About Us
1. What is it for and who can use it?
The Helpdesk is an expert call-down facility that aims to provide a flexible, responsive and easy to use service to the Integrated Security Fund (ISF) officers and UK government officers working in the UK and in-country Offices. It is intended primarily for desk-based advisory support but can include short trainings and accompaniment support that require physical interaction focusing on:
- - Undertaking gender and conflict analysis and thematic research on a widerange of issues to inform WPS, intersectional gender-responsive conflict policy and programming. This includes gender and conflict analysis report at local, national, regional and international level, and thematic desk-based research and/or consultations.
- - Applying a gender and conflict lens to desk-based evidence review summaries and evidence synthesis.
- - Advising potential ISF staff within UK and in-country missions to integrate gender-responsive policy and programming within their ongoing interventions in conflict and fragile contexts. This includes providing short trainings on gender and conflict analysis, WPS, project document reviews, gender-aware conflict sensitive MREL support, and short-term tailored accompaniment support.
2. Who is behind the WPS Helpdesk?
The WPS Helpdesk is a partnership between five organisations led by Saferworld and bringing together Conciliation Resources (CR), Gender Action for Peace and Security (GAPS UK), Women’s International Peace Centre (WIPC), and the University of Durham. We work with WPS experts in diverse contexts.
We seek to provide high quality expert helpdesk services that contribute to the integration of WPS concerns in conflict/security-focused policy and programming, and boost UK capacity to sustain the integration and advancement of WPS in line with its National Action Plan. The helpdesk started from December 2021 and is for a period of three and half years coming to an end in 31 March 2025.
If you are part of the UK government and would like to know more about how the WPS Helpdesk works, you can download the guidance note by clicking on the button below.