How is Sweden's global work for women, peace, and security progressing?

Approximately 612 million women currently live within 50 kilometers of armed conflicts — more than double the number compared to ten years ago.

Proximity to conflict significantly increases the risk of women being subjected to both lethal and sexual violence. According to the UN Secretary-General's annual report on Women, Peace, and Security, the number of women killed due to conflict doubled in 2023 compared to 2022. The report also highlights that women's participation in peace processes and conflict prevention remains low, despite evidence that peace agreements with a focus on gender equality and women's involvement are more successful.

Annual reporting on Sweden’s efforts for women, peace, and security

The Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA), commissioned by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, publishes an annual report summarizing Swedish authorities' work under the national action plan to implement the UN Security Council resolutions on Women, Peace, and Security. A total of 11 agencies operate under the action plan, with the latest report covering activities conducted in 2023.

Sweden's action plan organizes the agencies' work into four thematic priorities: inclusive peace processes and peacebuilding, conflict prevention, enhanced protection for women and girls, and leadership and expertise.

Progress through gender equality training for leaders and managers

As in previous years, the most reported activities fall under the fourth thematic priority.

This primarily involves strengthening the capacity of Swedish authorities and their partner organizations to integrate a gender equality perspective into all operations and achieving a more balanced gender representation in leadership roles. It also includes enhancing thematic knowledge through research and education, according to Sofia Hedlund, thematic officer at FBA, who compiled this year’s report.

Concrete outcomes include initiatives by the FBA, the Swedish Police Authority, and the Swedish Armed Forces to develop leadership training focused on promoting gender equality. In 2023, FBA trained senior leaders from several international partners, including in Colombia and the EU's foreign service, in Gender Responsive Leadership (GRL), a concept developed by FBA.

– This is an eight-month training program. When we follow up, we see that leaders adopt this perspective and incorporate gender equality into their work planning more thoroughly than before, taking it more seriously.

Strengthened protection for women and girls

Hedlund also notes a growing number of activities reported under the third thematic priority: strengthening the protection of women and girls, particularly by law enforcement authorities. This includes enhancing partner countries' institutional capacity to protect women and girls from conflict-related violence and to investigate and hold perpetrators accountable. Sweden contributes to these efforts in East Africa, South Sudan, Colombia, Ukraine, and Iraq.

In a notable case reported from Colombia, Sweden, through Sida and its partners, facilitated the initiation of the country’s first-ever legal case on conflict-related sexual violence in 2023.

However, various reports, including the UN Secretary-General’s report from April 4, 2024, point to a marked increase in conflict-related sexual violence globally, including in many of the countries Sweden partners with.

This trend represents setbacks for the UN’s Women, Peace, and Security agenda, undermining efforts to promote the meaningful influence and participation of women and girls in peace, security, and democracy work, Hedlund explains.

Collaboration among Swedish actors is key to success

Several agencies’ reports indicate that collaboration among Swedish actors, including embassies, is crucial to achieving a greater impact in advancing Women, Peace, and Security efforts.

– We’ve seen successful outcomes through collaboration in countries like Colombia and Somalia, where Swedish authorities have complemented each other’s areas of expertise and networks, creating synergies that enhance the impact of support to various partners. For example, the Swedish Police Authority has supported its counterpart in Colombia, while FBA has trained parts of the country's armed forces in gender analysis and leadership for gender equality, and Sida has provided long-term support to Colombia’s justice system. Swedish embassies also play a vital role in amplifying these efforts through their political influence both nationally and internationally.

About the report

The 2023 report on Sweden’s national action plan for implementing the UN Security Council resolutions on Women, Peace, and Security (2016–2020, extended to 2023) is the seventh such report since the first plan was adopted in 2006. It forms the basis for Sweden’s reporting to the UN on the resolutions’ implementation, compiled by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. In November 2023, Sweden’s government adopted a new national action plan for Women, Peace, and Security (2024–2028), encompassing the same agencies as before, along with the Swedish Gender Equality Agency.

The agencies reporting activities in 2023 include FBA, Sida, the Swedish Police Authority, the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB), the Swedish Armed Forces, the Swedish Defence University, the Swedish Prison and Probation Service, the Swedish Coast Guard, the Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI), the Swedish Courts Administration, and the Swedish Prosecution Authority.

To address the global challenges in Women, Peace, and Security efforts, the UN has strengthened its ambitions in this area, reflected in the UN Pact for the Future adopted by member states in September 2024. The pact outlines measures to increase women’s equal, meaningful, and safe participation in peace processes, conflict resolution, and prevention.

A central aspect of this includes eliminating all forms of violence and harassment against women and girls, such as conflict-related sexual violence, female genital mutilation, and early forced marriage, as well as combating gender stereotypes and harmful social norms.