UN Women and Finland shine light on women’s local peacebuilding in the MENA region and rally support for their vital contributions to peace

[Press release]

Beirut - UN Women and Finland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs  have brought together women peacebuilders from Syria, Libya, Yemen, Iraq, Jordan, Tunisia, Palestine, Morocco and Lebanon to showcase their successes, take stock of the challenges they face and explore ways of enhancing and supporting their efforts.

The Middle East and North Africa  (MENA) region remains plagued by many protracted conflicts that have taken a terrible human toll on civilians, particularly on women and girls.  Mostly led by men, formal negotiations to resolve these conflicts have largely stalled. On the other hand, women in crisis-affected countries continue to play various instrumental roles to resolve conflict and bring peace to their communities. They mediate ceasefires, negotiate with armed groups to end the recruitment of child soldiers, broker the release of political prisoners and engage in cross-line negotiations to secure access to humanitarian aid, water and other vital resources. Yet, their vital efforts go unrecognized. The invisibility and marginalization of women’s peacebuilding work means that their work is neither supported nor leveraged to advance national peace processes.

“Many peace processes fail because of their lack of inclusivity. This is why the Women, Peace and Security is a key pillar in Finland’s foreign and security policy.” said Tarja Fernandez, Ambassador of Finland to Lebanon, Jordan and Syria. “Finland was one of the first countries to implement the United Nations Security Council resolution 1325 and is working with partners word-wide to ensure that women play a more meaningful role in mediation, peace and transition processes as well as in conflict prevention and peacebuilding at all levels.”

Held in Beirut, the two-day conference provided an opportunity for women peacebuilders to showcase their achievements, examine the challenges they face, and share lessons learnt. In particular, the participants highlighted the great personal risks women peacebuilders and meditators face and called for more protection and accountability.  They also emphasized the need to document women’s peace efforts and build the evidence base around their contributions to peace and security, which is essential for more effective advocacy. The role of the media in raising awareness of women’s peacebuilding efforts and in changing societal perceptions of women’s roles was highlighted. The gathering also provided a space for women peacebuilders to explore opportunities for regional collaboration, including the creation of mediation and peacebuilding networks and ways to support them.

Supporting women’s peacebuilding efforts is one of UN Women’s priorities to advance lasting and inclusive peace, and the recommendations of this workshop will inform UN Women’s programming in this regard.    

“It is clear that the failure to ensure women’s full, equal and meaningful participation in peace processes at all levels not only deprives women of their basic human rights but also limits the prospects for lasting peace,” said Aleksandra Dier, Regional Advisor for Women, Peace and Security at UN Women Regional Office for Arab States. “With their deep knowledge of their communities’ concerns and grievances, women peacebuilders are making essential contributions to forging a peace that leaves no one behind.”