developing consensus on what it means to have an interagency process on developing a WPS strategy to do the following :
1 ) implement the 2017 WPS Act ; 2 ) identify WPS priorities and objectives ; 3 ) capitalize on opportunities for outreach and engagement with external stakeholders , including civil society groups . This includes coordinating messaging that highlights ongoing lines of effort ; and 4 ) ensure appropriate alignment with other related processes and interagency strategies , including the NSS . The U . S . is the first country to pass comprehensive WPS legislation .
Research shows that engaging women can improve the efficacy of early warning and conflict prevention strategies due to their central role in many families and communities , which affords them a unique vantage point to recognize unusual patterns of behavior and signs of impending conflict . Evidence suggests that incorporating women in strategies to counter violence extremism can help to mitigate radicalization as they are well placed to challenge extremist narratives in homes , schools , and social environments . Women also have particular influence among youth populations . In this vein , the week prior to PSO- TEW a conference on this aspect of WPS was run in conjunction with Africa Command ’ s ( AFRICOM ) Operation Flintlock held in Niamey , Niger .
In June , PACOM sponsored a J7-led pilot Operation Gender Course with the aim of constructing an exportable course to be used across the community . As demonstrated by such initiatives , DoD has reaffirmed the U . S . commitment as a global leader in promoting the meaningful participation of women in conflict prevention and resolution , as well as protection , post-conflict relief , and recovery efforts . DoD recognizes the goal of the WPS Act is critical to our national security . The efforts of PSOTEW WG 2 support these sentiments while proactively engaging stakeholders across the community .
Why is WPS important ? Nearly half of the conflict resolution agreements forged during the 1990s failed within 5 years . 90 % of civil wars in the 2000s occurred in countries . A growing body of research suggests that standard peace and security processes routinely overlook a critical strategy that could reduce conflict and advance stability : the inclusion of women . A landmark study found that substantial inclusion of women and civil society groups in a peace negotiation makes the resulting agreement 64 % less likely to fail , and , according to another study , 35 % more likely to last at least 15 years .
Including women at the peace table can also increase the likelihood of reaching an agreement because women are often viewed as honest brokers by negotiating parties . Because women often operate outside existing power structures and generally do not control fighting forces , they are more widely perceived to be politically impartial mediators in peace negotiations compared to men . Further , work by WPS SME Valerie Hudson of Texas A & M shows that societal rates of gender-based violence are predictive of mass violence . She found that the single biggest predictor of whether a state experiences civil war or war with its neighbors is not its GDP , its predominant religion , or even its regional location , it is how women are treated .
Colonel Veronica Oswald-Hrutkay the working group leader conducts the WPS out brief to the PSOTEW participants but more importantly to the Director and the PKSOI staff of Visiting Professors . This allowed for the group to receive feedback from this group of well-seasoned PSO experts .
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