On 9 October 2025, SIPRI co-organized two events in Amman, Jordan, to mark the 25th anniversary of the women, peace and security (WPS) agenda. With a spotlight on the Middle East and North Africa, the events explored the intersection of men, militarization and masculinities, and how gender norms shape peacebuilding across the region.
The first event, a roundtable dialogue between experts from civil society, academia and international organizations, unpacked the deeply gendered processes of militarization. Participants discussed how boys and men can play a stronger role in advancing the WPS agenda and developed recommendations for policymakers on more inclusive approaches to WPS implementation.
Following the roundtable dialogue, there was a panel discussion featuring Fidaa Barghouthi, Middle East Nonviolence and Democracy; Anthony Keedi, ABAAD; Reem Ghassan, Peace and Freedom Organization; and Rahaf Aldoughli, Lancaster University. The panellists offered regional insights on engaging men and boys in realizing WPS outcomes locally amid escalating conflicts in the region.
SIPRI co-organized the events with ABAAD, PAX, the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, and the Swedish Dialogue Institute for the Middle East and North Africa. The findings will feed into future dialogue meetings and SIPRI publications and will be shared with policymakers in New York during WPS week at the end of October.