Twenty-five years after the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda has made important normative and institutional progress. Yet, women peacebuilders and civil society organizations across Southeast Asia continue to navigate shrinking civic space, democratic backsliding, militarization, securitization, and conflict.
Against this backdrop, the Southeast Asia Civil Society Forum on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) will be held on 4–5 October 2026 in Manila, Philippines, under the theme:
“Reclaiming the Political Agenda of WPS: Power, Civic Space, and Women’s Leadership in Times of Democratic Backsliding.”
The Forum will bring together women peacebuilders, civil society organizations, youth, researchers, and regional partners to strengthen collective perspectives and strategies for advancing the WPS agenda in Southeast Asia.
We also invite Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) across the region to share their perspectives and expectations through our survey for the ASEAN WPS Summit 2027.
👉 Take the survey: Bit.ly/cso-wps-survey2026
