A Bill to support women in UK-sponsored and supported conflict prevention, peace processes, mediation and diplomatic delegations; to ensure systematic gender consideration and responsiveness in UK foreign and defence policy; and for connected purposes.
House of Lords
6 May 2026
May contain errors — check source documents for definitive information.
This bill would require the UK Government to mainstream gender considerations across foreign policy, defence and related work, and to promote women’s rights and participation in peace talks and diplomatic delegations. It would mandate annual reporting on progress under the national action plan on women, peace and security, including efforts to prevent and respond to sexual violence in conflict, and would fund survivor‑centred support and local women’s peacebuilding organisations. If enacted, it would apply UK‑wide and come into force on enactment, with the aim of stronger international collaboration on these issues.
The bill has completed its passage in the Lords and has entered the Commons, where it is currently at the 2nd reading stage. Further stages (Committee, report, and votes) are still to come in the Commons before it could proceed to Royal Assent.
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The 2024-2026 session of Parliament has come to an end so the House of Commons is now prorogued until the next session begins on 13 May 2026. Prorogation is the formal end to the parliamentary year.
This Bill will therefore make no further progress.
The Women, Peace and Security Bill [HL] would require the UK Government to have regard to the national action plan on women, peace and security and to lay an annual report on progress (including the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative). It would enshrine gender considerations across foreign, defence and related policy, require the inclusion of women in policy-making and peace processes, and mandate survivor‑centred support, justice for survivors of sexual violence, pre‑deployment training, and funding for local women’s peacebuilding organisations. It also obliges the UK, in multinational organisations, to seek collective action on these matters, and it applies to England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, coming into force on enactment.
The Committee reviews several Bills and flags two main issues. It questions a broad repeal power in the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill over sections 30A/30B, noting it would operate by regulations under negative procedure and asking for time-limiting/affirmative scrutiny. It also condemns skeleton-style powers in the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill (and related metrology provisions), arguing that most policy would be set in regulations with insufficient justification or parliamentary oversight, and recommends removing those powers or ensuring stronger justification and safeguards. The report also notes that other listed Bills have no delegations to highlight.
The bill would require the UK government to mainstream gender considerations across foreign policy, defence and related work, and to promote women’s rights and participation—especially in peace processes and in delegations—while supporting survivors of conflict-related sexual violence. It mandates annual reporting on progress of the national action plan (the NAP), including reference to the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative, and requires international organisations the UK participates in to take these matters into account. The Act would apply to England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, take effect on the day it is passed, and be cited as the Women, Peace and Security Act 2024.
No recorded votes for this bill yet.
