On 24–25 November, the Nordic Women Mediators (NWM) Network held its annual meeting in Copenhagen, hosted by the Danish NWM Network and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The event celebrated two milestones: the 25th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and a decade of NWM’s work to advance women’s participation in peace processes.
The meeting opened with the public conference “Beyond the WHY to the HOW: Women’s Inclusion as a Security Imperative,” featuring Margot Wallström, Helga Schmid, and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk. Panels spotlighted women peacebuilders including Atefa Tayeb, former Deputy Minister in Afghanistan’s Ministry for Parliamentary Affairs; Mariam Jalabi, Co-Founder of the Syrian Women’s Political Movement; Buthaina Asma Elnaeim, Executive Director of the Advocacy Group for Peace in Sudan; and Nivine Sandouka, Palestinian peace activist and Regional Director of the Alliance for Middle East Peace. Together, they called for greater investment in women-led initiatives, recognition of community structures, and sustained support for activists working under restrictive conditions.
Nordic perspectives focused on bridging research and practice and addressing the growing disconnect between women’s lived realities and the promises of the normative WPS framework. Torunn L. Tryggestad, Director of the PRIO Centre on Gender, Peace and Security, stressed the gap between knowledge and implementation: “We have the necessary data, but there is a lack of uptake. We know what works—let’s put the research to work.” Johanna Poutanen of CMI highlighted the challenge of adapting WPS strategies to an increasingly unpredictable geopolitical landscape.
On 25 November, members reviewed network activities, discussed country-specific priorities, and explored ways to reinforce women’s influence in peace efforts in Palestine, Syria, Sudan, and Afghanistan. The meeting also considered closer Nordic-Baltic cooperation, including the creation of a Baltic Women Mediators Network, reaffirming the region’s commitment to the WPS agenda amid global challenges such as democratic backsliding and rising militarisation.
