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Our Global Reach
Smiling woman in white blouse and floral scarf stands at a marina with boats in the background on a sunny day.
28 April 2026
Ukrainian peacebuilder Nina Potarska sails to challenge illegal blockade of Gaza

Nina Potarska, a member of the ICAN-spearheaded Women’s Alliance for Security Leadership, is currently at sea with the Global Sumud Flotilla, a civilian-led mission organized with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, en route to Gaza. 

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Resource Library
12 May 2025
The Odd Couple: Women Peacebuilders and Security Actors Bridging Positions, Building Trust

The WPS agenda has proven a vital entry point for women peacebuilders to engage with the security sector and build trust within affected communities. These efforts—often invisible—are contributing to the reform of the sector, reshaping local security environments and mitigating violence.

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21 April 2025
The War Against Ourselves: Afghan Women Peacebuilders’ Response to the Mental Health Crisis in Afghanistan

This case study describes the drivers of the mental health crisis in Afghanistan, its gendered and cultural dimensions, and the strategies used by Afghan women-led peacebuilding organizations to provide solutions. The authors conducted interviews with representatives of Afghan women-led peacebuilding organizations and thematic experts, which were complemented by a desk review of project documentation and […]

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News & Media
6 March 2026
Staff Accountant (Remote, US Based)

ICAN is hiring a Staff Accountant to provide financial and administrative support to ICAN’s Finance Director and broader team.

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Country - Afghanistan

Core Areas of Work:

Economic Development and Livelihood Support, Peacemaking, PVE, Deradicalization, and Reintegration, Security Sector Reform

website

About the Organization

Wellness Prosperity and Socio-Empowerment Organization (WPSO) is a non-profit, non-government, non-political, and non-partisan Afghan civil society organization, which was established in 2015.

WPSO seeks to amplify women’s perspectives within Afghanistan’s peace and security frameworks. The organization supports women leaders in grassroots movements through capacity building and research and advocacy efforts, aiming to make Afghanistan’s peace and security processes, policies, and structures more inclusive.

WPSO also promotes the role of women as peace negotiators, mediators, and peacebuilders to prevent violent extremism. It creates spaces for young women to engage on issues of peace and security, thus challenging traditional militarized security models.

WPSO gathers information and produces knowledge on the roles and contributions of women leaders at local and national levels to transform communities and to prevent youth from engaging with insurgencies and extremism.

ICAN’s Innovative Peace Fund has supported WPSO since 2019.

Core Areas of Work:

  • Peacemaking
  • PVE
  • Security Sector Reform
  • Education
  • Community Development

Stories & Features

Our Strategies, Our Peace: ICAN’s Writers’ Workshop  

ICAN convened 20 members of WASL in Lisbon for the “Our Strategies, Our Peace” Writers’ Workshop. This unique gathering provided a secure and creative space for women peacebuilders to share their strategies, experience, expertise, and stories from conflict and crisis contexts.

Addu Women's Association Allamin Foundation AWAW CAGEAD CIASE COEC ICAN Featured Mobaderoon PAIMAN Rescue Me WCDCA Wi'am Women's Alliance for Security Leadership WPSO
October 29, 2025
Read Post Our Strategies, Our Peace: ICAN’s Writers’ Workshop  
جنگ با خویشتن: پاسخ زنان صلح‌ساز افغان به بحران صحت روانی در افغانستان

در عرصه صحت روانی، افغانستان با بحران پیچیده‌ای مواجه است که این بحران به‌ طور جدایی ‌ناپذیر با ناامنی شدید فیزیکی، سیاسی و اقتصادی در کشور گره خورده و این نا امنی ها بحران را تشدید می‌کند. برای رسیدگی به آسیب های روانی، صحت و بهداشت جامعه به شیوه های پاسخگو به جنسیت و با مد نظر گرفتن حساسیت های فرهنگی، سازمان‌های فعال در عرصه صلح‌ سازی به رهبری زنان افغان در موقعیتی منحصربه ‌فرد قرار دارند. این سازمان ها خدمات ابتدایی ارائه می‌دهند، مهارت‌ها را توسعه می‌بخشند و در شکل‌دهی هنجارهای فرهنگی و جنسیتی نقش مؤثر ایفا می‌کنند.

ICAN Featured ICAN Latest ICAN Updates WASL Updates Women's Alliance for Security Leadership WPSO
June 16, 2025
Read Post جنگ با خویشتن: پاسخ زنان صلح‌ساز افغان به بحران صحت روانی در افغانستان
جګړه له خپل ځان سره: په افغانستان کې د رواني/اروایي روغتیایي بحران پر وړاندې د ښځینه سوله پالو غبرګون

افغانستان له یوه ډېر پېچلي اروایي/رواني روغتیايي حالت سره مخ دی چې دا حالت د هېواد له ناامنۍ، سیاسي ګډوډۍ او اقتصادي ستونزو سره تړلی او لا یې دا ستونزې زیاتې کړي دي. د افغان ښځو په مشرۍ سوله‌پالې ادارې کولی شي د خلکو روغتیا او هوساینې ته پاملرنه وکړي، ځکه د دوی کار د ښځو اړتیاوو ته په پاملرنه ترسره کیږي، له کلتوري حساسیتونو سره سمون لري او د ټروما په معلوماتو باندې متکي (trauma-informed) تګلارې دي. دا ادارې اساسي خدمتونه وړاندې کوي، خلکو ته مهارتونه ورزده کوي او کلتوري دودونه او جنسیتي اړخونه تر پوښښ لاندې نیسي.

ICAN Featured ICAN Latest ICAN Updates WASL Updates Women's Alliance for Security Leadership WPSO
June 12, 2025
Read Post جګړه له خپل ځان سره: په افغانستان کې د رواني/اروایي روغتیایي بحران پر وړاندې د ښځینه سوله پالو غبرګون
The War Against Ourselves: Afghan Women Peacebuilders’ Response to the Mental Health Crisis in Afghanistan

Afghanistan is facing a complex mental health crisis inextricably linked with and compounding the dire state of physical, political, and economic insecurity in the country. Afghan women-led peacebuilding organizations are uniquely positioned to address community members’ health and wellness in gender-responsive, culturally- sensitive, and trauma-informed ways.

ICAN Featured ICAN Latest ICAN Updates WASL Updates Women's Alliance for Security Leadership WPSO
April 21, 2025
Read Post The War Against Ourselves: Afghan Women Peacebuilders’ Response to the Mental Health Crisis in Afghanistan

The strength of the organization very much lies in the network of so many women in different parts of the country who haven’t left, they have chosen to stay in their own communities, and they are working – even in very small ways.

– Founder, WPSO, Afghanistan

More Countries & Partners

OUR PARTNERS MAP
Women Relief Aid (WRA) South Sudan

Women Relief Aid (WRA) is a women-led, non-governmental, nonprofit, non-political, and non-religious organization based in South Sudan.

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Madaniya Sudan

Madaniya is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization that was established in 2018 by a group of women activists in Sudan.

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Kareemat Center Syria

Kareemat Center is an organization that supports conflict-affected Syrian women and children who sought refuge in Turkey.

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Mobaderoon Syria

Mobaderoon is a Syrian organization that works to promote active citizenship and build trust to support and sustain peaceful coexistence.

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