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?