Real action. True accountability. Lasting impact.
These are the cornerstones of the Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action (WPS-HA) Compact, which sets out a framework for creating a world where women and girls are protected, empowered and included. We are delighted to share that CTG is one of its latest signatories.
As we reach the 25th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, which marked the launch of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda, our joining the compact is a timely reaffirmation of our commitment to building a more inclusive, resilient and equitable world.
Women are disproportionally impacted by conflict.
Women, Peace and Security at a pivotal moment
Conflict, instability and violence continue to threaten people worldwide, and despite global efforts to promote peace and security, the situation is only getting worse. The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) recorded nearly 200,000 conflicts in 2024 – a 25% increase over 2023 – and estimated that one in eight people around the world was affected by conflict last year.
While conflicts impact all people, women are disproportionately impacted. 2023 statistics show that 612 million women and girls live within 50 kilometres of a conflict, representing an increase of 50% over a decade. Women also face a broad range of unique and severe risks in conflict situations, including sexual and gender-based violence, exclusion from crisis response and decision-making, and economic disempowerment.
The WPS Agenda is designed to address these risks to create more equitable and resilient communities for the benefit of everyone. It recognises the critical role women play in preventing conflict, building peace and ensuring security within their communities, and strives to mobilise women as meaningful contributors to peace processes.
When women participate in peace processes, the likelihood of peace lasting at least two years increases by 20%. In light of global instability and the increase in violence, women’s roles as responders and decision-makers are more crucial than ever before.
When women participate in peace processes, the likelihood of peace lasting at least two years increases by 20%.
What is the compact?
Since the adoption of Resolution 1325 and the WPS Agenda, many commitments have been made to achieve gender equality, but little tangible action has been taken. The WPS-HA Compact is a global multi-stakeholder initiative that aims to accelerate the WPS Agenda by driving tangible action through closer collaboration, monitoring progress and meaningfully including women and girls in WPS and humanitarian processes.
Launched by UN Women in 2021 during the Generation Equality Forum, the compact currently has over 224 signatories from various sectors in more than 150 countries. Signatories range from governments to regional and multilateral organisations, to academic institutions and private sector entities.
All signatories commit to driving defined actions across four focus areas – finance, advocacy, policy and programmes – and pledge to report on the progress they make over a five-year period. The WPS-HA Framework holds that, acting together and with clear focus, signatories can achieve transformative action.
The WPS-HA Compact sets out a framework for creating a world where women and girls are protected, empowered and included. Photo from WPS-HA’s Facebook page.
Why did we join?
As a company that supports humanitarian operations in 34 conflict-affected countries, joining the compact was a natural next step in our journey. CTG has long held a steadfast commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment.
Our action started with the launch of our flagship Female First initiative, which strives to improve women’s representation in the humanitarian and development sectors.
Now, it will continue as we seek opportunities to scale our impact and to advance the meaningful participation of women in peacebuilding and humanitarian efforts. By joining this platform, we will leverage the opportunity to deepen our engagement with key stakeholders and drive collective action to enact systemic change in fragile and conflict-affected countries.
CTG continually seeks opportunities to scale our impact and to advance the meaningful participation of women in peacebuilding and humanitarian efforts.
CEO Alice Laugher represented CTG at the signing of the WPS-HA Compact.
What does joining the compact mean for CTG?
Accountability and action are driven by the compact’s robust framework, which requires signatories to report on the progress they have made against the commitments they selected.
In joining the compact, CTG reaffirms its commitments to:
- Championing women’s economic security
- Protecting women’s human rights, including eliminating all forms of sexual violence in conflict
- Enabling women’s agency and leadership
- Activating meaningful projects that directly support women, on-the-ground, at the grass roots level
Over the next five years, CTG will be broadening the impact our existing Female First initiatives have within our local communities. Our aim is to continue improving women’s representation across the humanitarian and development workforce, and to mobilise more women into leadership roles. We will also increase the number of women to receive job-readiness training or tangible work experience through our Women in Aid Internship Programme.
Beyond this, we plan to develop additional training programmes that enhance women’s leadership skills and opportunities – for both internal and external stakeholders. By aligning our initiatives with the compact’s objectives, CTG is reinforcing its role as a catalyst for gender equality and women’s empowerment within the communities we serve.
Building a more inclusive, resilient and equitable world
We all have a role to play in advancing the WPS Agenda and building a world in which women are participating meaningfully. As a business operating in fragile and conflict-affected countries, we recognise our responsibility to lead by example.
True progress requires collective action, and joining the WPS-HA Compact presents an opportunity for us to work with likeminded organisations and individuals to amplify tangible impact for the benefit of everyone.
We look forward to sharing more with you on how our commitment to the WPS-HA Compact will enhance our efforts to promote peace, security and empowerment for those who need it the most.
To connect, collaborate or learn more, reach out to our Sustainability Manager, Mia Zickerman-White at mia@ctg.org.