Feminists Connecting for Peace is our global network of women and feminist peacebuilders – from grassroots activists affected by armed conflict to women participating in formal peace negotiations. Since emerging from the initiative “1000 women for the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize”, it has evolved into a worldwide community for feminist peacebuilding. Joining the network provides members visibility, safety and access to knowledge and resources.

In 2025, 20 grassroots women activists and experienced women peace activists participated in seven online training sessions aimed at strengthening peacebuilding knowledge and skills and fostering an inclusive and supportive network of Afghan women peacebuilders. Women from different provinces across Afghanistan participated in the sessions, organised by Femina Afghanistan. We supported these sessions through our Feminist Peace Initiatives.

For the first time in a decade, Jewish Israeli and Palestinian feminists who hold Israeli citizenship came together to reflect on the past years, share their analyses and imagine alternative nonviolent futures. In the shadow of two years of devastating war on Gaza and the ongoing regional war in the Middle East, the discussions were often difficult and painful. But they also led participants to the conclusion that spaces for feminist political discussions are “not a luxury but a necessity”.  We supported this gathering with our Feminist Peace Initiatives.

In November 2024, SOFAD with the support of PeaceWomen Across the Globe’s Feminist Peace Initiatives carried out a Women’s Peace Table to contribute to peace in the Great Lakes sub-region. The Women’s Peace Table facilitated the collaboration between the neighbouring countries DRC, Burundi and Rwanda by facilitating dialogue between different women, including some whose husbands, children and brothers are members of armed groups.

Ever since a team around our founder and president gathered the names of 1000 women peacebuilders from across the globe and nominated them collectively for the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize, we have understood how fundamental networks are to peacebuilding and specifically to women’s peace work. We also know: networks need to be cultivated and cared for. With this in mind, we invited 12 women peacebuilders to come together in Bern in February 2024.

Two workshops for 60 women peacebuilders directly affected by the armed conflict focused on strengthening their capacity to increase the visibility of their peace work and to advocate for their inclusion in peace processes. The workshops, organised by Badya Centre for Integrated Development Services, took place in Dilling, South Kordofan State, in southern Sudan in February 2025. We supported these workshops with our Feminist Peace Initiatives.

Our advocacy aims to create political impact and achieve a feminist vision of peace. The focus is on the implementation of key human rights instruments that form the basis for a peaceful and gender-just world.

The landmark UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) was passed in 2000. In the 25 years since then, more than 110 countries have adopted a National Action Plan for the implementation of the resolution, highlighting the potential of the WPS agenda as an instrument for transformative change.

Together with our network partners and like-minded civil society organisations, we take a public stand on peace-related issues and on violations of women's and human rights, hold decision-makers accountable and raise our voices in solidarity with our partners when they demand compliance with international human rights standards in their countries.

We engage in alliances with like-minded organisations in referenda in Switzerland on political proposals and initiatives on issues relevant to our work.

We take a public stand on peace-related events and issues, together with like-minded organisations or in solidarity with members of our global network Feminists Connecting for Peace. We also participate in consultations. Our feminist understanding of peace and the focus on women’s and human rights are central to this political work.

After the news broke of Hamas’ attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, reports began to circulate about sexualised violence perpetrated primarily against Israeli women. As time went by, more harrowing reports of acts of brutality became public. We condemn these acts of sexualised violence in the strongest possible terms and are shocked by the manifest misogyny and cruelty the women were subjected to. We distance ourselves from all those who relativise these and other acts of sexualised violence and stand in solidarity with the victims and their fight for recognition and accountability. With this collection of contributions, we strengthen the voices of those who have thought deeply about the issue of sexualised violence in the Israel-Palestine conflict.

On the start of the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2023, we ask the head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs Ignazio Cassis in an open letter to what extent the commitments of the Women, Peace and Security agenda will be taken into account at the conference. We also express our regret that civil society, especially women's organisations, are not included in this important conference on the reconstruction of Ukraine.

We are horrified by the recent escalation of violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and condemn the widespread attacks on the civilian population. We call upon all decision-makers in the region and the international community to respect International Humanitarian Law and human rights and to protect the civilian populations through all available means. In the meantime, we are making all efforts to support our network member in the DRC, who faces imminent danger.

We are horrified by the recent escalation of violence in Israel and Gaza and appalled by the loss of life. We condemn the violent attack by Hamas against the Israeli civilian population in the strongest terms. We also, decidedly, condemn the violence used by Israeli Forces against the Palestinian civilian population. Together with civil society and peace organisations in Israel and Palestine, we call upon all decision-makers there to respect International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and human rights and to protect the civilian populations through all available means. This includes, among others, an immediate end to Hamas’ hostage-taking of civilians and to the blockade of Gaza imposed by the Israeli government, cutting the population off, especially from access to water, food, electricity and fuel.

PeaceWomen Across the Globe is horrified by the unspeakable atrocities committed in this asymetrical war against Gaza. The scale of destruction and loss of human lives is beyond words.

As a feminist peace organisation based and rooted in Switzerland, we support the feminist strike and the concerns and demands of those striking. On 14 June and beyond. We do so because gender justice and feminist visions of peace are at the core of our work, both in Switzerland and around the world.

One year after the start of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, there are no signs of a ceasefire, let alone peace. Since 24 February 2022, more than 200,000 soldiers and, depending on the source, up to 50,000 civilians have lost their lives in the gruesome war. Every day the numbers rise and the suffering increases. On the anniversary of the attack, we are issuing a renewed appeal with a special focus on the participation and protection of women.

With Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, the UN Security Council passed a milestone in feminist peace and security policy in October 2000, marking the launch of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda. The WPS agenda lies at the core of our work across our programmes, in our advocacy and in our work with our global network Feminists Connecting for Peace.

What images do the words "peace processes" evoke in your mind? Do you imagine years of negotiations culminating in a ceremony where the parties to the conflict sign an agreement, followed by a photo of the handshake that goes around the world? We questioned and deconstructed this common perception and took an in-depth look at peace processes focusing on the question: "How do women influence peace processes?’"

More than 2,700 billion US Dollars. That is the global military expenditure in 2024. It marks the steepest rise in such spending since 1988. This stark figure underscores a world increasingly reliant on military solutions to achieve security. In sharp contrast: PeaceWomen Across the Globe firmly stands for non-violent conflict transformation. We believe that lasting security can only be achieved through inclusive dialogue and not through weapons or military deterrence.

From policy briefs and reports to contributions by activists in the Feminists Connecting for Peace network to the biographies of the 1000 PeaceWomen: our publications provide an insight into our political and project work and into the activities in our global network.

What does security mean to you? Which people, places, sounds and senses make you feel safe? What is threatening your safety? These questions are central in discussions within our global network of feminist peace activists. Therefore, we chose to focus on safety and security for this second edition of the «Feminists Connecting for Peace» magazine.

The “Feminists Connecting for Peace” magazine showcases the diverse work of our global network.