Gender Action for Peace and Security (GAPS) – the UK Civil Society network for Women, Peace and Security of which WILPF is a member – has recently published this Shadow Report Assessing UK Government Action of Women Peace and Security in 2024. In this report, GAPS assesses the UK Government’s implementation of its fifth National Action Plan (NAP) on Women, Peace and Security (2023–2027), as detailed in the Government’s 2024 Annual Report to Parliament. The report is published at a critical juncture: the 25th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and the midpoint of the current NAP cycle.
It captures a year shaped by worsening global conflict, declining UK aid budgets, and the increasing marginalisation of gender equality in foreign, development and defence policy. While acknowledging some positive steps, the report highlights missed opportunities and structural delays particularly the lack of a published MEL framework, weak consultation with civil society, and limited financial transparency around WPS investments.
This Shadow Report sets out urgent, practical recommendations to help close the gap between policy and implementation. These include reinstating gender as a cross-government priority, publishing the MEL framework, strengthening civil society consultation, and establishing a dedicated WPS fund. It builds on years of GAPS reporting and civil society expertise, offering a clear roadmap for the UK to meaningfully implement its WPS commitments in the final two years of the NAP.
The set of Case Studies – Assessing UK Government Action on Women Peace and Security in 2024 complements GAPS’ 2024 Shadow Report by grounding its analysis in the lived experiences of women and girls in conflict-affected contexts. Focusing on Ukraine, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Sudan, Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the case studies explore the urgent need for gender-responsive, locally led approaches to peace and security.
These case studies highlight how intersecting global crises including rising authoritarianism, climate change, forced displacement, and shrinking civic space are worsening conditions for women and marginalised communities. They also document the leadership of women peacebuilders and human rights defenders, often working without sustainable funding or meaningful political support.
Together, the Shadow Report 2024 and Case Studies provide a detailed, grounded, and urgent call for renewed UK action on Women, Peace and Security at home and abroad.
Copy first published by Gender Action for Peace and Security, 1 July 2025
