Women peacebuilders from across the OSCE region and Afghanistan gathered in Vienna for the second edition of the Women’s Peace Leadership Programme

On April 22, Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid welcomed mentees of the second edition of the OSCE Women’s Peace Leadership Programme, in Vienna. This high-level mentorship programme supporting women’s inclusion in peace and security at all levels will run from October 2023 to June 2024 and provide 16 women peacebuilders from across the OSCE region with extensive training on leadership, mediation and dialogue facilitation.

In her opening remarks, Secretary General Schmid emphasized the critical importance of including women in peace and mediation efforts. “Including women in decision-making is not just the right thing to do; it is the smart thing to do. Their leadership is critical to building peace and leveraging opportunities for peace,” she noted.

Addressing the participants, Galyna Kotliuk, a human rights activist from Ukraine, echoed sentiments shared across the region. “Women have to be included in all decision-making processes. If we fail to bring women to all places, we will never be able to bring just peace to Ukraine.”

Tina Kurath, a development practitioner from Switzerland, highlighted the urgent need for a comprehensive approach that addresses the intersection of climate, security, and gender. “Crisis affects people very differently; women are disproportionately affected by crises.”

Albanian youth activist Maylinda Bajarami highlighted the important role that networks play in boosting women’s confidence. “Women networks serve as catalysts in achieving gender equality, a safe place where we can address and discuss unconscious bias towards us in our daily lives and work.”

Tajikistan's Farangis Davronova, a feminist and human rights defender, highlighted the crucial role that networks play. “I am very happy that through networks and platforms like this, we have the power to amplify the voices of women leaders and activists who are tirelessly working to bring peace to their communities.”

The Women’s Peace Leadership Programme is a flagship initiative under the OSCE Networking Platform for Women Leaders, including Peacebuilders and Mediators, launched by the Secretary General in December 2021. In October 2023, the Secretary General launched the II Edition, involving 16 young women from the OSCE region and Afghanistan. This program aims to strengthen the capacities of women, empowering them to meaningfully engage in processes at all levels through capacity-building activities, networking opportunities, peer-to-peer exchanges, and mentoring. The program is part of the multi-year project WIN for Women and Men project, which focuses on strengthening comprehensive security through innovation and networking for gender equality.