Our Secure Future (OSF) was established in 2016 with the vision of creating peace through a stronger more equal security governance system. The program focuses on strengthening the Women, Peace and Security community of practice through technical assistance to policy makers, providing leading-edge research, and using the power of convening and networking multiple stakeholders to achieve better security outcomes. In 2020, the program opened its doors to the Our Secure Future office in Washington, D.C., with the main objective of supporting robust implementation of the US Government’s WPS Act of 2017 through the promotion of gender perspectives and the strengthening of the WPS community of practice.
OSF’s work in 2019 paid off in 2020 with the establishment of the WPS Congressional Caucus during the 116th Congress which had its official in-person launch the day before lockdown on March 9, 2020. The WPS Caucus has continued to gain membership and conduct virtual Congressional briefings. Technical assistance and strategic advising to senior level decision-makers at the National Security Council, Department of Defense, USAID, and the US State Department increased significantly. In addition, OSF formed new partnerships with the International Stability Operations Association, which resulted in OSF contributing to ISOA’s first WPS Certification Program for 125 companies. By the end of 2020, twelve participating companies received WPS certificates on completion of the ISOA requirements.