In 2000, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 1325, on ‘Women, Peace and Security’ (WPS). It demanded more participation for women in peace, the protection of women in conflict and the prevention of conflict and conflict-related violence against women. New directions in Women, Peace and Security is a timely contribution around the anniversary of the resolution, as its effects are increasingly both acknowledged and questioned. The contributors make the most of this opportunity to reflect on the WPS agenda, discussing what it is and is not, what it has and has not achieved. By asking difficult questions, they also chart a path for the future of WPS.