US President Barack Obama Signs Executive Order on US NAP on Women, Peace, and Security

December 19, 2011

Courtesey of the U.S. Department of State

Today, US President Barack Obama signed an executive order instituting a National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security. The plan describes how the US government will accelerate and institutionalize the inclusion of women in efforts to prevent and end war.

“Just as the Nobel Committee recognized the critical contributions that women make to building peace, now so too does the US Government,” said Ambassador Swanee Hunt, chair of The Institute for Inclusive Security. “Today's launch of the US National Action Plan makes history. Women have been waging peace forever. What's new is that the US government is now making concrete plans and devoting specific resources to support their essential work. This formidable collaboration across departments and agencies will help ensure inclusive approaches to peace and security become a norm, not the exception.”

Secretary Clinton launched the plan, flanked by the National Security Council’s Senior Director for Multilateral Affairs Samantha Power, Vice Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Sandy Winnfield, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Michèle Flournoy, and Deputy Administrator of USAID Donald Steinberg.

“The personalities on the stage and in the audience reflected the plan’s scope and significance,” said Jacqueline O’Neill, director of the Institute. “The plan is a collective statement by the country’s top defense, diplomatic, and development actors that more inclusive peace processes and conflict resolution efforts—those that ensure women’s full participation—will be a core component of the US national security strategy.”

Years of advocacy by civil society organizations and champions within the government culminated in today’s announcement. The Institute for Inclusive Security, together with the US Civil Society Working Group on Women, Peace and Security, provided input and research that shaped the Plan. Secretary Clinton today recognized the importance of civil society’s partnership.

See the entire National Action Plan here [PDF].

See the Executive Order here [PDF].

See the White House Fact Sheet here [PDF].