Islamabad (GNP): UN Women Pakistan has highlighted the importance of women’s meaningful participation in peacekeeping, peacebuilding and efforts to prevent violent extremism, linking Pakistan’s peacekeeping experience with the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda.
The issue was highlighted during a session hosted by the Department of Peace Operations Training (DPOT) and the Centre for International Peace and Stability (CIPS) at the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST).
The session brought attention to the role women can play across different stages of peace and security efforts.During the session, DCR Fahmida Iqbal emphasized the importance of ensuring that women have meaningful opportunities to participate in peacekeeping and peacebuilding.
The discussion also considered the contribution women can make to preventing violent extremism and promoting sustainable peace. Women’s participation in peace and security has become an important component of international discussions surrounding conflict prevention, peacekeeping and post-conflict recovery.
The WPS agenda focuses on women’s participation, protection and inclusion in processes related to peace and security.Pakistan has longstanding experience in United Nations peacekeeping operations.
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Pakistani personnel have served in international peacekeeping missions in different parts of the world, contributing to efforts aimed at maintaining peace and supporting communities affected by conflict. The session provided an opportunity to connect this experience with the broader WPS agenda.
It highlighted how women’s participation can extend beyond representation and involve meaningful contributions to decision-making, peacebuilding, conflict prevention and community engagement.
The discussion also placed attention on the relationship between peacekeeping and peacebuilding. While peacekeeping can help create conditions for stability, sustainable peace requires broader efforts involving institutions, communities and individuals.
Women’s participation can contribute to understanding community-level concerns and strengthening efforts designed to address them.Preventing violent extremism was another important element of the discussion.
Women can have different experiences of conflict and insecurity, and their participation in prevention and peacebuilding initiatives can help bring additional perspectives to programmes and policies.
The session at CIPS-NUST also reflected the importance of education and professional development in strengthening the participation of women in peace and security. Academic and professional institutions can provide platforms for discussion, training and knowledge-sharing on international peace and security issues.
UN Women Pakistan’s engagement in this area contributes to wider efforts to promote awareness of the WPS agenda and its relevance to Pakistan’s peace and security experience. The discussion also underscored the importance of connecting national experiences with international frameworks.
Pakistan’s participation in UN peacekeeping provides an opportunity to examine lessons from field experience and consider how they can contribute to broader discussions on women’s roles in peace operations. Meaningful participation requires opportunities for women to contribute to planning, decision-making and implementation rather than limiting their involvement to symbolic representation.
The session therefore placed emphasis on participation as an important element of effective peacebuilding. The WPS agenda also recognizes that women and girls can face particular risks during conflict and insecurity.
Strengthening their participation in peace and security processes is consequently connected with broader efforts to build inclusive and sustainable approaches to conflict prevention. The event brought together perspectives from peace and security practitioners, academic institutions and international organisations.
Such engagement can help strengthen dialogue on how Pakistan’s peacekeeping experience can contribute to the implementation of the WPS agenda.
The session ultimately highlighted the continuing relevance of women’s participation in peacekeeping, peacebuilding and preventing violent extremism.
It also demonstrated the importance of creating spaces where policymakers, practitioners, researchers and students can exchange knowledge on women’s role in international peace and security.
The discussion represents part of continuing efforts to strengthen understanding of the Women, Peace and Security agenda and its connection with Pakistan’s experience in international peacekeeping.
