The WCAPS Pipeline Fellowship (WPF) Program

For Undergraduates, Graduates, and Early Career Professionals (Women of Color)

A fundamental aspect of Women of Color Advancing Peace and Security (WCAPS) is to ensure women of color have a seat at the table on issues of peace and security. We aim to look at the whole person from the early stages of their career to build empowerment and help them to maneuver the peace and security space successfully. Empowerment means having the strength and resilience to keep fighting to overcome challenges like stereotypes, various types of abuse, and gaslighting. This type of empowerment is needed if women of color are to tackle imbalances, namely related to gender and race, that exist in many policy-making circles, at all levels.

Women of color must see themselves in the positions they seek, and in positions of influence, which means seeing other women of color in those spaces on a regular basis. Examples include women of color on panels, on television, and across social media platforms serving in positive roles. Representation is a major gap in the peace and security field, and its intersections, where the representatives, including those with influence and a voice, are often not women or women of color. The lack of visibility highlights the importance of outreach and the development of networks of women of color by women of color who have been able to break through. There is power in sharing their personal stories of vulnerability, a power that many who have not shared their cultural and gender challenges can truly understand. If we are to promote more equality and participation across world systems, which will ensure issues of peace and security reflect women of color, we must step back and focus on the whole person, the pipeline, and at those critical points along the way where we may lose people.