"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

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

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.
Golnoosh Hakimdavar, who has a doctorate in law and economics, works as a cultural liaison for the Interagency Coordination Center in support of Operation Allies Welcome, translates to guests during the 4th Battalion, 27th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade combat team, 1st Armored Division women’s town hall at Fort Bliss’ Doña Ana Complex in New Mexico, Sept. 22, 2021. The Department of Defense, through U.S. Northern Command, and in support of the Department of Homeland Security, is providing transportation, temporary housing, medical screening, and general support for at least 50,000 Afghan evacuees at suitable facilities, in permanent or temporary structures, as quickly as possible. This initiative provides Afghan personnel essential support at secure locations outside Afghanistan. (U.S. Army photo by U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Briaira Tolbert, 1st Armored Division Sustainment Brigade)
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

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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.

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Video by Brannen Parrish
Lights in the dark: Power Team Swing shift keep lights on, water flowing.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Honolulu District
Aug. 22, 2023 | 2:05
When the sun sets below the Pacific Ocean, the workday is less than halfway complete for Jon Runnels and Kenny Kwan. The pair are quality assurance representatives deployed with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Temporary Emergency Power Team on Maui.
“We’re providing quality assurance; we're also providing government presence on site, and we’ll go around while contractors are working, which is one of our requirements,” said Runnels, who was born and raised in Mississippi. “So, we also do spot checks, which is what the quality assurance part is. We're just making sure that everything is going fine, and that we don't have any generators that go down. So that's the main point of Temporary Power - keep the power going.”
Kwan, is a project manager and Runnels is a civil engineer. Both are assigned to the Honolulu District. Both live on O‘ahu, and both are engineers but they never met until Aug. 16 when they arrived in Maui as part of the federal emergency response to the Hawaii Wildfires.
“We work in the same district, but I've never met him,” said Kwan, who grew up in Honolulu. “But it's good. It brings people with common cause together, right. We're here volunteering for the same reason: we want to help people, and that’s one of the joys of the Power Team.”
In response to the Hawai‘i Wildfires, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers deployed the Power Team under a Federal Emergency Management Agency Mission Assignment. The team consists of USACE personnel trained to oversee operations of FEMA generators that provide power to critical facilities like municipal buildings, critical care facilities and water pump stations.
The Power Team installed the first generator Aug. 14, and it was at a water pump station.
“At this time of need we’re supplying generators at you know important places such as water wells and municipal buildings that need power to run. People need water everywhere, right so their access to water can continue.”
Working late into the night, the pair travel to generator sites, the day shift can’t get to before their shift is complete. These locations are often far from any town.
Some sites are so remote and devoid of light that Runnels and Kwan use the headlights of their vehicle and flashlights on their phones to complete the QA process. But by working in the dark, the pair help keep the lights on and water flowing for first responders and those in need.
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Lights in the dark: Power Team Swing shift keep lights on, water flowing.
Lights in the dark: Power Team Swing shift keep lights on, water flowing.
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For questions or inquiries about our Women, Peace and Security Program, send us an email using the contact form below.
WPS Coordinator