Twelve women peacebuilders from across the OSCE region and Afghanistan complete Women’s Peace Leadership Mentoring Programme

On 9 October, OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid hosted the closing ceremony of the first edition of the OSCE Women’s Peace Leadership Programme, a high-level mentorship programme supporting women’s inclusion in peace and security at all levels.

Running from October 2022 to October 2023, the one-year programme provided 12 young peacebuilders from across the OSCE region and Afghanistan with extensive training on leadership, mediation and dialogue facilitation. They were supported by internationally renowned women leaders, including diplomats, mediators and negotiators in formal peace processes.  

In her opening remarks, Secretary General Schmid stressed that supporting women’s leadership in peace and mediation, peacebuilding and conflict resolution is vital for sustainable peace and stability.

“This programme was designed with the goal to support women’s leadership and provide young peacebuilders with powerful tools to become leaders in their own communities and to play an active role in peace processes, but also to empower them to make decisions at all levels,” the Secretary General said.

In recognition of the critical role that women play in peacebuilding, participants shared stories of personal empowerment and their recommendations on what the OSCE can do to enhance women’s meaningful inclusion towards effective peacebuilding in the next editions of the mentoring programme.

The OSCE Women’s Peace Leadership Programme is one of the flagship activities of the OSCE Networking Platform for Women Leaders including Peacebuilders and Mediators launched by the OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid in December 2021 and implemented under the multi-year and multi donor extra-budgetary project WIN for Women and Men.