Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced the creation of the United States National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security in a talk about the role of women in conflict resolution Monday.
Speaking in Gaston Hall, which was packed with students and dignitaries — including Kosovar President AtifeteJahjaga — Clinton said an executive order intended to institutionalize the plan was signed by President Barack Obama Monday morning.
At the event, which was sponsored by the U.S. State Department and the Georgetown University Office of the President, University President John J.DeGioia also publicized the launch of the university’s institute for women, peace, security and development.
The institute is being developed by the School of Foreign Service and several other Georgetown programs and will mirror the goals of the national action plan to promote greater involvement of women in peace-building.
The national plan was drafted by members of the State Department, Department of Defense and the United States Agency for International Development under the guidance of the White House. Thirty other countries have developed similar policies, according to Clinton.
University President John DeGioia also publicized the launch of the university’s institute for women, peace, security and development, which will mirror the goals of the plan. The development of the institute is being led by the School of Foreign Service and several other Georgetown programs.
Clinton stressed that the role that women can play in the peace process often goes overlooked.
“Women are not just victims of war. They are the agents of peace,” she said.
According to Clinton, women who have been involved in peace processes steer the conversation toward human rights, justice and economic renewal and often advocate working in coalitions.
“When women work in large numbers, they galvanize opinion and change the course of history,” she said.
The National Action Plan, outlined by Clinton, has five concentrations, the first being partnership with women in vulnerable areas to prevent conflict. The Centers for Disease Control will monitor gender violence, which can preempt larger conflicts, according to Clinton.
The U.S. government also hopes to support grass-roots efforts of women in food security, health and the economy.
The plan also intends to strengthen overall protection of women internationally and include more women in conflict resolution negotiations, beginning by training foreign leadership to respect women’s voices.
“Political leaders … set the tone for these abuses, and they must be held accountable as well,” Clinton said. “There are certain areas where you cannot accommodate. You cannot be sensitive. You have to draw lines.”
Another pillar of the plan is the focus of relief efforts on the needs of women and girls. According to Clinton, local female leaders rarely help set the priorities for the distribution of international aid. Therefore, the plan includes a measure to designate a gender advisor for all USAID crisis response teams.
“Women bring critical perspectives and concerns to the table,” Clinton said. “Our embassies are developing local strategies to empower women politically, socially and economically.”
The final theme of the National Action Plan is the institutionalization of the program across the U.S. government. The federal government intends to create new policies and update current programs in order to reflect the goals of newly released plan.
“When countries are running afoul of their own best selves, there needs to be discussion from within,” Clinton said. “We are convinced … [that having] women in peacekeeping is both the right and the smart thing as well.”
