On 16 October 2023, more than 600 civil society organizations worldwide, including the ASAL Humanitarian Network (AHN) and ALDEF Kenya, addressed an open letter to the Permanent Representatives to the United Nations ahead of the annual Security Council debate on Women, Peace and Security (WPS). The letter calls for the full, equal, meaningful, and safe participation of women in peacebuilding, humanitarian response, and political decision-making processes, reaffirming the principles of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000).

The statement warns that women’s rights and leadership remain under sustained attack amid growing conflict, authoritarianism, and militarization. It urges the UN and Member States to ensure that no peace process receives international legitimacy without meaningful representation of women.

Defining participation as “full” (politically supported and fully resourced), “equal” (targeting 50% representation), “meaningful” (ensuring women directly influence decisions), and “safe” (protecting women activists and peacebuilders), the letter emphasizes that sustainable peace cannot be achieved without gender equality at the centre of global governance.