Women Build Peace and Security: From Strategic Documents to Real Change

This was the first resolution to clearly recognize the essential role of women in conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and strengthening security. After that, Member States began developing their own strategic documents to turn these principles into concrete policies and measures.

In 2010, Bosnia and Herzegovina became the first country in Southeast Europe to adopt an Action Plan for the implementation of UNSCR 1325, setting an example for the other countries in the region. Since then, three action plans have been implemented in Bosnia and Herzegovina, while the fourth — covering the period 2025 to 2030 — is currently in the process of adoption.

Action Plans outline concrete steps needed to advance the WPS agenda — from increasing the number of women serving in the police, military, and diplomatic service, to improving the status of women who survived wartime violence.

The Agency for Gender Equality of Bosnia and Herzegovina, operating within the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina, plays a leading role in the development of these Action Plans and in monitoring their implementation. According to the Agency’s Director, Samra Filipović-Hadžiabdić, Bosnia and Herzegovina still has a long way to go to ensure equal representation of women in security services and peace processes, but the progress made so far is meaningful and visible. This is reflected in the data collected for the preparation of the new Action Plan, including the finding that the participation of women in the Armed Forces and police structures has seen a gradual but notable increase. In 2024, women accounted for 12.97% of soldiers (compared to 10% in 2022), 5.90% of non-commissioned officers (2022 – 4.20%), and 9.35% of officers (2022 – 5.20%). Representation of women in police structures in 2023 and 2024 stood at around 11%, up from 9.59% in 2021–2022.

Although women remain underrepresented in higher-ranking leadership positions, the Agency for Gender Equality of BiH expects that the new generations of young women increasingly entering security services — including the military and police — will, over time, advance into these roles.

“The processes in security and defense have their own rules and cannot be bypassed. For example, we had a woman general, and when she retired, a gap emerged. The new generations need time to develop, as the ranking system follows its own rules.” 

Explained Director Samra Filipović-Hadžiabdić, emphasizing that increasing the representation of women in the security and defense sector has also been supported by affirmative measures — such as reducing the required years of experience (from eight to five) for women who wish to participate in peace missions, or introducing English language courses. Thanks to these measures, Bosnia and Herzegovina has managed to maintain the participation of women in peace missions above 20 percent, which is the threshold required by the United Nations.

Bosnia and Herzegovina as an innovator in introducing the Human Security 

A distinctive contribution of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the global context is the introduction of the human security concept into its Action Plan — the first example of its kind in the world. This has made it possible to examine different aspects of the security of citizens from a gender-equality perspective, including unforeseen emergencies and crisis situations, and to initiate concrete actions at the local level.

“Bosnia and Herzegovina had the first plan in the world to introduce the human security dimension, which highlighted, for example, work with victims of human trafficking, continued support for women survivors of war, activities in the field of small arms control and demining, work with victims of these processes, as well as the involvement of civil society not only in rehabilitation but also in policymaking,” emphasizes Mirsad Miki Jačević, international expert and Chair of the Institute for Inclusive Security, who has participated in the development and evaluation of action plans in more than 90 countries.

This approach does not view security solely through the protection of state borders, but also through addressing everyday safety challenges — such as protecting women who sell goods along the roadside or ensuring the safety of children vulnerable to exploitation through begging.

It is especially important for women and men in local communities to recognize the issues that are specific and relevant to the security of their town or local community, as well as to have the tools to address them, explains Edita Miftari, Programme Specialist for Women, Peace and Security at UN Women Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

“In some communities more heavily affected by conflict, this may be a question of reconciliation and trust, but there are also other safety concerns that are not directly related to the conflict. It can be as simple as asking whether there is street lighting in my street when I walk home at night from work or school and how that affects women differently,” explains Miftari.

Due to its innovative approach, the Agency for Gender Equality of Bosnia and Herzegovina has been asked to assist in developing action plans for the implementation of UNSCR 1325 in countries such as Montenegro, Moldova, and Serbia. A particularly noteworthy example is Finland, which Bosnia and Herzegovina also supported in creating its action plan. As the Agency for Gender Equality explains, Finland was the first country to provide financial support to Bosnia and Herzegovina for a project aimed at introducing a gender-equality perspective into the institutions.

“That is the country with which we first began discussing gender equality as a concept, and which genuinely helped us establish our gender centers. The support provided to Finland is particularly interesting, as it shows that the student can, after all, give something back to the teacher through their own experience and practice,” representatives of the Agency for Gender Equality conclude.

