On 19 March 2024, the NATO International Military Staff (IMS) Office of the Gender Advisor convened a Deep Dive session on advancing Women, Peace and Security (WPS) through National Action Plans (NAPs). It provided a global overview of WPS NAPs before hearing individual national perspectives from Romania, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands.

At the deep dive session, representatives from Romania, the UK, and the Netherlands presented their insights, obstacles, progress, and best practices regarding the WPS agenda. Research conducted on the evolution of WPS NAPs was also presented by UNWomen and WPS Focal Point Network representative Harriette Williams Bright. Interesting findings included:

• 88% of NAPs advocate for increased female representation in the defence sector and armed forces;
• 55% of NAPs promote gender-responsive policies and operations;
• Only 11% of NAPs include mechanisms for improving accountability for SGBV in the military;
• None include strategies for vetting new soldiers for SGBV.

The NATO session stressed the importance of SGBV prevention and accountability in the security sector, especially given over 600 million women and children are currently affected by conflict.

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