Women and Conflicts: What Role for Women Mediator Networks?

Conflicts and violence all over the world exacerbate social and gender inequalities, with a negative impact on the lives of many women and girls. Moreover, a concentration of power in the hands of men has often prevented women from being structurally included in government policies, with their rights threatened. Yet, there is a strong presence of women peacebuilders who contribute to promoting solutions that can ensure lasting peace, thus opposing extremist tendencies. Against this backdrop, the Mediterranean Women Mediators Network (MWMN), together with the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) and Women in International Security (WIIS) Italy, in collaboration with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and with the support of the Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation, promoted the event “Women and Conflicts: What Role for Women Mediator Networks?”, which took place on 1 December 2022. The event aimed to analyse the initiatives of the MWMN to develop a long-term strategy that could support implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda in the Middle East and North Africa region.