MENA Women Peacebuilders Initiative

Launched in 2024, the MENA Women Peacebuilders Initiative is a flagship program of GIWPS, created to support women peace leaders in the Middle East and North Africa.

The initiative supports the development of a regional ecosystem for Women, Peace, and Security to foster collaboration, shared learning and collective engagement with policy processes. It also connects grassroots experience with regional and global platforms.

Vision and Focus

In a turbulent regional and global environment, formal peace processes are frequently stalled, and multilateral systems are under immense strain. This initiative positions women peacebuilders as actors that sustain social cohesion and identify pathways to future peace.

Women across the Middle East operate within a continuum of crisis characterized by violence, fragility, and political uncertainty. The initiative therefore focuses on three interconnected priorities:

• Sustaining communities under pressure: supporting women peacebuilders who maintain the social fabric, mediate peace on the local level, and lead humanitarian response in conflict zones in Sudan, Palestine, Lebanon, Libya, and Yemen. 
• Shaping the political horizon: amplifying women’s voices and strategies to influence narratives and ensure that future political agreements reflect lived realities on the ground. 
• Bridging informal and formal peace efforts: connecting grassroots actors with institutional processes in transitional contexts such as Iraq and Syria, with the aim of translating local legitimacy into lasting policy and governance impact.

Strategic Pillars