No Sustainable Peace Without Women

The history of war, conflict, and peace is long and complex. Yet, one basic truth that applies across time, geographies, and landscapes is that the exclusion of women persists. Historically, women and girls have been portrayed as helpless victims while their work mitigating and mediating conflicts, responding to crises, and rebuilding societies has been underrepresented and marginalized.

On my arrival in Lebanon in September 2022, I soon became familiar with the report “They raped us in every possible way, in ways you cannot imagine: Gendered Crimes during the Lebanese Civil Wars” prepared by Legal Action Worldwide, LAW. The report sets out the truth of gendered crimes against women and girls during those extremely bloody years. I was shocked, of course, but at the same time became very angry.  I could not accept that even now, gender issues are still treated as peripheral to matters of war and peace and continued to be dismissed as “soft” and secondary to “hard security”.

Last year, 2025, marked the 25^th anniversary of the landmark UN Security Council Resolution 1325, which acknowledged the disproportionately adverse effects of conflict on women and girls and called for the meaningful participation of women in negotiations and peacebuilding processes to ensure lasting and inclusive peace. There is strength in numbers and solidarity, as the majority of Security Council members have signed the Shared Commitments on Women, Peace and Security. In addition, 117 countries have adopted National Action Plans (NAPs) to advance this highly valued agenda, with Lebanon among them.

But despite notable normative advances, the effectiveness of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda is threatened by a fragmented global panorama and faces significant challenges and setbacks. It is also a well-known fact that the West Asia and North Africa region (WANA) underperforms on measures of women’s justice, security and inclusion. Even though women have always been active within civil society and at grassroots level, they have largely been left out of the negotiation rooms. The barriers to women’s participation include security risks, economic immobility and gatekeeping practices.

Finland shares a long-standing commitment to gender equality and to the WPS agenda. This commitment is anchored in our Fourth National Action Plan on WPS, and it guides our international engagement across regions. It is reflected not only in our domestic society where equality and social justice shape the foundation of the Nordic welfare system, but also in how we engage internationally.

My personal work as the Finnish ambassador in Lebanon highlights this vision, especially as the WPS agenda is of significant importance in the Lebanese context. The country is once again at a critical juncture as consecutive and overlapping crises since 2019 are exposing the fragility of state institutions and the ongoing Israeli war is putting an extremely heavy burden on the whole society but especially on women’s shoulders. At the same time, and even though Lebanon’s political landscape remains complex, there are reasons for hope.

The Second National Action Plan on WPS is finally being developed.  It offers a key opportunity to renew commitments to women’s meaningful inclusion in peace and security and sets out a four-pillar framework to translate these commitments into practice.  These pillars include participation, prevention, protection, and relief and recovery. What is maybe even more important is that the National Action Plan could potentially be integrated into a larger framework related to the post-conflict era, security sector reform and democratic governance, provided it is successfully implemented.

The WPS framework recognizes the role women play in building peace in Lebanon’s ongoing war.  It emphasizes the need for women’s voices in peace processes, and challenges traditional security frameworks that often overlook their contributions. Now, more than ever, is the time to challenge the structures that have historically sidelined women in Lebanon. It is of crucial importance that women’s voices are heard at those tables where Lebanon’s peace agreement and future are being discussed and decided.  Gender-sensitive approaches should also be integrated into the country’s reconstruction and recovery plans.

The escalation of hostilities since March 2026 and protracted displacement have led to increased social tensions between Lebanese groups. Women mediators and peacebuilders have been key actors in defusing tension, promoting non-violence and offering psychological support and basic needs. As important as it is to hear women’s voices at the decision-making level, women leaders in local communities also need tools and resources.

Finland has its own national Women Mediators Network, and I am personally a member of this group. While our network operates on a more theoretical level, the networks in Lebanon and the WANA region do respond to real and persistent challenges. The Women’s Peacebuilding Network in Lebanon has demonstrated exceptional resilience. In a context of overlapping economic, political and security crises, these women have continued to sustain dialogue, support communities and keep peacebuilding efforts alive. They have stepped in when formal systems have failed; their contribution has been essential to maintaining social cohesion.

When women are given space, resources and recognition, they can demonstrate what is possible. My own, more than three decade long experience in different conflict and post-conflict contexts has helped me to realize that three things are essential for progress: 1) strong political will to improve the status of women; 2) engagement with all levels of society and local communities and not just with the elite, to ensure meaningful participation on all levels; and 3) sufficient resources to be able to invest and advance the topic, WPS-agenda, both internally and internationally.

Finland remains committed to walking alongside Lebanese women to strengthen the WPS agenda.  Not leading from the front but supporting local priorities and reinforcing national efforts. And we believe that women’s leadership is not an optional addition to peace processes but rather a prerequisite for sustainable peace.