Women, peace, and power: Rethinking defence in the age of innovation

October 2025 marked the 25th anniversary of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 – a milestone which paved the way for the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda. Supported by four main pillars: participation of women in decision-making, prevention of conflict, protection of women and girls during conflict, and ensuring women are involved in peacebuilding and recovery efforts, UNSCR 1325 aims to recognise that sustainable peace can only be attainable when women have equal participation in all avenues of peace and security – including post conflict recovery.

Since the adoption of the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda in 2000, women’s participation in global peace and security institutions has grown substantially. Across the UN and multilateral institutions, women now hold more than double, and in some cases triple, the number of leadership roles compared to 25 years ago - yet gender parity remains elusive.

To help understand why – one place we can look at is representation. Around the world, 21% of ambassadors and permanent representatives are women – that’s less than a quarter. Women make up less than 30% of all national parliamentarians, with only a few countries including Rwanda, Cuba, and Nicaragua, who have crossed the 50% mark.

And when you break it down by the types of political roles women are in, the gap gets even clearer. In areas considered ‘soft security,’ such as social affairs, gender equality, and family services, women hold around 45% of ministerial positions. But in ‘hard security’ fields, like defence and policing, only 13% of defence ministers globally are women.

That gap isn’t symbolic, it’s systemic. If the hard security arena continues to remain a male-dominated space, women - who represent half the global population, remain absent from the conversations that impact them most. Women and girls continue to remain the most disproportionately impacted from violent conflict.

The military side of security tells a similar story. Today, women make up only about 11% of NATO’s military personnel while no single NATO member state has reached 20%.

And while there’s been progress over the past two decades within NATO, it’s still incredibly slow. It’s been estimated that NATO countries would need more than four centuries to reach full gender equality in their military ranks.

But this under-representation isn’t just a statistical concern; it has real-world consequences for how security policy is shaped and whose perspectives are valued. And unfortunately, we’re seeing signs of regression in some of the world’s most influential militaries.

Recently, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth convened top generals and admirals at Quantico, the nerve centre of US Marine Corps training and strategy in the state of Virginia, to announce new overhauls to US military standards and gender rules.

Secretary Hegseth began his remarks to senior officers with the phrase, “To ensure peace, we must prepare for war.” But what followed was far more telling. He spoke about removing what he called “social justice” and “politically correct” influences from the military - saying there would be “no more identity months, no more DEI offices, no more gender delusions.”

On day one of his second administration, President Trump issued an executive order, rescinding Biden-era federal government DEI mandates. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) remain central to building workplaces that protect against disparities; because as we know - with diversity comes strength, creativity, and resilience.

Secretary Hegseth also announced new directives returning combat standards to what he called “the highest male level.” These aren’t just policy shifts; they are symbols with powerful implications. Such rhetoric risks undoing years of progress - progress that ensured women have a place in peace and security, not one defined by outdated ideas of strength. When inclusion is dismissed as “ideological debris,” it narrows who gets to speak about war, peace, and national defence. And yes; physical standards within the military matter; but today’s wars are no longer fought solely on the battlefield. They’re fought in control rooms, in cyberspace, through intelligence networks, and increasingly through AI-driven systems. Victory depends as much on innovation and diplomacy as on physical power. As we embark on an era where technology will redefine both war and peace – the concept of female inclusion must evolve at pace.

The reality is that women remain underrepresented in STEM disciplines: globally, they make up only 28 percent of the STEM workforce and 22 percent of AI professionals. While many young women are pursuing STEM education, in the real world, barriers persist; from gender bias and pay gaps to the lack of female mentors and role models.

If strength today means intelligence, innovation, and adaptability, then ensuring women’s full participation in science and technology isn’t just fair - it’s strategic.

But the WPS Agenda was never only about women in uniform.

It’s also about women at the peace table, in mediation, and in rebuilding societies after conflict. Evidence consistently shows that peace agreements with women’s participation are 35 percent more likely to last 15 years or longer.

Countries with higher women’s representation in parliament are often less corrupt and more democratic, while companies with more women in senior management are 25 percent more likely to outperform financially.

The latest 2023/2024 Women, Peace, and Security Index make this link clear. The index measures countries by women’s inclusion, access to justice, and protection from violence, and the top three performers: Norway, Switzerland, and Denmark, also happen to be among the world’s most peaceful and resilient. Meanwhile, countries with the widest gender gaps, like Afghanistan and Yemen, remain the most fragile.

Equality isn’t just a moral goal; it’s a proven foundation for peace and prosperity. When women help shape policies and institutions, societies become more stable, innovative, and secure.

Gina Bou Serhal is the Director of TRENDS Belgium Virtual Office and Senior Researcher