June 17, 2025—As NATO leaders gather in The Hague this June, Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice stands alongside over 100 civil society organisations in calling for a shift in priorities: from military build-up to investment in gender justice, peacebuilding, and human security.

From escalating conflict and climate disasters to economic inequality and the rise of authoritarianism, these challenges demand principled leadership and deepened cooperation, not an arms race.

NATO’s proposed doubling or tripling of national defence budgets by 2032 risks undermining global investments in peace and equality. Already this year, NATO member states are expected to collectively cut €46 billion in official development assistance (ODA). These cuts are having a disproportionate impact on gender justice initiatives, women-led peacebuilding, and life-saving civil society efforts, particularly in global majority countries.

This year also marks the 25th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, the foundation of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda. Despite rhetorical commitments, the WPS agenda remains vastly underfunded. It is time for NATO to match its words with action by allocating significant resources to inclusive security frameworks that centre women’s leadership and gender-responsive peacebuilding.

Our Call to NATO Leaders

1. Ensure all increases in defence and security budgets are assessed for their impact on human rights, international law, and peacebuilding efforts, and aligned with WPS principles.
2. Protect and expand civic space, which is fundamental to healthy democracies and accountability.
3. Guarantee dedicated and adequate funding for the WPS agenda, including the work of women human rights defenders and local women-led organisations.

📄 Read the full letter here.

Signatories

CSO’s in NATO states:
Oxfam Novib (The Netherlands)
Transparency International (Germany / EU level)
The National Council of Women of Finland (Finland)
Plataforma Portuguesa das ONGD (Portugal)
Partos (the Netherlands)
Women’s Lobby of Slovenia (Slovenia)
Center for Violence Prevention (United States)
Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom UK (United Kingdom)
Cordaid (The Netherlands)
Forum For Youth Development (FOYODE) (EU level)
Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (EU level)
Oxfam International (United States)
Operation 1325 (Sweden)
Shevolution (United Kingdom)
Women for Justice Foundation (Canada)
MenEngage Global Alliance (United States)
Women Now for Development (France)
CARE Nederland (The Netherlands)
Action de Protection Mère et Enfant Asbl (France)
Saferworld (United Kingdom)
Platform Vrouwen & Duurzame Vrede (The Netherlands)
Center for Equality Advancement (Lithuania)
The Association of Ukrainian Women in Belgium (Belgium)
Mothers for Peace (United States)
Oxfam Great Britain (United Kingdom)
Alliance for Peacebuilding (United States)
Oxfam Deutschland (Germany)
French Coordination for the European women’s lobby (France)
Civil Society Platform for Peacebuilding and Statebuilding (CSPPS) (the Netherlands)
Mensen met een Missie (The Netherlands)
International Coalition of Sites of Conscience (United States)
University of Canterbury (United Kingdom)
Oxfam Denmark (Denmark)
United Network of Young Peacebuilders (UNOY) (The Netherlands)
Newcastle University (United Kingdom)
Association for Liberty and Equality of Gender – A.L.E.G. (Romania)
UN Women Iceland (Iceland)
PAX (The Netherlands)
Asociatia UNIC (Romania)
Mondiaal FNV (The Netherlands)
CARE Deutschland e.V. (Germany)
AWEN – Albanian Women Empowerment Network (Albania)
VENRO – Association of German Development and Humanitarian Aid NGOs (Germany)
Romanian Women’s Lobby (Romania)
Community Safety and Mediation Center (Romania)
CNCD-11.11.11 (Belgium)
International Civil Society Action Network (United States)
The Association “Gender, Peace and Security”, (Albania)
Finn Church Aid (Finland)
Peace and Freedom Organization (Belgium)
Minnesota Peace Project (United States)
Perkrahje per te rinjte (Albania)
Klubi Social (Albania)
CHOICE For Youth and Sexuality (The Netherlands)
International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN) (United States)
Impunity Watch (The Netherlands)
American Friends Service Committee (United States)
CIVIC (United States)
FAIR.FI (Finland)
Väestöliitto (Finland)
Nederlands Juristen Comité voor de Mensenrechten (Dutch Section of the International
Commission of Jurists) (The Netherlands)
Felm, Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission (Finland)
Search for Common Ground (United States)
International Planned Parenthood Federation – European Network (IPPF EN) (Belgium)
Hands Across the Divide (United Kingdom)
WO=MEN, Dutch Gender Platform (The Netherlands)
Icelandic Women´s Rights association (Iceland)
Women’ International League For Peace And Freedoms (WILPF) (United States)
Westhoek Vredeshoek (The Netherlands)
CMI — Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation (Finland)
Peace Direct (United Kingdom)
Conducive Space for Peace (CSP) (Denmark)
Oxfam Italia (Italy)
Suomen Sadankomitea – Committee of 100 in Finland (Finland)
Oxfam Intermón (Spain)
Christian Aid (United Kingdom)
Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice (The Netherlands)
Observatoire pour la Défense des Droits des Personnes Handicapées (Belgium)
Together We Rise Foundation for Women and Child Care (TWRF) (United States)
World’s Youth for Climate Justice (The Netherlands)
PartnersGlobal (United States)
Nederlandse Vereniging voor Vrouwenbelange, Vrouwenarbeid en Gelijk Staatsburgerschap (The
Netherlands)
FiLiA (United Kingdom)
FoRS – Czech Forum for Development Cooperation (Czech Republic)
Human Security Collective (The Netherlands)
Young Leaders Entrepreneurs (Belgium)
Women’s Counsil Denmark (Denmark)
FARAGEER (Canada)
SASH (United States)
Equipop (France)
Parliamentarians for Global Action (United States)

CSO’s in non-NATO states
Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice
Mwaka Nawila Foundation
Living Peace Institute
Oxfam Ireland
Organisation for Relief & Betterment Initiating Trust (ORBIT)
Sudan Unlimited
Jahjaga Foundation
Cyprus Peace and Dialogue Center (CPDC)
Nonviolent Peaceforce
PeaceWomen Across the Globe
Center for Civil Society and Democracy
Wide Approach to Sustainable Livelihoods (WASL)
Women Education and Development Organisation of Liberia
Addu Women’s Association
Women Relief Aid South Sudan
Reach Out Cameroon
Association of War Affected Women
Allamin Foundation for Peace and Development
WILPF Lebanon
Empatiku Foundation
Food4Humanity
aXXelerate
Mobaderoon
PAIMAN
Abductees Mothers Association
Zenobia Organization
Corporación CIASE
Wi’am