By virtue of Resolution 1325 of 2000 on Women, Peace and Security (WPS), the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) acknowledged the role of women and girls in armed conflict. This resolution was the first of its kind, addressing harsh realities which women find themselves in, such as sex slavery, susceptibility to violent rape, and being wives of rebel leaders and comfort women to military commanders. The Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Resolution also sheds light on the role of women as active agents of peace to the extent that one of the main pillars of this resolution stems from the premise that sustainable peace can only be attained through women’s economic and political empowerment together with their involvement in decision-making processes.
The WPS Agenda is closely linked to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, namely gender equality, female empowerment, and peaceful and inclusive societies. The international community has gone a step further in urging Member States to develop National Action Plans on WPS to pave the way for the implementation of UNSC Resolution 1325.
As a member of the United Nations, the European Union and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) amongst others, Malta aims at preventing and responding to conflict whilst promoting peace and security.
The Maltese National Action Plan aimed at promoting gender equality, peace and security with specific focus on women and girls, has been the fruit of inter-ministerial consultations, as well as input from academic and NGOs. This action plan considers Malta’s activities on WPS in relation to human rights, foreign policy, development and peacekeeping and covers a four-year period during which certain objectives are to be attained.
The Ministry for Home Affairs, National Security and Law Enforcement (MHSE) is one of the key stakeholders to ensuring Malta’s successful implementation of the WPS National Action Plan.
The NAP Framework identifies four pillars through which Malta’s implementation of Resolution 1325 will be deemed effective, namely:
Pillar 1: Promotion of the WPS agenda domestically and internationally
Malta’s objectives are to increase awareness and sensitivity on the WPS agenda and gender equality whilst promoting knowledge sharing and increased support for the agenda internationally.
Pillar 2: Prevention of all forms of violence (including gender-based violence and sexual exploitation and abuse)
Malta’s objectives are to raise public awareness on sexual and gender-based violence, particularly during conflict as well as post-conflict situations, to provide continuous training to a wide range of stakeholders working on prevention and countering human trafficking, on the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse, and on the protection of sexual and reproductive health.
MHSE will be holding training sessions on countering sexual exploitation and abuse for officials from the Agency for the Welfare of Asylum Seekers (AWAS), the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) and the Malta Police Force (MPF) who work with migrant asylum seekers living in the Initial Reception Centres. Furthermore, several training programmes have been launched for immigration police and civilian immigration officers to increase awareness on human trafficking and other cross-border crime.
Pillar 3: Participation and representation of women at all decision-making levels
Malta’s objectives are to promote women in leadership within the Civil Service, encourage and increase the recruitment and retention of women in the Armed Forces and strengthening women’s participation in conflict-prevention and mediation.
MHSE has been promoting women in leadership positions across all agencies and entities falling within the Ministry’s remit. Several recruitment campaigns, with particular reference to the AFM, aim at increasing social awareness about the role of women in the military environment and increasing female recruits.
Pillar 4: Strengthened partnerships to accomplish the WPS agenda domestically
Malta’s objectives are to build and strengthen partnerships with government ministries, international organisations within Malta and CSOs, and to establish partnerships with potential bilateral, regional and multilateral agencies to further support the implementation of the WPS agenda.
MHSE is committed to working towards the establishment and strengthening of such partnerships.
The National Action Plan will be subject to an evaluation process, commencing from the end of 2023 till the end of June 2024. This evaluation process is necessary to unveil emerging issues and to further improve and promote Malta’s progress in the implementation of UNSC Resolution 1325.