Overview and Policy Issue

Over two decades since the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (WPS), and nearly a decade after UNSCR 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security (YPS), efforts to build inclusive peace remain fragmented. Although the WPS and YPS frameworks share common pillars—participation, protection, and prevention—their implementation continues to occur largely in parallel, missing opportunities for convergence and reinforcing siloed approaches.

The adoption of UNSCR 2535 (2020) marked a significant step forward by making an explicit link between the WPS and YPS agendas within the resolutions themselves, yet operational synergies remain limited. The YPS agenda also introduced a unique partnerships pillar, providing an important entry point for greater coordination between WPS and YPS actors and initiatives. This fragmentation continues to limit the transformative potential of both agendas. Policy and programming initiatives often compartmentalise women’s and youth’s experiences, failing to address shared structural barriers to participation and protection. Young women, in particular, experience compounded exclusion, as each framework tends to overlook the ways in which age, gender, and other factors intersect to shape access to peace and security spaces. WPS initiatives often default to older women’s leadership, while YPS initiatives frequently centre young men’s voices, leaving young women at the margins of both.

At a broader level, the separation of WPS and YPS risks perpetuating binary demographic categories that obscure the complexity of conflict-affected communities. Rather than reinforcing rigid distinctions, recognising the technical and thematic intersections between the WPS and YPS agendas offers an opportunity to build more holistic, inclusive, and sustainable peace processes. By bridging these frameworks at both the policy and research levels, policymakers and practitioners can better respond to the realities of exclusion on the ground, strengthen legitimacy, and foster more durable and representative peacebuilding efforts.  

Research Approach

This brief draws from a qualitative synthesis of policy documents, academic research, and practice-based insights on the intersections between the WPS and YPS agendas. It combines a desk review of UNSCRs related to WPS and YPS with a critical analysis of national implementation strategies, peacebuilding programming, and research studies on inclusive peacebuilding.

The analysis was grounded in a review of the foundational resolutions—UNSCR 1325 (2000) and 2250 (2015)—and subsequent resolutions that expanded both agendas. Comparative attention was paid to the thematic pillars outlined in each framework, tracing where participation, protection, and prevention overlap or diverge. National-level policy documents, particularly National Action Plans (NAPs) on WPS and emerging YPS strategies, were also reviewed to assess how governments operationalise these agendas in practice.

In addition to policy document analysis, the brief draws from recent empirical research conducted with youth peacebuilders, including young women, working at national and local levels. Key studies informing this analysis include interviews with young peacebuilders in conflict-affected settings, examinations of exclusionary practices within national peace processes, and documented case studies on youth and women’s participation. This evidence was synthesised to identify common trends around intersectional exclusion and opportunities for integrated policymaking.

A feminist and youth-centred lens was applied throughout the review, focusing on how structural barriers to participation persist despite formal commitments to inclusion. Indicators of exclusion—such as access to decision-making spaces, visibility within national frameworks, and recognition of intersectional identities—were considered central to assessing progress.

Rather than presenting a single case study or new dataset, this brief draws connections across existing research and practice to offer actionable insights for policymakers and peacebuilding practitioners. It positions the intersections of WPS and YPS not only as a research gap but as an urgent practical challenge for efforts to build inclusive, sustainable peace.

Key Findings 

Shared pillars provide underutilised opportunities for convergence

Both the WPS and YPS agendas are built around shared pillars such as participation, protection, and prevention, yet they are rarely operationalised together. Despite clear thematic overlaps, policy processes and funding mechanisms often maintain separate streams for WPS and YPS, leading to duplication and inefficiencies. Bridging these frameworks offers an opportunity to design more integrated and intersectional peacebuilding strategies that reflect the realities of conflict-affected communities.

Young women experience compounded exclusion across both agendas

Young women continue to be marginalised within both WPS and YPS initiatives, falling through the cracks created by siloed approaches. WPS spaces often prioritise older women’s leadership, while YPS efforts typically elevate male youth voices, leaving young women with few meaningful entry points. Without deliberate strategies to centre intersectionality, peacebuilding processes risk replicating patterns of exclusion rather than dismantling them.

