In Their Hands

Women across the globe are actively preventing conflict and building peace. As peacebuilders, decision-makers, changemakers and activists, women around the world have mediated with armed groups, negotiated and helped implement peace agreements, advanced political solutions, advocated for women’s rights and participation, led protest movements, built social cohesion and pushed for peaceful transitions from conflict to peace.

Yet, women are still frequently excluded from formal peace processes and decision-making. Their diverse experiences, knowledge and expertise often go unrecognized.

In 2000, the United Nations Security Council adopted its landmark resolution 1325, which recognized for the first time the importance of, and the need to strengthen, women’s full, equal, and meaningful participation in peace and political processes.

Twenty years and ten resolutions later, there has been progress but this promise has not been fully realized. Through this interactive exhibition, we invite you to discover some of the many women bringing and maintaining peace in the Middle East, South America and Africa.

And who better to capture their efforts than women photographers who share their struggles?

“Today, let’s be clear, women’s leadership is a cause. We must make it a norm. That is how we will transform international peace and security.”

- United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres