Twenty Years After UNSCR 1325: Equal Access to Military Education in the Western Hemisphere?

Twenty years after the unanimous adoption of UNSCR 1325 and the beginning of the women, peace and security agenda, the UN Security Council, for the first time, explicitly addressed equal access to education for uniformed female personnel. On August 28, 2020, the UN Security Council issued resolution 2538, and with it, the need by Member States to provide equal access to education, training and capacity building to all uniformed women. This paper explores the importance of providing equal access to education for uniformed women, it identifies barriers erected against women’s access to education in the defense sector in the Western Hemisphere, and it recommends proactive measures to eliminate barriers. This research is supported by a review of primary and secondary sources, autoethnography, and an analysis of data from countries such as the United States, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Brazil.