From Margin to Centre: Acknowledging & Strengthening Minority Women’s Role in Peacebuilding

The link between violations of the rights of national minorities and the emergence or exacerbation of violent conflict has long been recognized by the international community. At the same time, frameworks like the Women, Peace and Security Agenda have highlighted women’s critical contributions to peace and security. Yet, the intersection of gender and minority identity remains still insufficiently addressed in peacebuilding and transitional justice processes, and policy frameworks.

The OSCE, together with the Council of Europe and Legal Action Worldwide, is organising a panel at the Geneva Peace Week 2025: "From Margin to Centre: Acknowledging & Strengthening Minority Women’s Role in Peacebuilding". The panel will underline the need for inclusive approaches for sustainable peace and showcase some of the pivotal efforts to empower minority women to participate in conflict resolution. Experts from institutional, civil society, and activist backgrounds, will share experiences and insights on working at the intersection of gender, minorities, and peacebuilding.

Opening Remarks

• Ambassador Christophe Kamp, OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities
• Ambassador Miroslav Papa, Special Representative of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe for United Nations

Panellists

• Antonia Mulvey, Founder and Executive Director,  Legal Action Worldwide
• Prof. Judith Wyttenbach, Member, Council of Europe Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities in respect of Switzerland and Gender Equality Rapporteur (online)
• Terezia Rostas, Founder, Care for Young People’s Future CIC & Welcoming Cultures UK/ Roma cultural producer | Human rights and gender justice advocate
• Hernan Vales, Chief, Indigenous Peoples and Minorities Section, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)

Closing remarks

• Dr. Lara Scarpitta, OSCE Senior Adviser on Gender Issues and Head of the Gender Issues Programme

Moderator:

• Clara Friedrich, OSCE Adviser on Gender Equality

Register for the event here.

Background 

Minority women often face intersecting forms of discrimination based on their gender as well as their ethnic, national, religious, or linguistic identity. These overlapping inequalities can deepen during times of conflict, placing minority women at heightened risk of violence, displacement, and exclusion. Despite this, they frequently play key roles in supporting their communities, preserving social cohesion, and leading grassroots peace efforts. Yet, research has shown that minority women are significantly underrepresented in conflict resolution and decision-making spaces. Their perspectives and contributions are routinely neglected in formal peace and security processes. All too often, the gendered impacts of conflict go overlooked and unaddressed. Minority women face numerous barriers to participation, including societal norms and stereotypes, gender discrimination, as well as limited access to education, employment, justice and resources. Their absence from decision-making and dialogue forums not only reflects broader patterns of marginalization but also represents a missed opportunity to build more inclusive and sustainable peace.

It is essential to recognize the agency and expertise of minority women. Their lived experiences offer valuable insights into the root causes of conflict and pathways to reconciliation. Intersectional approaches that address both gender and minority status are crucial to ensuring peacebuilding efforts are truly inclusive. As the global community prepares to mark the 25th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, it is more urgent than ever to bring the voices of minority women to the centre and to dismantle the barriers that prevent their full and equal participation in peace processes.