Transforming a One-Off Phenomenon into Standard Practice: Bridging the Women, Peace, and Security Execution Chasm via Collaborative Military Training
The United States Department of Defense (DoD) has taken significant strides in incorporating the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) framework into its Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) and broader military education efforts. This move aims to mainstream WPS principles, recognizing the value of diverse perspectives, particularly women's, in improving decision-making and operational effectiveness across security challenges.
The DoD's efforts have primarily focused on embedding gender analysis and perspectives into military doctrine, operations, and training curricula, promoting diversity and inclusion, and supporting whole-of-government approaches. Operational lessons from conflicts like Afghanistan, Iraq, and peacekeeping in Haiti have been utilised to demonstrate the tangible force-multiplying effects of women's participation.
However, challenges persist. Cultural resistance within military institutions remains substantial, often manifesting as skepticism or opposition to WPS initiatives. Organizational silos also hinder the full integration of gender perspectives, requiring continuous efforts to break down entrenched institutional barriers. Measuring and reporting on the effectiveness of WPS and related diversity efforts remain ongoing challenges.
In April 2023, DoD reported a total of 8,942 sexual assault reports, a 1 percent increase from the previous year, underscoring the need for continued efforts to address this issue. Incorporating WPS in JPME is seen as a means to prevent sexual assault and address existing issues.
The DoD's investment in WPS execution stands at $5.5 million, while the Department of State and USAID have invested $110 million and $239 million, respectively. The Department of the Air Force established a WPS Strategic Action Plan in June 2023, emphasising the incorporation of WPS principles and gender perspectives into all training and professional military education.
Despite these efforts, outright organizational resistance persists, centred on outdated notions of whether and how gender is relevant to national security. A report released by Congress in July 2022 evaluated the progress of four US government agencies charged with WPS implementation and noted inconsistent progress across all agencies, with DoD lagging far behind due to smaller budget allocations.
Looking ahead, the development of a WPS primer outlining core elements of WPS that institutions can adapt to their circumstances, faculty, student body, and budget is crucial. Mainstreaming WPS relevance through JPME would align DoD with its Department of State and USAID counterparts, minimising fiscal impact to the DoD budget, and addressing Defense Objective 1 in the 2020 DoD WPS Strategic Framework Implementation Plan.
Incorporating WPS in JPME would also provide future forces, including US allies who attend JPME, with valuable threat assessment, strategy development, and force enhancement tools. Ensuring integration of gender perspectives into course material requires offering faculty development opportunities to learn about WPS. In Operation Allies Welcome, gender focal points and gender advisors were part of the mission planning process for the first time.
However, it's important to note that gender is not the first difficult topic to understand and implement through JPME. As with other challenging topics vital to US national defense, similar efforts are required to tackle WPS. The benefits of mainstreaming WPS into DoD through JPME are manifold, including enhancing readiness by ensuring gender perspectives are part of standard operating procedures in future engagements.
References:
- National Defense University, Institute for National Strategic Studies. (2022). Women, Peace, and Security: Mainstreaming Gender in Joint Professional Military Education. Washington, DC: National Defense University Press.
- Congressional Research Service. (2022). Women, Peace, and Security: Implementation and Progress Across U.S. Government Agencies. Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service.
- Department of Defense. (2025). Cancellation of Pentagon WPS Program. Washington, DC: Department of Defense.
- Department of Defense. (2020). DoD Women, Peace, and Security Strategic Framework Implementation Plan. Washington, DC: Department of Defense.
- Department of Defense. (2023). Sexual Assault Report for Fiscal Year 2023. Washington, DC: Department of Defense.
- The DoD's aim in mainstreaming Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) principles in its Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) is to enhance decision-making and operational effectiveness across various security challenges, thereby strengthening national security.
- To improve the incorporation of gender perspectives, the Department of Defense (DoD) has been investing in WPS execution, recognizing the potential force-multiplying effects of women's participation in military operations and training.
- A significant challenge in WPS implementation is the cultural resistance within military institutions, which necessitates continuous efforts to break down entrenched institutional barriers and shift mindsets regarding gender's relevance to military strategy and defense.
- Developing a WPS primer for military institutions, aligning JPME with WPS principles, and promoting faculty development opportunities would ensure that future forces are equipped with a comprehensive understanding of WPS, contributing to improved leadership, education, and self-development.
