In nearly every country and region of the world, progress in different areas has been made towards achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment. Yet this progress has been uneven and the gains remain fragile; almost nowhere are women’s rights given the priority they deserve. At the same time, SCR 1325 signifies a landmark in the recognition of women’s contribution to the maintenance of peace and security and acknowledges their specific needs and concerns in armed conflict and its aftermath.5 The resolution acknowledges that women are not merely victims but also have agency and are involved in active peacebuilding, mainly through informal grassroots diplomacy in conflict zones. Among the initiatives that have been developed are four further Security Council resolutions6 on sexual violence in conflict, and there has been a concerted effort to develop action plans at national, regional and subregional levels to accelerate the implementation of SCR 1325.