1. Protecting Colombia’s Most Vulnerable on the Road to “Total Peace”

Colombia’s most isolated and unprotected citizens, including rural women and children, are among the primary victims of criminal and armed groups. The recruitment of minors into armed groups, together with sexual exploitation and gender-based violence, have become hallmark forms of coercion practised by these groups.

Published on 24 February 2023.

2. Taliban Restrictions on Women’s Rights Deepen Afghanistan’s Crisis

The Taliban have barred women from universities and many workplaces, compelling several aid organisations to pause operations in Afghanistan and donors to contemplate cuts to assistance. Yet the principled response remains to mitigate the harm these harsh rulings are doing to the most vulnerable Afghans.

Published on 23 February 2023.

3. Breaking Gender and Age Barriers amid Myanmar’s Spring Revolution

Politics in Myanmar is traditionally the domain of older men, but women and youth have been prominent in resistance to the 2021 military takeover. Giving them a bigger voice could have a positive effect on the country’s political culture, no matter how the crisis ends.

Published on 16 February 2023.

4. Fighting While Female, How Gender Dynamics Are Shaping the War in Ukraine

Ukraine is rightly proud of its female fighters as it battles for survival. 

In this Foreign Affairs op-ed, our Europe and Central Asia Program Director Olga Oliker called upon Ukraine to walk the talk and make its armed forces truly welcoming to women and LGBTQ+ and move past sexist portrayals of female combatants.

Published on 21 November 2022.

5. Mitigating the Gendered Effects of Ukraine’s Refugee Crisis

After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we warned that Kyiv’s decision to forbid men to leave the country made the journey of internally displaced people and refugees – mainly women and children – more dangerous and the task of rebuilding their lives much harder. 

Published on 16 March 2022.

6. Women in El Salvador’s Gang War

Floor Keuleers and Natasha Mulenga Hornsby shared portraits of women swept up by the war on gangs in El Salvador. Their visual journey shows how everyday life for Salvadoran girls and women is fraught with the risk of violence.

Published in August 2022.

7. Can War be Feminist?

During last year’s International Women’s Day, Richard Atwood, Naz Modiradeh and Azadeh Moaveni discussed the complex relationship between gender and conflict and how it shapes conflict trends across the globe

Published on 11 March 2022.

8. Rebels, Victims, Peacebuilder: Women in Cameroon’s Anglophone Conflict

Years of fighting between separatists and the state in Cameroon have hit women hard, uprooting hundreds of thousands. The government and external partners should step up aid for the displaced. Donors should start planning now for including women activists in future peace talks.

Published on 23 February 2022. 

9. Southern Philippines: Fostering an Inclusive Bangsamoro

The peace process in the Bangsamoro, the newly autonomous region in the southern Philippines, is making progress. But several groups, including minorities and women, could be better represented. Donors should join hands with interim authorities to ensure that self-rule delivers for all the area’s residents.

Published on 18 February 2022. 

10. Women and Peacebuilding in Pakistan’s North West

Women in north-western Pakistan have long been at the forefront of activism to bring peace and security to the region. More work is needed on legal, political and economic reforms for their protection and to help them make the greatest contribution possible to civic life.

Published on 14 February 2022.