Peace, Security and Humanitarian Action: Lessons for Safer, Care-Centered Territories

^{Photo: UN Women/María del Mar Martín}
UN Women’s experience demonstrates that building safer territories for women requires bringing together peacebuilding, humanitarian action, violence prevention, urban planning and the social organization of care within a single, integrated agenda.

Peace is also built by women

One of the most important lessons learned is that sustainable peace cannot be achieved without the active participation of women. The Women, Peace and Security agenda recognizes women not only as those affected by conflict and violence, but also as leaders in prevention, recovery and peacebuilding.

In El Salvador, this work included support for the development of the National Action Plan on United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, followed by the Women Guardians of Peace programme, funded by the Peacebuilding Fund and jointly implemented by UNDP, UNODC and UN Women. These initiatives strengthened the capacities of women’s organizations, community leaders and public institutions on transitional justice.

This experience confirmed that incorporating women’s voices and lived experiences into memory, justice, reparations and decision-making processes contributes to more inclusive and sustainable peacebuilding.

Preparing before emergencies strike

Another key lesson is that crises affect women and men differently. Emergencies often deepen existing inequalities, increase unpaid care responsibilities, undermine women’s livelihoods and heighten the risk of gender-based violence.

The Rapid Gender Analysis in Humanitarian Action, conducted in 2024, strengthened the integration of a gender equality perspective from the outset of the humanitarian programme cycle. The experience demonstrated that humanitarian action should not be limited to responding to emergencies. It should also help reduce risks, strengthen institutional capacities and increase women’s participation in decisions affecting their communities.

A broader understanding of security

UN Women’s work has also broadened the understanding of security by placing women’s everyday experiences at its centre. Lessons from initiatives to prevent violence in public spaces and public transport have shown how harassment, mobility, lighting, accessibility and urban design directly influence women’s autonomy.

This approach has shifted the focus from a narrow understanding of citizen security to one that also encompasses mobility, care and the everyday use of public spaces. 

^{Photo: UN Women/María del Mar Martín}

Safe and Caregiving Cities: Bringing lessons together

The Safe and Caregiving Cities programme builds on these experiences through a comprehensive approach that connects violence prevention, urban planning, safe mobility, accessibility, the social organization of care and evidence generation.

Work carried out in the Historic Centre of San Salvador, in partnership with APLAN, OPAMSS, ISDEMU and the Municipal Government of San Salvador Centro, identified risks and opportunities for improvement through participatory assessments, safety walks, interviews and perception surveys.

This experience reaffirmed that a city is safe for women not only when violence decreases. It is also a city that enables safe mobility, recognizes care, improves accessibility and listens to the experiences of those who use and inhabit public spaces every day.

An agenda that connects security, care and participation

The evolution of this area of work demonstrates that peace, humanitarian action, violence prevention and care are not separate agendas. Together, they provide more comprehensive responses to strengthen women’s security and autonomy.

The accumulated experience confirms that preventing violence also requires transforming the way cities are planned, services are delivered, care is organized and women’s voices are incorporated into the decisions that shape their daily lives.