Angola adopted its first National Action Plan (NAP) in 2017 for the period 2017-2020. The NAP was developed by the Ministry for Family and Promotion of Women and the Ministry of National Defense and Interior. The NAP does not mention civil society involvement in the NAP development process, but does include civil society as a responsible entity for the implementation of certain objectives. The NAP has six overall objectives, including increasing women’s participation in peacebuilding processes; providing women and girls with training on peacebuilding processes, including on gender equality; promoting and protecting the rights of women and girls in conflict and post-conflict settings; raising awareness about the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Agenda; and gender-responsive budgeting. Each objective has corresponding actions as well as an allocated budget.
Angola reported on the implementation of its NAP and the WPS Agenda in its national reporting (available only in Portuguese) for Beijing+25 and in preparation for CSW64 (2020).
Angola gained independence from Portugal in 1975, following a 15-year war for liberation. Women played a key role in the liberation war through the Organisation of Angolan Women and the Independent League for Angolan Women. Angola also experienced a civil war, which lasted from 1975 until 2002, and ended with the signing of the Luena Memorandum of Understanding. Women were excluded from the peace process, and despite the existence of a disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) program, women combatants were not provided with any benefits. These long-term armed conflicts have had a disproportionate impact on women, as women constitute approximately eighty percent of the internally displaced people.
At the multilateral level, Angola most recently served as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the period 2015-2016.