"Institutionalization of WPS principles enhances our operational effectiveness..."

Women, Peace and Security

U.S. Northern Command's (USNORTHCOM) Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Program is part of an international effort to promote the meaningful contributions of women in the defense and security sectors at home and around the world. USNORTHCOM seeks to institutionalize WPS across USNORTHCOM missions and functions to improve operational effectiveness, promote opportunities for the meaningful participation of women in decision-making across the command, and ensure safety, security and human rights for all.

OUR APPROACH (PDF)

Our Program
Our Framework
WPS History
WPS Today
WPS Resources

Our Program

USNORTHCOM’s WPS approach is anchored in two decades of practice, in U.S. national law, U.S. strategy, and DoD and USNORTHCOM commander’s implementation guidance. WPS is founded upon abundant evidence showing that women’s safety and security is directly linked to a country’s stability, and that persistent barriers to women’s advancement in defense undermines organizational effectiveness and national security. WPS provides unique opportunities, both throughout USNORTHCOM and with our partners, to reinforce women’s empowerment, meaningful participation in decision-making, protection from violence, and access to resources. It is both a values-based approach, and also a practical one. When USNORTHCOM and our partners advance the principles of WPS, we not only strengthen our security and defense institutions and interoperability, evidence shows it also leads to more stable and resilient societies.

Our Strategic Framework

Implementation of the WPS program is a USNORTHCOM priority. WPS at USNORTHCOM is guided by the following WPS mission, vision and end states which are implemented internally within the command and externally with partner nation militaries.

Mission – USNORTHCOM integrates WPS principles into its strategies, plans and operations to better defend the homeland, strengthen partnerships, and provide flexible response to civil authorities.

Vision – Institutionalization of WPS principles enhances the operational effectiveness of USNORTHCOM and our partner militaries.

End States

Exemplify a diverse, resilient, flexible organization
Ensure the safety, security, and human rights of women/girls, especially during conflict and crisis

History of WPS

In 2000, the United Nations (UN) Security Council adopted UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, the first resolution to address the disproportionate and unique effects of armed conflict on women and girls.

In 2011, the United States published the first U.S. National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, in accordance with Executive Order 13595.

In 2017, the president signed into law the Women, Peace and Security Act (Public Law 115-68), making this the first legislation of its kind in the world to acknowledge the multifaceted roles of women throughout the conflict spectrum and call on the U.S. government to promote the meaningful participation and protection of women globally.

In June 2019, the U.S. government released the U.S. Strategy on Women, Peace and Security, making the U.S. the first country in the world with both a comprehensive law and whole-of-government strategy on WPS. The strategy compelled the Department of Defense (DoD), Department of State, and Department of Homeland Security to develop WPS implementation plans.

The requisite DoD Women, peace, and Security Strategic Framework and Implementation Plan was signed June 2020.

A graphic illustrating the history of WPS implementation.

WPS Today

Although Women, Peace, and Security is two decades old, as a government and a military, our understanding of the scope and value to our organizations and operational effectiveness of gender integration into everything we do, continues to expand and evolve.

Data, analysis and new tools for understanding the value of addressing (and the detrimental impact of ignoring) gender dynamics are being developed and tested across our defense and security efforts. For example, practical lessons on the value of applying gender analysis and perspective in operations were gained in stabilization operations, such as in the form of female or mixed-gender engagement teams in Afghanistan and Iraq, and in peacekeeping operations such as in Haiti. UN data shows that increasing female representation within a peacekeeping formation to 30 percent or higher had a civilizing effect on peacekeeping forces and helped mitigate instances of sexual and gender-based violence perpetrated by peacekeeping troops.

Today, in the era of emerging, diverse, and often concurrent security threats – such as cyberattacks, violent extremism, terrorism, climate change, natural disasters, global pandemics, and strategic competition – it is necessary to harness the strengths and perspectives of our entire population to successfully address these challenges and mitigate their effects.

No military commander would ever choose to make a decision with only 50 percent of the information. WPS is about the force multiplying effect of women and the ability to employ the full scope of our human capital to address the complex challenges of today, and those of tomorrow

WPS Resources

Non-Governmental Organizations
North Atlantic Treaty Organization -
UN Women -
United Nations Peacemaker -
UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs -
United States Institute of Peace -
International Peace Institute -
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom -
Working Group on Women, Peace and Security -
The WomanStats Project -

WPS News

May 5, 2023

WHINSEC conducts WPS symposium

WHINSEC conducts its sixth-annual Women, Peace, and Security symposium.

May 5, 2023

USNORTHCOM hosts WPS Barrier Analysis Focus Group

In its continuing effort to expand and evolve the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) program, U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) hosted a series of WPS barrier analysis focus groups for command members from Feb. 28 to Mar. 3, 2023, at the North American Aerospace Command and USNORTHCOM headquarters on Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado.

