The Forgotten Frontline: Women Peacebuilders in Conflict Zones
When we think of war, we envision chaos, battlegrounds, and emergency responses. But there’s another, quieter, type of frontline that deserves our attention: the women who are peacebuilding amidst conflict, often with no recognition and all the risk.
These women are mothers, teachers, and volunteers, often becoming the backbone of community resilience. Their work may be unseen, but it is essential. Today I want to spotlight the untold work in four places: Ukraine, Sudan, Afghanistan, and Gaza.
Ukraine: “Our resistance… has a particularly feminine face”
Ukraine’s First Lady, Olena Zelenska, gave powerful voice to this idea during the invasion. She said:
“Our resistance, like our future victory, also has a particularly feminine face.”
Indeed, Ukrainian women have been everywhere - on the frontlines as volunteers, soldiers, medics, and caregivers. They’ve used their kitchens, basements, and hearts to hold communities together when war sought to rip them apart.
Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska called for the world to continue to pay attention to the war in Ukraine and underscored the dire conditions Ukrainian students face during a visit to Georgetown University on Sept. 21, 2023. Pictured with Ambassador Melanne Verveer.
Sudan: Building Peace, Region by Region
In Sudan, women from diverse backgrounds have banded together in remarkable solidarity. In a 2023 statement, Sudanese women leaders wrote:
“In these challenging times, we… remain extraordinarily resilient. We have created an inclusive platform… demand an immediate cessation of hostilities… and safeguard women from all forms of violence.”
These women, clustered in displaced communities, grassroots networks, and academic spaces, are building peace not through formal talks but through unity, advocacy, and sheer determination.
Afghanistan: Quiet Courage in Shadows
The space for Afghan women is shrinking dramatically. Yet, even as public institutions close their doors, women continue their vital work in private homes, on phones, or in safe networks - teaching, counselling, and documenting abuses. Their courage is a testament to the belief that peace is more than an agreement; it’s the preservation of dignity in the darkest nights.
Gaza: Holding Life Together Through Devastation
Amid the rubble, it’s women who nurture wounded children, transform basements into shelters, and stretch the smallest ration into days of survival. They run care networks in the debris, not because they seek recognition, but because caring is resistance.
Why Aren’t These Women Leading Peace Talks?
Despite their vital role, women remain vastly underrepresented when conflicts are formally negotiated. UN data tells us that peace agreements are 35% more likely to last when women are included, but today women make up less than 13% of negotiators globally.
That’s not a lack of evidence. It’s a lack of will.
Women peacebuilders are positioned at the very heart of stability. Their work is relational, so ingrained in daily survival that it is often dismissed as “local.” But it is strategic. It is political. And it must be recognised.
How Do We Begin to See Them?
Fund women-led peace initiatives directly, not through layers of intermediary oversight.
Mandate gender parity in peace delegations and humanitarian responses.
Protect women peacebuilders facing threats or repression.
Embed women’s voices at every level of foreign policy and aid delivery.
Because peace isn’t only built in corridors of power, it is cooked in kitchens, held in prayer circles, and nurtured in classrooms during wartime.
