The international conference “The Future of the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Agenda: Advancing Innovation, Resilience, and Collective Action” brought together leading scholars, policymakers, and practitioners in Washington, D.C., to reflect on the evolving WPS agenda and its role in global peace and security.

Among the distinguished speakers, Prof. Aleksandra Gasztold, INIS Senior Research Fellow and professor at the University of Warsaw, delivered an important and insightful contribution during Panel I: Reconceptualizing the WPS Agenda and its Future in a Changing Political Environment, moderated by Prof. Chantal De Jonge Oudraat, Secretary General of WIIS Poland.

Prof. Gasztold’s European Perspective

Prof. Gasztold provided a comprehensive and analytically strong overview of the European perspective on the WPS agenda, emphasizing how shifting political dynamics across Europe influence the implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325. Her intervention highlighted several contemporary challenges:

• The rise of right-wing political backlash, which undermines gender mainstreaming and inclusive