The OSCE’s Women, Peace and Security Agenda (WPS) is based on the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and subsequent resolutions. The main objective is to integrate a gender perspective into all aspects of security, recognising that peace is most lasting when women participate fully in decision-making processes.
The OSCE’s action is based on four fundamental guidelines:
- Prevention: Combating all forms of violence against women and girls, especially in conflict contexts.
- Participation: promoting the presence of women in peace processes, mediation and at all levels of political and military decision-making processes.
- Protection: Ensuring respect for the human rights of women and girls and their physical safety.
- Relief and assistance: including the specific needs of women and girls in post-conflict reconstruction and humanitarian assistance.
The OSCE supports participating States in the development and implementation of their national plans, adopts specific programmes to increase the presence of women in the police and military forces (such as the projects followed by some OSCE missions in the theatre), offers educational opportunities such as the Scholarship for Peace and Security to train young professionals (a programme supported by Italy for years) and periodically monitors the progress of the Member States in integrating the gender dimension into defence policies.
Since the adoption of UNSCR 1325, Italy has been among the countries at the forefront in promoting the fundamental values of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda. Italy has recently adopted its Fifth National Action Plan (2025-2029), which is divided into four strategic objectives:
- A first fundamental aspect is that of the full, equal and effective participation of women in negotiation processes and in all phases of armed conflict management. All of Italy’s National Plans have always dedicated a specific objective to this pillar. Worthy of note is the initiative, born in 2017, to create the Mediterranean Women Mediators Network, today a model for many similar initiatives around the world.
- The second strategic objective consists in the promotion of the gender perspective in peace operations and the enhancement of the presence of women in the Armed Forces and Police. Italian female military personnel can perform the same tasks as male personnel. Enlistment and integration of women into military careers are conducted guaranteeing equal opportunities and parenthood. Figures of qualified and trained “Gender Counselors” have also been introduced to support the Commanders of the various structures and in the main international missions. The Italian Defence is strongly convinced that the application of the gender perspective, in addition to being an effectiveness multiplier for military interventions, represents a strong element of legitimacy in the eyes of both public opinion and the populations in support of which it intervenes. The integration of gender analysis and perspectives takes place at all stages of military operations, as this is crucial for all modern national and international scenarios. Precisely for this reason, gender issues are now integrated into all major national security strategies and policy directives.
- The third objective concerns the protection of women and girls in conflict situations. Italy pays particular attention to respect for human rights, including those of boys and girls: in fact, a specific priority of our country is that of the protection of children in armed conflicts, by which they are tremendously affected. Also at the OSCE, through the Group of Friends on Children in Armed Conflict, co-chaired by Italy, together with Albania, Belgium, Norway and Poland, we are actively working to keep attention on the consequences of conflicts on children and strengthen the role and added value of the Organization in this area.
- Finally, our fourth objective is dedicated to strategic communication, information and training at all levels, with the relevant contribution of universities, research institutes, civil society organizations and the business sector. Also in the context of its G7 Presidency, Italy is working to further advance the Women, Peace and Security Agenda at the global level; We will strive to ensure that the issue is present in a relevant way in all appropriate forums.
To underline the importance of gender equality policies and the full participation of women in collective security processes, the Finnish OSCE Chairmanship launched in 2025 the first “OSCE-wide roadmap for the implementation of commitments on Women, Peace and Security“, which proposes to participating States a set of concrete options to accelerate the implementation of the WPS agenda.
Among the first countries to join, Italy has decided to contribute voluntarily to the following actions:
- Action 4: Continue with concrete actions to promote the Agenda;
- Action 5: Continue and strengthen coordination efforts to collaboratively promote WPS objectives;
- Action 6: Commit to providing concrete support to strengthen networks that aim to promote WPS objectives.
Here is the list of voluntary pledges made by OSCE Participating States.