Demographic silos limit policy effectiveness

The separation of women’s and youth’s experiences into distinct policy frameworks reinforces rigid demographic categories that fail to capture the complexity of participation barriers. As peace and security challenges increasingly intersect across gender, age, race, and other factors, maintaining strict silos weakens the effectiveness and legitimacy of interventions. A shift toward integrated and context-responsive approaches is necessary to meet the evolving needs of diverse communities.

Integrated approaches strengthen the legitimacy and durability of peacebuilding

Efforts that intentionally bridge WPS and YPS priorities create more legitimate and sustainable peacebuilding outcomes. Inclusive processes that recognise young women, LGBTQI+ youth, and other marginalised groups as central actors—not peripheral participants—help build trust, ownership, and resilience in post-conflict societies. Investing in integrated approaches enhances both the short-term effectiveness and long-term durability of peacebuilding efforts.

Policy coherence remains an unmet but critical priority

Despite rhetorical commitments to inclusivity, national and international policy frameworks rarely establish explicit mechanisms to link WPS and YPS initiatives. Final findings suggest that without intentional policy coherence strategies—including cross-agenda consultations, joint action plans, and integrated funding streams—efforts to advance inclusive peace will continue to fall short. Recognising the intersections of WPS and YPS is not just a technical exercise but a political necessity for building sustainable peace. 

Policy Lessons

Leverage shared pillars as strategic foundations for integration

Policymakers should use the overlapping pillars of WPS and YPS—participation, protection, and prevention—as strategic entry points for developing integrated action plans. Recognising these shared priorities allows for more cohesive policy frameworks that address intersecting forms of exclusion rather than reinforcing separate silos.

Centre intersectionality in peace and security policymaking

Inclusive peacebuilding requires moving beyond demographic categories to address the complex realities of individuals at the intersections of gender, age, race, and other factors. Policies must be designed with a deliberate focus on how intersecting identities shape access to decision-making spaces and influence security outcomes.

Create formal mechanisms for cross-agenda coherence

NAPs and international strategies should explicitly link WPS and YPS objectives through coordinated consultations, integrated monitoring indicators, and cross-sectoral funding streams. Formalising these links will ensure that inclusive peacebuilding commitments are not rhetorical but operationalised across institutions.

Prioritise the participation of young women and other marginalised groups

Policymakers should adopt proactive measures to centre young women and other historically excluded actors within peace and security initiatives. This includes ensuring their representation in leadership roles, resourcing their organisations, and designing consultation processes that are accessible and meaningful.

Frame integration as a political imperative, not a technical adjustment

Bridging WPS and YPS should not be seen as an administrative efficiency but as a critical step toward building peace processes that are legitimate, equitable, and sustainable. Recognising and responding to the intersections of exclusion is central to transforming peace and security systems into spaces of genuine inclusion and accountability.

Featured Research and Citation

This brief was authored by Katrina Leclerc. It draws on key findings from ongoing doctoral research conducted through two projects: “Monitoring Institutionalization: Ensuring Young Women are Included in Peace and Security Efforts” (2023–present) and “Amplifying Voices: Young Women in Peacebuilding” (2021–2023). These projects explore the synergies between the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) and Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agendas. The research is supported by funding awarded to Katrina Leclerc through the Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) program of the Government of Ontario.

This brief also draws on findings from:

• Aveta, Dennis, Alonna Despain, Jennifer Rauch, Cynthia Saxena, Nikki Stoumen, and Sara Zabihi. 2022. Perspectives on Youth Engagement in Operationalizing Peace and Security at a National Level. Global Network of Women Peacebuilders and Center for Global Affairs, New York University. https://gnwp.org/research-report-perspectives-on-youth-engagement-in-operationalizing-peace-and-security-at-a-national-level/.

• Leclerc, Katrina. 2024. Notable Advancements for Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) through Canada’s Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Commitments. Canadian Coalition for Youth, Peace & Security. https://www.canadayps.org/notable-advancements.

• Leclerc, Katrina, Nikki Stoumen, Alonna Despain, and Sara Zabihi. 2023. “Slipping Through the Cracks: Young Women’s Exclusion from Peace and Security Processes.” Al-Raida 47 (1): 3–30.