Securing Women’s Peace: A Political Economy Analysis of Women, Peace and Security in ASEAN, Cambodia, Lao PDR, and the Philippines

Drawing on The Asia Foundation’s Practical Guide to Political Economy Analysis and produced under the AMPLIFY program, this report applies a political economy lens to Women, Peace and Security (WPS) in Lao PDR, Cambodia, the Philippines, and across ASEAN. It traces the formal rules, informal norms, and incentive structures that shape how the WPS agenda is understood, practiced, and navigated in each context, while showing how regional cooperation links these national experiences. 

It finds that while formal frameworks such as national action plans and regional agreements may provide essential foundations, real progress depends on the informal space where gender norms, bureaucratic politics, historical narratives, and unequal power play out. Positioning WPS within broader human security concerns can build political traction, especially at the ASEAN level, by expanding the coalition of actors who support it. However, even well-established initiatives can lose momentum without sustained political commitment and practical follow-through. 

For policymakers and practitioners, this report provides concrete recommendations. It advocates adaptive, locally grounded approaches that build on existing initiatives and community strengths for advancing gender-inclusive peace and security in Southeast Asia.