Round table at the UN
Photo: UN Women / Ryan Brown

Women, Peace and Security Program

Developed in collaboration with The Bard Feminist Collective at Bard College Berlin, academics and professionals within and beyond GHEA21, the program is entirely student-led and designed to bring together individuals interested in rethinking the role of gender in conflict, peacebuilding, and global governance. As the 25th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 approaches, the program encourages participants to critically examine why, despite decades of advocacy for women’s inclusion in peace processes, the global landscape of conflict continues to grow increasingly militarized and destructive — both to human life and to the environment.

Through a combination of case studies, policy analyses, and theoretical readings, participants engage deeply with feminist perspectives on security and diplomacy. The program will culminate in a Women, Peace, and Security Studies Conference, where participants will collaborate on drafting a policy resolution addressing the implementation gaps in Resolution 1325 and its subsequent amendments. All participants who complete the program will receive a Certificate of Completion from GHEA21. This is not an academic certificate.

The program meets on alternate Saturdays from January 31 to May 23rd, 2026 at 8:00 AM EST. Deadline to apply for the program is January 24.

APPLY FOR THE PROGRAM

Poster for the Women, Security and Peace program outlining main objectives and meeting times

Program Objectives

  • Understand the foundations of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, including its origins, core concepts, and key international frameworks.
  • Critically engage with feminist, queer, and intersectional approaches to security and peacebuilding, including debates on militarisation and power.
  • Analyse regional and thematic case studies of WPS implementation, with attention to migration, ethnic minorities, and socio-cultural contexts.
  • Evaluate how international organisations and states implement (and fail to implement) WPS commitments, identifying structural and political barriers.
  • Apply WPS and feminist foreign policy principles to policy analysis and drafting, producing a practical, policy-oriented output.

About The Bard Feminist Collective

The Bard Feminist Collective (BFC) is a student-led initiative uniting over 80 members to explore and address global gender inequalities. Their meetings focus on decentering Western perspectives in feminist discourse and fostering inclusive dialogue. Through creative sessions such as “Speed Dating for Feminism,” we encourage open, non-incendiary conversations about boundaries and gender stereotypes. Beyond dialogue, we engage in tangible activism: partnering with the Pakistan-based NGO Bedari to support its Girl on Bike initiative, which promotes mobility for women in marginalized communities

Events

Learn more
Saturday, January 24, 2026
Applications are Open for Women, Peace and Security Program
Online Event