Over the past 20 years, the Women Peace and Security Agenda has gained a steady foothold in African  states. There have been notable milestones of progress, for instance through the development of National Action Plans aligned with United Nations Security Council resolution 1325. Yet true change in  achieving women’s empowerment remains slow, and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have been a stark reminder in this context. This policy brief considers lessons learnt from the past two decades to offer recommendations for speeding up progress.