As a coalition of civil society organisations and individuals, our purpose is to ensure that the voices and experiences of women, girls and gender diverse people aFected by conflict and extreme violence are central to all responses to conflict. The principles that we stand for enshrined in UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and the subsequent Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda are Protection, Participation, Prevention, and Inclusive Relief and Recovery. These pillars are the foundation of a more just, sustainable, and humane approach to peace and security. What is happening in Gaza right now is a catastrophic failure of the international community to uphold these principles and an important reminder of why they are so vital.
The situation in Gaza is a clear example of why implementation of the WPS agenda is so urgent. The WPS community in Australia is shocked by the erosion of international humanitarian law, international human rights law, and the universal principles of human dignity, including the act of genocide.
A Gendered Catastrophe: The Four Pillars of WPS in Collapse
Prevention
The WPS agenda calls for the prevention of conflict and all forms of violence against women and girls. The international community has profoundly failed in this duty. This crisis did not begin in a vacuum; it is the culmination of a decades-long occupation, an 18-year full blockade, and repeated cycles of violence where impunity has been the norm. The failure to address these root causes and ensure accountability has paved the way for the current horrors. Prevention requires diplomatic action, respect for self-determination, and an end to occupation, all of which have been ignored.
Protection
The principle of protection is being violated on a scale that is almost unimaginable. Over 28,000 women and girls have been killed. Women are giving birth in unsanitary and unsafe conditions, often without anaesthesia. They face starvation while pregnant and lactating and are forced to make impossible choices to feed their children. The destruction of homes, hospitals, and sanitation infrastructure has left women and girls acutely vulnerable to disease and gender-based violence in overcrowded and insecure shelters. There are no safe places in Gaza. The very mechanisms designed to protect civilians have been systematically dismantled.
Relief and Recovery
The deliberate obstruction of humanitarian aid is a weapon of war. Women and girls have specific needs that are being catastrophically unmet, including maternal healthcare, menstrual hygiene products, and psychosocial support. The engineered famine disproportionately harms pregnant women and children, leading to severe malnutrition, stillbirths, and developmental impacts that will last a lifetime. A meaningful recovery is impossible under continued bombardment and siege. True relief and recovery must be gender-responsive, inclusive and focused on the needs of the aFected community. It must also be delivered by independent and experienced humanitarian actors.
Participation
Palestinian and Israeli women have long been at the forefront of civil society, providing essential services and advocating for peace and justice. Yet, their voices are systematically excluded from diplomatic and political forums where decisions about their future are made. An enduring peace cannot be built without the full, equal, and meaningful participation of Palestinian and Israeli women. They are not merely victims; they are essential agents of peace, and their inclusion is a prerequisite for any legitimate path forward.
Our Call to Action
