Happy New Year to all our subscribers, and welcome to our January wrap-up!

We are excited to start off 2022 by welcoming a new member into the GAPS network: Christian Aid. Christian Aid works primarily in countries affected by conflict with local partners to prioritise programmes that enable the most marginalised groups, particularly women, to claim their rights. Christian Aid’s programmes and research have focused on women’s participation across social and political spheres, and the prevention of gender-based violence in multiple countries. You can find out more about them by visiting their website.

This month, GAPS and members met with the UK Government to discuss the development of the upcoming National Action Plan (NAP) on Women, Peace and Security and the Government’s Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI). As the UK Government continue work on the NAP, GAPS’ Policy Working Group is currently working on the annual shadow report which is due to be published alongside the UK Government annual Women, Peace and Security report to parliament in Spring. The Sexual Violence in Conflict Working Group, that is hosted by both GAPS and Gender and Development Network (GADN), have also reconvened to hold the government to account on its UK Sexual Violence in Conflict Work, and has recruited its two new co-chairs.

 GAPS collaborated with GADN’s Humanitarian Working Group, Humanitarian Policy Group at ODI, Fe-Male, Generation Equality Network and Gender Violence Recovery Centre to publish a briefing that sets out key themes that emerged from discussions with women humanitarians in Lebanon, Myanmar and Kenya. Notably, the briefing demonstrates first that the WPS agenda is key to putting gender at the heart of effective humanitarian response, and second that responses led by women, girls and gender-diverse people are critical for truly gender-responsive humanitarian action. You can read the full briefing on the GADN website.

Finally, GAPS as part of The LEAP4Peace Consortium, a five-year project run by a consortium consisting of GAPS, the Burundi Leadership Training Program (BLTP), the Gender Equality Network Myanmar (GEN), and the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD) has published Women, Peace and Security: Pillars for Peace. The paper draws on experiences of women from seven countries working on peacebuilding and meaningful participation in peace processes and democracy, and highlights the successes, challenges and recommendations for the global community to ensure that women can be represented and contribute to local, national and international peace efforts. You can also find the paper linked below.

The ODI are holding an event titled ‘Unlocking Feminist Activism‘ alongside Irish Aid. The event is on 10th February at 11:30 AM GMT and you can find out more and register here.

Oxfam are hosting a webinar on ‘Gender and Living Income‘ on 16th February at 14:00 PM GMT. You can find out more and register here.

The African Women’s Development Fund have a call for proposals for women-led organisations registered and working in Africa. The call ends on 22nd February, and you can find out more and apply here.

The Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund have calls for proposals in Iraq on various gender based work. You can find out more here.