Women leaders at UNGA80 call for urgent action to center women in peace efforts

On the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA80), an intergenerational, intersectional coalition of women leaders issued a powerful call to place women’s leadership at the heart of global peace and security efforts. The high-level gathering, convened by the UN Women Leaders Network, in partnership with the Government of Iceland and the UN Foundation, comes at a pivotal moment as the world marks major milestones in the women’s rights agenda.

Historic milestones in focus

This year represents a landmark for women’s rights frameworks:

• The 25th anniversary of UN Security Council resolution 1325, which established the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda.

• The 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the most comprehensive global policy framework on gender equality.

Both milestones reaffirm the centrality of women’s leadership in conflict prevention, peace negotiations, humanitarian response, and post-conflict reconstruction.

The urgency of women’s leadership in peacebuilding

“We feel the weight of the challenges of conflict and crisis. But we also recognize the power of women’s leadership, from this room to our local communities,” said Sima Bahous, UN Women Executive Director, opening the event. “We are determined to give everything for the most profound yet simplest change which makes the biggest difference: equality for women and girls.”

Her remarks were echoed by Melanne Verveer, Executive Director of the Georgetown Institute of Women, Peace and Security, who warned that women remain consistently sidelined in peace and security processes despite overwhelming evidence of their effectiveness.

“Women have an essential role to play in peace and security. However, we also know that women are consistently being sidelined. That has to change, and it is an evidence-based case today,” Verveer stated.

Voices of experience and youth

Panelists from the UN Women Leaders Network shared personal stories and examples of women’s leadership in fragile and conflict-affected settings.

Inés Yábar, UN Youth Office Expert and part of the Young Leaders for the SDGs initiative, highlighted the transformative power of agency:

“There is hope in knowing that all of us – whatever leadership position we hold – we can help move that needle. That is something we can view as agency for ourselves, as well as in our communities around the world; that we can also change the course of history.”

Former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark reflected on the importance of political will:

“It would be rather nice to have more political commitment at higher levels to match the effort on the ground [...] and have that commitment across society – as part of the recoveries we’re building to this gender-equal, fair and equitable society.”

Key calls to action

The leaders outlined specific measures to ensure women’s equal participation in peace and security efforts:

1. Guarantee women’s involvement in conflict prevention, peace negotiations, peacekeeping, peacebuilding, humanitarian response, and reconstruction.

2. Ensure equal decision-making power for women in all peace and security frameworks.

3. Establish accountability mechanisms to enforce gender-equal participation and prevent backsliding.

A roadmap for change

The gathering laid the foundation for a forthcoming Call to Action on Women’s Leadership for Peace, to be developed by the UN Women Leaders Network in the coming months. This initiative is intended to build momentum ahead of global commemorations of the WPS agenda and to secure political commitments for the next decade.

A clear message

As conflicts continue to devastate communities worldwide, the message from UNGA80’s women leaders was unequivocal: lasting peace is impossible without women’s leadership. Evidence shows that peace agreements are more durable when women are involved in negotiations and implementation.

The event underscored that when women are at the table, peace is not only more inclusive but also more sustainable. Or as participants concluded: “When women lead, peace follows.”