It is now more than 20 years since the UN Security Council passed Resolution 1325 on women, peace, and security. For the first time, it called on member states to protect women's rights and include women on an equal footing in peace negotiations, conflict mediation, and the reconstruction of devastated regions, as well as the prosecution of offenders.

Since then, authoritarianism and transnational violent extremism have continued to rise, inequality is on the increase, and multilateralism is at an all-time low. The spread of the Covid pandemic and climate change present humankind with additional threats. In September 2021, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres drew this devastating conclusion at the annual meeting of heads of state: "We are on the edge of an abyss and moving in the wrong direction."

Drawing on more than 20 years of experience as a peace strategist and advocate dealing with violent conflict around the world, this year's Queen's Lecture speaker, Sanam Naraghi Anderlini MBE, will reflect on the political, social, and economic factors that have led to the current state of affairs. She will address uncomfortable truths, challenge conventional wisdom, and offer much-needed solutions that emerge from feminist perspectives in the field of peacebuilding and security.