Program
Amplifying Women's Peace Actions
TAF’s AMPLIFY program helps women and local organizations in Southeast Asia bring their knowledge and priorities into peace and security decisions that too often exclude them.
Women play a vital role in preventing conflict and building lasting peace, yet they remain underrepresented in decision-making and are disproportionately affected by conflict and emerging human security challenges.
AMPLIFY is a Women, Peace and Security (WPS) initiative that works with ASEAN institutions, governments, civil society, and research partners to strengthen women’s leadership and advance the WPS agenda across Southeast Asia. Supported by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the five-year program combines research, policy development, and regional partnerships to advance locally led peace and security approaches shaped by women’s participation in Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Myanmar.
Impact
Creating flagship knowledge products and regional research initiatives to expand and strengthen the evidence base for WPS.
Cambodia and Laos integrated WPS priorities into national policy commitments.
Supporting civil society organizations, human rights advocates, and other local partners to advance WPS initiatives in key implementing countries.
More than a dozen leaders have participated in high-level ASEAN WPS discussions.
HOW AMPLIFY WORKS
AMPLIFY supports the implementation of ASEAN’s Regional Plan of Action on WPS and focuses on Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Myanmar. AMPLIFY strengthens the WPS agenda by generating evidence, working closely with government partners to advance WPS commitments, and expanding local and regional opportunities for women, civil society, and human rights advocates to influence peace and security policy and practice.
Rather than responding only after conflict occurs, AMPLIFY applies a WPS+ approach that addresses broader human security challenges—including economic, personal, and domestic security—while strengthening women’s roles in the WPS four pillars: participation, protection, prevention, and recovery.
AMPLIFY’s goal is to mitigate the disproportionate impacts of conflict and insecurity on women in ASEAN and to strengthen peace actions through women’s participation and receipt of benefits through three key objectives:
Government
ASEAN and ASEAN Member States demonstrate meaningful commitment to women, peace and security and advance knowledge and dialogue.
Civil Society
Civil society organizations in ASEAN influence women, peace and security commitments and their delivery.
Community
Women meaningfully participate in and lead peace and security actions in areas vulnerable to insecurity so that responses are informed by women’s voices and mitigate insecurity.
INSIGHTS
Study
Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Myanmar: Civil Society Organization and Community Scoping Study
Study
Cambodia: Civil Society Organization and Community Scoping Study
Study
Lao PDR: Civil Society Organization and Community Scoping Study
Study
Myanmar: Civil Society Organization and Community Scoping Study
Women, Peace and Security
Guided by UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and subsequent resolutions, WPS is a global policy framework recognizing that the meaningful participation of women in peacebuilding and decision-making is essential to achieving peace and preventing conflict.
Approach
Through research, regional dialogue, and support for civil society engagement, AMPLIFY helps generate evidence, strengthen partnerships, and expand opportunities for women to shape regional peace and security policies.
Research & Evidence
Supporting analytical work that strengthens regional understanding of Women, Peace and Security and informs ASEAN policy.
Regional Dialogue
Convening governments, researchers, and civil society to strengthen collaboration on shared peace and security challenges.
Civil Society Leadership
Creating opportunities for women leaders and community organizations to contribute directly to regional policy discussions.
Country Action
Supporting locally led implementation of Women, Peace and Security priorities in Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Myanmar.
Countries
AMPLIFY works with Cambodia’s Ministry of Women’s Affairs, local civil society organizations, and grassroots women leaders in Stung Treng and Mondulkiri provinces. The program strengthens their ability to address environmental shocks, economic migration, and other security challenges, while supporting women leaders and civil society actors to engage in regional peace and security platforms. The program also supports Cambodia’s implementation of the ASEAN Regional Plan of Action on Women, Peace and Security and the development of a national action plan.
AMPLIFY works with government and civil society partners in Bokeo and Savannakhet provinces to advance policy dialogue, research, and community engagement that strengthen women’s leadership in peace and security.
The program supports the Lao Women’s Union and government partners to integrate Women, Peace and Security priorities into policies and coordination mechanisms. It also works with village mediation units, disaster management groups, and local security committees to expand women’s roles in conflict prevention, mediation, and community decision-making.
FEATURED PUBLICATION
Securing Women’s Peace
A Political Economy Analysis of Women, Peace and Security in ASEAN, Cambodia, Lao PDR, and the Philippines