WCAPS Releases Publication on Top Peace and Security Issues Concerning Women of Color

PRESS RELEASE - WASHINGTON, DC (April 7, 2020)

Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security, and Conflict Transformation (WCAPS) is working to ensure the voices of women of color are being heard. Released today, the WCAPS Publication highlights member assessments of peace and security issues, including climate change, gender equity, and immigration and migration. While presidential candidates have taken positions on traditional foreign policy issues, issues of peace, security and conflict transformation often take a backseat to other more high-profile areas of concern. To spotlight these issues, in 2019 WCAPS polled more than 100 women of color to obtain their thoughts and opinions on the areas of peace, security, conflict, and foreign policy.

Climate Change. Women of color in the study rank climate change as a highly important issue. While climate change affects everyone, women are often disproportionately negatively affected. Climate change, like other global threats, also impacts security, particularly for those who are already most vulnerable. United Nations (UN) studies support these findings, noting that 80 percent of those affected by climate change are women. Climate change also has other negative effects, including on food and water security, and infectious disease, all areas that have more impact on women of color.

Gender Equity. Gender equity ranked high as an issue women of color need to hear addressed during the 2020 presidential election. Those surveyed understood how achieving gender equity impacts the nation’s workforce and global competitiveness in many areas of global challenges.

Immigration and Migration. Research indicates that historically, women make up nearly 50 percent of immigrants. Because of this reason and several others, immigration and migration ranked high in importance to the women surveyed. It is the belief of WCAPS that a new woman-focused, fair, and humane U.S. immigration policy and process is needed.

WCAPS is also releasing an additional document, the First Edition of Policy Papers By Women of Color, on topics including redefining national security, religion and foreign policy, food and water security, cybersecurity, weapons of mass destruction and more. Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins, Executive Director of WCAPS, notes in that document that how the U.S. defines national security is central to the work of WCAPS. “Although a diversity of perspectives is necessary, the issue of redefining national security is not solely about who is sitting at the table but also the money that is driving the security agenda.”

WCAPS is hosting a digital discussion of its publications later this month. To learn more, visit https://www.wcaps.org/.