Local voices, global frameworks

Grassroots women’s organisations, displaced women, youth, queer people and women from marginalised groups should be enabled to define priorities and participate safely and meaningfully. This requires long‑term, flexible and accessible funding, as well as formal recognition of women’s lived experience as expertise equal to that of diplomats and negotiators. Women’s meaningful participation must extend beyond symbolic inclusion to influence decision‑making across formal and informal peacebuilding spaces.

Protection systems that respond to women’s everyday insecurity, including conflict‑related violence, domestic violence and shrinking civic space must be strengthened. Crisis preparedness, early‑warning mechanisms, shelters and community‑based responses should be inclusive and gender‑sensitive, drawing on women’s experiences of past crises. Special attention is needed for women human rights defenders and peacebuilders facing heightened risks, including access to rapid protection measures such as legal assistance and relocation support. Mental health and psychosocial support must be recognised as core protection needs, particularly for displaced and conflict‑affected women.

Invest in prevention strategies that reduce militarisation and enable societies to imagine futures beyond war. This includes supporting women’s rights, youth engagement, education and socio‑economic opportunities that challenge conflict‑driven identities. Joint educational and social initiatives can create pathways for coexistence beyond formal peacebuilding, while peace education, particularly in schools, can disrupt narratives of enmity from an early age. Prevention efforts should strengthen local capacity, reduce dependency on external actors and support women’s roles in education and community leadership as foundations for long‑term peace.

Ensure recovery processes are inclusive, gender‑responsive and shaped by the experiences of women affected by displacement and prolonged insecurity. Recovery must go beyond infrastructure to address housing, livelihoods, social protection and psychosocial needs, while removing discriminatory barriers that limit women’s access to support. Women’s unpaid labour and leadership during conflict and displacement should be recognised and valued in post‑conflict planning. Particular attention is needed for marginalised women, including those with disabilities and LGBTQ people, whose needs are often excluded from recovery frameworks and assistance programmes.