Sept. 30, 2021

Female engagement team continues to evaluate female evacuees needs at Fort Bliss’ Doña Ana Complex

Afghan evacuee women at Fort Bliss’ Doña Ana Complex in New Mexico meet weekly with female leaders to address their concerns and ease their transition into American life.

Partner News

May 10, 2023

Department of the Air Force - Women, Peace and Security

Disclaimer: Partner news external links contained herein are made available for the purpose of peer review and discussion. The thoughts and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of NORAD and USNORTHCOM, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.

WPS Photos

... loading ...

WPS Video

Video by Timothy Sandland

102nd Intelligence Wing Command Message for February 2021 - Col Enrique Dovalo

102nd Intelligence Wing

Feb. 4, 2021 | 5:55

Hello Team Otis. I’m Col Enrique Dovalo, commander of the 102d ISR Group and have the distinct honor of providing this month’s Wing command message.

This will probably be different than what you’re used to, since I’m recording this on the 21st of January, one day after a smooth transfer of power in the Executive Branch yesterday, despite the recent turmoil our country has experienced.

My words today are inspired by those recent events and the fact that in February we celebrate one of my favorite leaders: George Washington. Yes, he was a flawed man who ultimately accommodated slavery rather than confront it as his conscience demanded. But as both general and President, he epitomized a level of impartiality, humility, and patience in decision making from which we can all learn.

I want to speak to you specifically about two of our traditions that come from Washington’s era and were heavily influenced by him as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army.
First, our Oath of Enlistment and Oath of Office. They have changed over the years, but the sentiments of our oaths have generally remained constant. Unlike the armed forces of other nations, including some of our allies, we don’t swear allegiance to any person, political party, or organization. Rather, we swear to support and defend the Constitution. That Constitution is the embodiment of the will of the American people. And the Constitution and those people are served by our Nation’s institutions, which are filled by civil servants and military members that provide our nation with continuity.

I was lucky enough to attend an international school for my senior level PME, which had a heavy focus on international relations and governance. During my time there, one of the most important lessons I learned is that the strength and stability of our government institutions is rare in the world. Those institutions are what have brought us the exceptional security and prosperity we have enjoyed in the last century. We’re already seeing the Senate confirmations of newly appointed heads of departments and cabinet members get confirmed and it seems like a high turnover. There are, in fact, approximately four thousand political appointees in our government, and that sounds like a huge number…until you realize the entire Executive Branch is around 4 million people. That means 99.9% of our government remains the same from election to election, the highest percentage around the globe. And the members of that bureaucracy have an allegiance not to a party, or some individual, but to the Constitution of our Nation, and by extension, the institutions that keep our Nation healthy, stable, and secure.

Another tradition is one that General Washington established and reinforced through orders and his personal example is the apolitical nature of our military. He was adamantly opposed to the involvement of military personnel in political affairs. Towards the end of the War for Independence, when there was a dispute with Congress over payments owed to the officers, General Washington intervened personally to address the complaints before they escalated. That episode, later called the Newburgh Conspiracy, was launched by an invitation sent en masse by an anonymous soldier. It brings to my mind today’s social media, where unknown actors can hide behind a veil of anonymity while they create doubts about the very institutions that make our country strong. The undercutting of those institutions is gladly cheered on by our adversaries overseas. As military members, we must remain clear of getting swept up into any such activity. Today we have specific guidance for both military and civilian members as to what are allowable political and social media activities while a member of the Department of Defense, and of the Massachusetts National Guard. We must be above reproach if we are to maintain the public trust.

I believe that if Washington were alive today, he would’ve been horrified by some of the recent events and the lack of civil discourse. But he would also be amazed at the strength of our institutions, the international power we wield, and the comparative security we enjoy here at home. And I imagine he would be pleased that the work he and the other Founders did lasted as it has.

I’ll close on a more personal note and say that as a first-generation American whose parents escaped military dictatorships in their birth countries, I truly believe this is the greatest Nation in the world. We definitely have our stuff to work through, our institutions aren’t perfect, and we have a ways to go to ensure all citizens are treated fairly and equitably, but there’s a lot of good to build on.

As Massachusetts Guardsmen we’ve answered a noble calling that stretches back to 1636. It’s on us to stand of the shoulders of those who came before, learn from their successes and their mistakes, and make things better. We need to keep moving the ball forward, and when we hand it off to the generation that comes next, we need to be ready to hold their weight on our shoulders and set them up for the next milestone that goes beyond what we thought was possible. There have been some dark days for our country this past month, but I’m confident that the future remains bright.

Thank you for sticking with me through the history lesson and lengthy commentary today. Happy New Year.