Since 2020, the Pacific Forum has engaged with U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) and countries in the Indo-Pacific region on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) issues such as military-civilian medical support, COVID-19 relief and recovery, maritime environmental security, women in the defense sector, women’s suffrage, and other topics. The Pacific Forum intends to expand this initiative by exploring how WPS intersects with traditional and non-traditional security topics, including nuclear non-proliferation, strategic and nuclear policy, cybersecurity and technology security, counterterrorism, regional and multilateral engagement, and maritime security.

Our WPS initiatives include outreach to regional scholars and holding webinars and closed-door dialogues on a broad array of regional issues. We have published a directory of women experts on Indo-Pacific security issues, as well as a dynamic data dashboard that offers an overview of the gender balance within Pacific Forum’s programming. The Forum’s WPS work is supported by both resident and non-resident WPS fellows who produce WPS-focused research products.