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She Builds Peace: Stand With Women Peacebuilders Today
ICAN’s Statement on our Gender- and Conflict-Sensitive Response to COVID-19
Women, Peace and Security in the Time of Corona – Sanam Anderlini
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Women Peacebuilders on the Frontlines of COVID-19
Many of our WASL partners, alongside other women peacebuilders, have pivoted their work to respond to COVID-19 and related issues: community awareness-raising, distributing supplies, calling for ceasefires, working to prevent domestic violence as people are quarantined or self-distancing at home, and more. Women peacebuilders are again on the frontlines, working to prevent the spread of a pandemic in their communities.
Secondary Impacts of COVID-19 and the Role of Development Aid
As COVID-19 has exacerbated existing gaps in services on the ground, and many women peacebuilders pivoted their work during the pandemic to deal with urgent humanitarian response, the question of whether development aid reaches local communities arose. Members of the Women’s Alliance for Security Leadership (WASL) highlighted the need for change so that development aid can reach local communities and provide the basic services of food, healthcare, and education.
Canada’s Minister of International Development, Karina Gould, and Canada’s Ambassador for Women, Peace and Security, Jacqueline O’Neill joined WASL members in the conversation.
Read the full summary
How Women Peacebuilders are Balancing Work on COVID-19 and Violent Extremism
During the COVID-19 pandemic, women peacebuilders witnessed an increase in xenophobia and extremist messaging. Weakness in state infrastructure and response has left a vacuum which extremist actors have exploited for their own interests. Women peacebuilders are meeting this challenge by building a counter-narrative that is also grounded in the local culture, religion, and traditions.
“We need to be connected with you and establish new working methods for inclusive, sustainable peace,” remarked State Secretary Marianne Hagen from Norway who joined the 9th weekly call with the Women’s Alliance for Security Leadership (WASL).
Read the full summary of the call.
Mitigating Domestic Violence During COVID-19
Called the “shadow pandemic”, domestic violence has surged since the emergence of COVID-19. Globally, reports indicate a 25-33% increase in domestic violence with civil society and governments trying to address the crisis.
ICAN, after consultation with partners in the Women’s Alliance for Security Leadership (WASL) across 38 countries and a review of existing literature, offers key steps to governments and the international community for new initiatives and urgently needed reforms that can prevent and reduce domestic violence immediately and sustainably.
Women Peacebuilders Exchange Experiences on Domestic Violence and MHPSS during COVID-19
As the levels of domestic violence have soared globally since the COVID-19 outbreak, women peacebuilders have been the first to respond to the crisis in their own communities adapting their peacebuilding approaches to tackle the dual challenges of COVID-19 and domestic violence.
Across the range of countries, women peacebuilders consistently identified the issues of rising domestic violence and the need for mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) in light of this pandemic. In response ICAN facilitated two separate sessions on these topics to support in-depth analysis, cross regional exchange of learning and best practices, and strategic discussion.
Our Work
Presents a pragmatic guidance for the inclusion of women peacebuilders, and offers proactive steps to broaden participation.
Preventing extremism by promoting rights, peace and pluralism. Enabling strategic collaboration between women peacebuilders.
Provides a mechanism for regular high-level civil society-government dialogue on issues related to preventing extremism.
Provides grants and technical assistance to partners to support local solutions in promoting peace and countering extremism.