The peacebuilders are taking on the responsibility to protect others. Who is protecting the peacebuilders?
When societies are polarized and there is mistrust between different communities, or when state actors are predatory and feared, women peacebuilders often take on the lonely and dangerous work of reaching across the divisions.
They negotiate humanitarian access, challenge extremist ideologies and violence, and facilitate reconciliation and social healing.
But this peace work puts them at risk.
ICAN’s work in support of our partners’ protection has included: comprehensive protection guidance; digital security assessments; mental health and psychosocial support; and in-country grantmaking.
Women peacebuilders put themselves on the line every day as they engage across the deepest divides in our societies, leaving them at risk and alone as even their own communities’ distrust those who would speak to the other side.
— Melinda Holmes
Program Director, ICAN
Our Protection of Peacebuilders framework advocates for:
- Providing emergency assistance and relocation when necessary
- Building a legal and political safety net
- Identifying, preventing, mitigating, and responding to threats on the ground
- Ensuring security at the peace table and international spaces
“The UK has supported ICAN to develop the Protection Framework for women peacebuilders. As the Security Council’s penholder on the Women, Peace, and Security agenda, we urge all member states to commit to its recommendations.”
– The Rt. Hon. James Cleverly MP, Secretary of State, UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)
– The Rt. Hon. James Cleverly MP, Secretary of State, UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)