Women at the Table:

The Middle East faces persistent conflicts and crises—Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria serve as recent stark reminders of a region grappling with war and instability. While these conflicts inflict profound suffering on women, they also highlight their remarkable resilience. However, women’s essential contributions to ceasefire negotiations, reconstruction efforts, national reconciliation and peacebuilding initiatives remain largely overlooked, with their voices marginalized in regional and global discussions. Systemic injustices coupled with the international community’s selective engagement in addressing protracted conflicts, further impede women’s meaningful participation in peace processes. Despite these challenges, women across the MENA region are actively transforming the status quo through innovative approaches, creating vital spaces for dialogue and demonstrating the transformative power of inclusive peacebuilding.

The Middle East Council on Global Affairs in partnership with the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut, hosted a public panel on the sidelines of the third convening of the Women, Peace, and Security Working Group for the Arab States in Doha to explore ways to amplify women’s voices and reclaim narratives of peace and effective inclusion. It addressed critical questions: How can we bridge the gap between women’s grassroots peacebuilding efforts and formal peace negotiations? What role can regional and international organizations play in supporting and amplifying women-led peace initiatives? How do occupation and systemic injustice specifically impact women’s security and capacity to engage in peacebuilding? What innovative strategies have women developed to overcome barriers to participation in peace processes? How can we ensure women’s perspectives and experiences are central to conflict resolution and post-conflict reconstruction? Finally, what mechanisms can be established to protect women peacebuilders and human rights defenders in conflict zones?

Moderated by: Dalia Ghanem, Senior Fellow and Program Director, Middle East Council on Global Affairs

Ms. Sarah Douglas, Deputy Chief of Peace and Security at UN Women, delivered the keynote/opening remarks on behalf of UN Women as a co-organizer and co-lead of the Women, Peace, and Security Working Group. She underscored UN Women’s commitment to advancing the WPS agenda in the Arab States, emphasizing the necessity of women’s full, equal, and meaningful participation in peace processes. She highlighted the critical role of the WPS Working Group in fostering collaboration among stakeholders, bridging policy and practice, and ensuring that women’s voices shape peace and security efforts across the region.

Dalal Iriqat, Associate Professor of Diplomacy, the Arab American University in Palestine

• The disproportionate impact of occupation and conflict on Palestinian women has significantly increased recently. While past conflicts with Israel predominantly affected men—67% male casualties versus 14% female—the dynamics have shifted, with women and children now comprising 70% of the victims.
• Palestinian women are not merely passive victims but active agents of change, providing healthcare, education, and humanitarian aid while resisting systemic oppression.
• Hundreds of Palestinian women remain detained in Israeli prisons, highlighting the urgent need for justice and meaningful inclusion in peace processes beyond token representation.

Rouba Mhaissen, Founder and Director, SAWA for Development,

• In Syria, over 70% of displaced and internally displaced households are headed by women. These women navigate survival in conflict zones, negotiate access to aid, and lead informal mediation efforts.
• Despite being at the heart of community resilience, women remain absent from official peace negotiations.
• Women must be recognized as key stakeholders in political settlements rather than relegated to the margins.

Nourah Shuaibi, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Kuwait University

• The role of women in shaping foreign policy and peace efforts has evolved significantly. Traditionally, gender norms positioned men as fighters and women as caregivers; however, modern realities have transformed these roles.
• Women are increasingly active beyond the domestic sphere, playing central roles in protests, grassroots peacebuilding, and humanitarian initiatives across the region—from Sudan and Syria to Lebanon and Kuwait.
• Male allies are essential in dismantling patriarchal structures that confine women’s influence to civil society rather than political leadership.

Karma Ekmekji, Lead Advisor for the Peace and Security Hub, Issam Fares Institute at the American University of Beirut

• Proactive engagement is key to securing women’s place in peacebuilding. Without actively pushing for inclusion, women will remain absent from decision-making spaces. Conflict creates opportunities, and women must seize them.
• Networks play a crucial role in diplomacy and policymaking. Building and sustaining strong connections creates more opportunities for women.
• Women possess a unique ability to transform crises into opportunities—often in ways men may overlook.
• Introduced the concept of “diplo-preneurship”, advocating for a multifaceted approach that integrates mediation, politics, and the private sector. Furthermore, early training in diplomacy and negotiation is crucial to ensuring women’s long-term impact on peace processes.

The panel underscored the urgent need to institutionalize women’s roles in peacebuilding, ensuring their contributions extend beyond grassroots efforts to formal negotiations. Without their full inclusion, peace agreements risk being unsustainable and disconnected from those most affected by conflict. The event concluded with a resounding call to action to move beyond rhetoric and translate policies into tangible, lasting solutions for inclusive and just peace in the MENA region.