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. 

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'.

"Dismantling UNRWA would be catastrophic for Palestinians especially in Gaza and the West Bank as they are deprived of essentials such as food, water, medical aid, education and protection. It will also have catastrophic consequences for millions of Palestinian refugees…

Israel strikes on Southern Lebanon The Lebanese health minister reported 569 people have been killed and 1,835 wounded since last Monday in Israeli strikes across Southern Lebanon. Hezbollah confirmed the death of its senior…

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,…

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…

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 September wrap-up. This month, GAPS launched our  2021 Shadow Report at an event that brought together GAPS members, civil society, parliamentarians and other stakeholders to discuss the UK Government's implementation of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda…

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…

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…

In November 2016 the UK Government partnered with GAPS to consult with women's civil society organisations and activists on the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) priorities in their contexts. The aim is to bring these women's voices directly to the…