Women and Conflicts: What Role for Women Mediator Networks?

As violent conflicts, military coups, displacements and hunger continue to increase, the world is experiencing a reversal of generational gains in women’s rights, especially in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). From Libya to Syria, persistent conflicts are exacerbating social and gender inequalities, affecting the lives of women and girls.

According to a recent report of the United Nations, in most conflict-affected countries men hold power, women are structurally or directly excluded and women’s rights and freedoms are deliberately targeted and have limited access to funding. Yet, as we have seen in Syria, women peacebuilders continue to be at the forefront defending their communities, opposing extremist tendencies and contributing to the promotion of solutions that can ensure lasting peace.

Against this backdrop, what can regional women’s networks do to protect and build resilience of women during war and in post-war recovery contexts? The aim of this webinar is to analyse the initiatives put in place by the Mediterranean Women Mediators Network (MWMN) in order to develop a long-term strategy that can support the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda in the MENA region.