Leaders are constantly seeking battlefield advantages and have found some in Women, Peace and Security (WPS) principles, which improve understanding of the operating environment while reducing risk to Soldiers and civilians during operations. In alignment with the U.S. WPS Act of 2017, the 2020 DoD WPS Implementation Plan, and several observations from the Secretary of Defense’s Independent Review Commission Recommendations on Countering Sexual Assault in the Military, the Army continues to advance WPS in operations, activities and investments and aims to improve readiness, operational and strategic effectiveness. The first steps to accomplish this we re taken in 2020 when the U.S. Army Combined Arms Center (CAC) designated its Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute (PKSOI) as the office of primary responsibility for Army WPS implementation.
According to Mr. Gregg Thompson, the Deputy to the Commanding General of CAC, “Environmental complexities affecting military operations today, and what we expect in the future, necessitate our efforts as the WPS outcomes in this program become increasingly important,”
Through the application of WPS principles—such as using a gender perspective and ensuring the meaningful participation of women in all aspects of Army activities and operations — the Army aims to improve its readiness, as well as its operational and strategic effectiveness.
Applying a gender perspective is assessing, and accounting for the different security needs (and different impacts) of military operations, policies, activities, etc.— on women, men, boys, and girls. Additionally, considering gender norms within the area of operation and potential impacts to military operations provides commanders a more complete assessment of the operating environment. Meaningful participation of women entails the elimination of gender-based barriers, including structural and cultural barriers so women may do their jobs day-to-day, unfettered, and reach leadership positions in the Army, and it also applies in conflict and crisis – to encompass the participation of women in the area of operations, in peace and security efforts.
The core concept of WPS–that women’s meaningful participation makes peace and security efforts more effective—transcends the changing character of the operating and security environment. Its efficacy has been shown from the Revolutionary War (when women served as spies, among other roles), to post-World War II reconstruction of Japan (USNWC WPS Brief slide 8), to the recent Afghanistan and Iraq wars, which led to the Army establishing Female Engagement Teams and Cultural Support Teams to enable operations. With the Army now focused on strategic competition and large-scale combat operations, continued application of WPS principles is critical for mission effectiveness.
“Although the military has previously used WPS principles intuitively during operations – especially in Iraq and Afghanistan where considering the entire population in security efforts was underscored – the Army’s current efforts on WPS aim to codify and enable intentional, uniform, and consistent application to ensure operational effectiveness," said Col. Jay Liddick, director of PKSOI.
In developing WPS capability throughout the Army, PKSOI and the Army University co-hosted the first Army-specific Gender Focal Point (GFP) training course in May, 2023, at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The course trained 42 personnel from Army organizations on implementation of WPS principles throughout Army operations. Trained Army GFPs are service members, DoD civilians, or contractor personnel who provide functional advice to leadership and staff on implementing the DoD WPS policy guidance in the planning and conduct of activities. This is usually a collateral duty. PKSOI also hosted a WPS Workshop in June, 2023, in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, which brought together trained GFPs and other Army representatives—including three Centers of Excellence (Intelligence, Medical, and the NCO Leadership)—to determine how best to incorporate WPS principles into doctrine, professional military education (PME), and training (individual and collective).
PKSOI formally launched the U.S. Army WPS Gender Advisory Network at the inaugural meeting on 5 September 2023; the network provides a forum to discuss and enable WPS implementation across the Army enterprise. WPS representatives from Department of the Army Headquarters, PKSOI, and other DoD organizations joined together on 31 October at the State Department for the release of the U.S. Strategy and National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, which outlines the U.S. government approach to advancing women’s participation, with the military playing a key role.
PKSOI leadership briefed the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services in December, 2023, on Army efforts to integrate WPS principles within PME, doctrine, and training. To date, the Army and Joint forces have codified WPS concepts into more than a dozen doctrinal manuals and publications including JP 2-0 Joint Intelligence; JP 3-07.3 Peace Operations; JP 3-20 Security Cooperation; and FM 3-22 Army Support to Security Cooperation.
Most recently, the Army and the 360th Civil Affairs Brigade co-hosted a foundational WPS knowledge and skills course - Operationalizing Women, Peace and Security 100 (OpWPS 100), from 13-15 February 2024, in White Plains, Maryland. A Joint Staff J5 WPS Mobile Training Team delivered the course to approximately 60 students from across the Army, ensuring they understood how to apply WPS principles within DOD and Army mission areas.
Additional guidance on implementation of WPS within the services is expected from DOD in Spring 2024, and the Army will continue to develop its WPS workforce with the intent to release its own WPS guidance later this year. To learn more about WPS in the Army or request WPS or GFP training for your unit or Soldiers, contact PKSOI.
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