Moving from Policy to Practice: Highlights of the Women, Peace and Security at 2025 Conference

January 22, 2026 - Defence Stories

Estimated read time - 2:30

On October 28 and 29, 2025, the Department of National Defence (DND) and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) hosted Canada's Women, Peace and Security (WPS) at 2025 Conference at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa. The conference brought together Canadian Defence Team members, academics and community partners from around the world to share how they are considering the principles of WPS within their own work in defence and security as both an operational capability and an operational enabler.

In 2000, the WPS agenda was adopted by the UN Security Council to recognize that women and girls experienced armed conflict and crisis differently resulting from gender inequity. We also recognize that insecurity does not flow from gender alone. It emerges from intersections of age, race, rank, ability, socio-economic status, and other identity factors that shape vulnerability, and influence power.

The importance of understanding power dynamics, and how they drive insecurity for different groups dominated discussions at the conference. Participants shared knowledge and exchanged best practices around a range of topics, including conflict-relatedsexual violence, international humanitarian law, etc., and what we mean when we talk about the integration of WPS principles in emerging security issues like cyber, space, and Arctic sovereignty. WPS was discussed as both a capability and an enabler of operational readiness and strong teams to assess and address current and emerging threats in the human domain.

In addition, conference opener Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, spoke personally about the current global security situation in relation to women's rights and the essential strengths that women leaders bring to the table, and how they contribute to improving decision-makingand outcomes on the ground, noting that "we must push back against those who try to diminish women's contributions."

Pushing back begins by using evidence to ground our understanding of the factors that affect humans in situations of conflict and crisis as we deliver on the defence of Canada and its interests. Pramila Patten, the UN Secretary-General'sSpecial Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict explained that "sexual violence is a weapon of war - cheap, silent, and effective." The military mission of prevention is necessary to protect civilians against this weapon as any other. The kinds of sexual violence observed are also becoming more brutal and happening both offline and online.

Through engaging discussions and powerful testimonies about current operations and initiatives, attendees gained a deeper understanding of how the work of WPS enhances operational effectiveness, readiness, and long-termstability. Ultimately, the conference reaffirmed that integrating diverse voices and leadership is not only a matter of equity but, also, a strategic imperative for the Defence Team and for Canada, driving innovation, resilience and lasting peace in an increasingly complex global security environment.

To learn more about the WPS agenda in Defence, including shared conference materials, please visit Women, Peace and Security in Defence - Canada.ca.