There is No Successful Action Plan Without the Involvement of Women’s Organizations

Since 2022, with the support of the UN Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund, UN Women, IOM, and UNFPA have been intensively working on advancing the global Women, Peace and Security agenda in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in partnership with the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This initiative links the global WPS agenda with local communities, supporting women who advocate for equality by engaging them in dialogue on reconciliation, security, and development. The programme also provides education, support networks, and the promotion of women in culture and media — demonstrating that Resolution 1325 is being implemented in practice.

Alongside the institutions and international organizations, civil society sector plays an irreplaceable role in strengthening the position of women in post-conflict society.

Radmila Žigić, Director of the Lara Foundation in Bijeljina, is also a member of the Coordination Board for Monitoring the Implementation of the Action Plan on UNSCR 1325, established by the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Žigić explains that the participation of representatives from the non-governmental sector has helped reduce the gap between officials in state institutions and women’s organizations working on the ground, who often feel a sense of frustration as they continually encounter systemic shortcomings.

“That frustration is justified, but it is often neither rationalized nor communicated in a way that enables change and improvement. Through my participation in the Coordination Board, I have learned to work toward constructive solutions and to build stronger alliances while maintaining my own autonomy in my work,” says Radmila Žigić.

The most significant changes have resulted from the synergistic efforts of authorities and citizens. This kind of civic participation is essential for the effective implementation of the Action Plan.

“For us, it was highly relevant. We promoted it and demanded its implementation even when it would ‘get lost’ at certain levels of decision-making. I believe that the pressure exerted by women’s non-governmental organizations has been recognized by the Coordination Board as an important alliance — one that should continue to be strengthened and, when necessary, further structured in the period ahead,” explains Žigić.

Women’s Voices Must Be Respected in Policy-Making

Although increasing the representation of women in the security sector is an important indicator of progress, the Women, Peace and Security agenda can only truly take root in a post-conflict society when women feel safe and empowered in their everyday lives. It is especially important to include women who have survived different forms of wartime injustice, as their stories, experiences, and knowledge can be crucial for building lasting peace and a more just society.

Security is not reflected only in the number of women in uniform, but in how much women genuinely have the opportunity to contribute to improving their communities and to have their voices heard in policy-making. These are all areas in which Bosnia and Herzegovina still has a long way to go before the Women, Peace and Security agenda is fully integrated into its security and development strategies.

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s important role in promoting the Women, Peace and Security agenda was demonstrated once again in June this year, when Sarajevo hosted the first international conference dedicated to this topic, bringing together more than 150 participants, including peace activists from across the world.

Participants of the conference signed the Sarajevo Pledge, committing themselves to greater and more genuine inclusion of women in peace processes and decision-making, ensuring that their voices and experiences are equally represented in building safer communities. The document remains open for signing by all interested allies and partners. The conference highlighted the importance of strengthening women’s leadership based on empathy and cooperation, engaging young and marginalized women in peacebuilding, and creating safe spaces and support systems for their active participation.

“We express our sincere gratitude to Bosnia and Herzegovina for its leadership and continued commitment to advancing the Women, Peace and Security agenda, as well as for enabling the fulfillment of this important shared commitment,” was the message from the Women, Peace and Security conference.

Bosnia and Herzegovina recently officially joined the Global Compact on Women, Peace, Security and Humanitarian Action (WPS–HA Compact), becoming the first country from the UN Women Europe and Central Asia region to join this global initiative. By joining the Compact, the priorities of the Action Plan for the implementation of Resolution 1325 have been incorporated into a global system of commitments that brings together more than 240 signatories from over 150 countries — states, civil society organizations, academic institutions, and the private sector — all dedicated to advancing the Women, Peace and Security agenda. With this step, Bosnia and Herzegovina has further strengthened its position as an active member of the global community of countries that not only implement the WPS agenda, but also contribute to shaping and advancing it through international cooperation and the exchange of good practices.

As a pioneer in Southeast Europe, Bosnia and Herzegovina has shown that strategic documents can lead to real change when they are implemented in practice and backed by broad partnerships among institutions, civil society, and the international community. Today, through action plans and programmes such as “Women Lead the Way Towards Peace and Security in Bosnia and Herzegovina”, supported by the PBF, Bosnia and Herzegovina continues to build a framework in which women play a central role in peace and security — not only on paper, but in the daily lives of communities across the country.