Empowering Voices: Women's Role in Arab Peace Mediation

5-7 October 2020  -  Wilton Park, United Kingdom

In a virtual conference titled "The Elders in conversation on women in mediation in the Arab world," international stakeholders, including LUGARIT’s Omar Abdulaziz Hallaj, convened to mark the 20th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325. Organized by UN Women, Wilton Park, The Elders, and the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, supported by the German Government, the event underscored the need for women’s meaningful inclusion in peace processes in the Arab world.


With over 60 participants from 25 countries, including experienced peace practitioners, policy makers, and women peacebuilders, the conference provided a platform for critical dialogues on enhancing women's roles in peacebuilding. High-profile attendees included members of The Elders, HRH The Countess of Wessex, and the UK Government’s Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa.


The discussions stressed the significance of integrating advances in women’s peacemaking roles with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and the Youth, Peace and Security agenda. A major concern was the systemic issue of women’s exclusion from high-level mediation processes in the MENA region, reflecting broader patterns of gender inequality and the impacts of conflict and the COVID-19 pandemic.


Key themes from the conference included:



In conclusion, the conference called for strategic coordination to sustain and further women’s roles in high-level peacemaking. Emphasizing the need for political will, it advocated for the recognition of grassroots efforts, investment in intergenerational dialogue, and the restructuring of traditional peace processes to include women and youth more meaningfully. The collective efforts towards these goals, as emphasized at the conference, are vital for the region’s journey towards inclusive, peaceful, and prosperous societies.

Header Photo

The Million Women's March on March 9, 2011 in Tahrir Square, Cairo, Egypt. Photo © Kim Badawi/Getty Images.  Link >