Women, Peace and Security in a Changing World: Insights From the 8th NTS-Asia Consortium Conference

Muto Ako , Specially Appointed Research Fellow at the JICA Ogata Sadako Research Institute for Peace and Development (JICA Ogata Research Institute), spoke at the 8th annual conference of the Consortium of Non-Traditional Security Studies in Asia (NTS-Asia Consortium) , held in Singapore on April 7–8, 2026.

Established in 2007, the NTS-Asia Consortium is a network of think tanks and research organizations working on non-traditional security (NTS) issues, covering a broad range of non-military threats that affect the survival and well-being of individuals and states.

Amid rapid changes in international relations and geopolitical dynamics in recent years, this year’s meeting was held under the theme “Global Governance Adrift—Pathways Forward for Non-Traditional Security.” The event brought together participants from ASEAN countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam), as well as India, Bangladesh, Japan, China, and South Korea. Organizers of this conference included researchers involved in the JICA Ogata Research Institute’s project “Human Security and the Practices of Empowerment in East Asia,” including Professor Mely Caballero-Anthony, the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University (Singapore)Human Security and the Practices of Empowerment in East Asia.

Muto participated in a panel titled “WPS, Human Security and Peace Building in the Indo-Pacific.” As part of efforts to advance the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda—based on United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, adopted in 2000—she introduced Japan’s progress under its National Action Plan on WPS, along with JICA’s international cooperation initiatives. These included measures to combat human trafficking , support for women’s participation in the Mindanao peace process in the Philippines , and training programs in Japan aimed at promoting gender mainstreaming in disaster risk reduction and climate change.

She also touched on domestic gender mainstreaming efforts in Japan, such as initiatives by the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, the Ministry of Defense, and the Self-Defense Forces to recruit female personnel for field operations and to deploy female staff in disaster response. Muto emphasized that while Japan has made progress, its rankings in various international gender indices have not necessarily improved, indicating the need for further efforts. She underscored the importance of strengthening the capacities of women and other diverse groups, as well as building mechanisms to ensure their participation in decision-making processes across society.

In the Q&A session, participants raised questions about the slow progress in increasing women’s participation in peace processes, as well as the future direction of the WPS agenda. In response, Muto highlighted the importance of simultaneously advancing enabling environments and institutional frameworks to promote women’s participation. She also stressed the need for continuous data collection and the use of indicators in peacetime to accurately and promptly assess such conditions. In this context, she referred to the Human Security Dashboard currently under development at the JICA Ogata Research Institute.

Over the two-day meeting, in addition to WPS, participants engaged in active discussions on a wide range of issues, including food security, energy and water resources, international trade, planetary health, and biosecurity.