Women’s Alliance for Peace: Greater global awareness needed to address conflict in DRC

March 3, 2025, Madrid – The Women’s Alliance for Peace, a joint initiative of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and Women for Africa Foundation, held a special virtual meeting on February 18, bringing together 30 grassroots women leaders from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Mali, and the Central African Republic (CAR). During the meeting, participants shared testimonies on the impact of their work on the ground and identified key strategies to raise awareness, foster dialogue, and develop sustainable peace solutions.

One of the central topics of discussion was the humanitarian and security crisis in the Kivu region (DRC), where Congolese women mediators contributed their experiences and insights. In addition to expressing solidarity and support, the participants emphasized the urgent need for greater global awareness and explored potential actions to address the ongoing violence and instability in the region.

The Women’s Alliance for Peace works to amplify and strengthen the role of women as peacebuilders, negotiators, and mediators in Africa. The Women, Peace, and Security Agenda, adopted by the United Nations more than two decades ago, reminds us of a fundamental truth: there can be no lasting peace without the active participation of women. In contexts such as Sudan and the DRC, excluding women from the process means perpetuating conflict. Their leadership is not only necessary but essential to breaking cycles of violence and rebuilding more equitable and stable societies.

Through this initiative, African women leading civil society organizations and playing an active role in mediation and conflict resolution have received capacity-building support to strengthen their impact in their respective countries.

Women’s organizations working in these conflict-affected areas play a key role in documenting, researching, and exposing human rights violations, as well as in supporting survivors. Women for Africa Foundation has witnessed their crucial work firsthand in Mali, CAR, DRC, and Sudan and considers it essential to give visibility to their efforts, highlight their impact, and facilitate the exchange of best practices and lessons learned among these women leaders and their teams.

Meetings like this are essential to strengthening the exchange of strategies and experiences, empowering women in conflict resolution, and paving the way for an inclusive and lasting peace.