflict zones & ensure accountability for violations of International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law. Read the full thread here. 

Welcome to the GAPS August wrap-up.   August marks two years since the Taliban retook control of Afghanistan. The human rights violations faced by women and girls, as well as other targeted communities based on ethnicity, religion, disability and sexual orientation,…

Welcome to GAPS May wrap-up.  GAPS attended the 2023 Stockholm Forum on Peace and Development organised by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). This year's theme focused on ‘Seeking Solutions for Turbulent Times’ and explored lessons and experiences from past…

GAPS February Newsletter Welcome to the GAPS February wrap up.  On the 23rd of February, GAPS attended the launch of the fifth UK National Action Plan on Women Peace and Security (NAP) at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. Our…

January has been an opportunity for GAPS to prepare and plan for the year ahead, with key national and global moments upcoming, including…

Welcome to our December and 2022 wrap-up. It has been an eventful and busy year for the GAPS Team, and as we draw an end to 2022, GAPS is looking forward to celebrating the holidays with friends and family, and…

Welcome to our November wrap-up. November has been a busy month as COP27 in Egypt came to a close, and GAPS took part in the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI) Global Conference happening in London. Ahead of COP27, GAPS released a…

Welcome to our October wrap-up. This month, the GAPS Director headed to Berlin for the W7 conference, and to New York for Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Week at the United Nations. Ahead of the Open Debate, GAPS signed onto…

This joint policy report written by Dr Zeynep Kaya at the University of Sheffield, Dr Ilham Makki, and Gender Action for Peace and Security will be officially launched in Parliament on 10th October 2022 at an event of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Women, Peace and Security. The report follows fieldwork in Iraq with Women Human Rights Defenders and Women’s rights Organisations, and an evidence-driven conversation at a workshop in Amman, Jordan in June 2022.

Welcome to our June wrap up. 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 16th May, the FCDO released the anticipated International Development Strategy (IDS). The Strategy outlines the Government's key priorities in its approach to International Development. GAPS has written a response to the IDS, examining how…

Happy New Year to all our subscribers, and welcome to our January wrap-up! We are excited to start off 2022 by welcoming a new member into the GAPS network: Christian Aid. Christian Aid works primarily in countries affected by conflict…

Welcome to our September Wrap-Up! As you may have seen this month, the cabinet reshuffle saw the appointment of a new Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss. GAPS, along with other organisations, met with the new Foreign Secretary and Minister Wendy Morton,…

Updates Response to the Crisis in Afghanistan On Monday 17th August, GAPS wrote to the Prime Minister, and the Secretaries of State for the Home Department, Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, and Defence about the life-threatening situation facing women and…