Fighting Back

For the past couple of years, gender equality experts have been preoccupied with antifeminist ideologies that have gained prominence worldwide (Confronting Antifeminist Ideologies, Report of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women, 2026). The consequences of this backlash have been devastating for gender equality. Groundbreaking research has been interrupted, funding towards gender equality and pro-women programming has been abruptly cut, which has increased the vulnerability of women and gender and sexual minorities worldwide. Less often discussed is the insidious institutional invisibilization of gender work and the retreat from feminist priorities in building peace. Despite decades of rigorous research on the links between gender equality and peace and democracy, the word “feminist” has become a dirty word in policy and security circles. Not only have feminist research findings been set aside, but states are increasingly turning to narrow militarization, placing decades of hard-won progress towards human security and peace at risk. In the past year alone, Canada and many of its allies have pivoted towards investing billions in military industries, technologies, manufacturing, and recruitment. Canada has recently increased its military spending from 1.4% of its gross domestic product to 2%. It has committed to further increasing it to 5% by 2035. We are indeed living in a rapidly changing security landscape. But this hard pivot in the name of realism and pragmatism is unlikely to help societies sustainably prepare for and respond to current and future threats if it abandons key principles and values that have emerged from decades of research and normative consensus rooted in feminist leadership.  

Equally concerning is the rapid rise of white nationalism, ethnonationalism and white supremacist groups in Canada and other partner countries. In recent years, both in Canada and the United States, these groups have been identified as potential security threats. Intelligence agencies have also found that white supremacist groups recruit heavily from various branches of the security sector, including the military and police.   

In light of these developments, it is clear that anti-racist feminist leadership must be integral to institutional leadership education and practices. Despite important policy advances to support diversity and gender equality, such as Canada’s three National Action Plans, the Defence Team Framework to Implement the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda, the Defence Team Anti-Racism Framework, and GBA Plus training, recent years have proven that such initiatives can stall or be easily undermined without transformational leadership at various levels. If part of Canada's security mandate is to promote “an international order that is free and open, inclusive, stable, and governed by the rule of law” (Our North Strong and Free, 2024, p. 9), then it is imperative that decision makers, managers, and those in charge of implementing and monitoring inclusion initiatives be competent in anti-racist feminist leadership. This year’s symposium is an invitation to learn from and share best practices.  

Since its inception, the Research Network on Women, Peace and Security (RN-WPS) has encouraged thinking about security through an anti-racist, inclusive, and decolonial lens. Many of our members working across various sectors, including defence, policy, higher education, and on the frontlines of human rights defence, have, through their work and community engagement, embodied feminist leadership even in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges and sometimes in violent conditions. Their research and pedagogical practices, collaborations, and advocacy have yielded extraordinary results, and their ethics and practices have been embedded in every aspect of their work. This year’s symposium will foreground their praxis and offer participants an opportunity to engage in state-of-the-art training sessions.  

For the first time, the RN-WPS will host its annual Symposium in Kingston, Ontario, providing an exciting opportunity to facilitate the inclusion of local agencies working on various aspects of peace and security. Kingston is home to the Royal Military College and Canadian Forces Base Kingston, making the region one of the highest urban densities of service members nationwide. Moreover, the Greater Kingston area features a high concentration of federal correctional and multi-security penitentiary facilities managed by the Correctional Service of Canada. The symposium will connect local agencies with national and international scholars to learn about anti-racist feminist best practices.