On October 24, 2023, a remarkable interactive street airt exhibition cryed ‘Peace Begins wi Her’ teen place ootside e Unitit Nations Heidquarters in New York. Iss exhibition aimed for tae honour e invaluable contribution o wimmen peacebuilders an peacekeepers til the pursuit o peace globally.

Organised by e Unitit Nations Department o Peace Operations, e United Nations Department o Political an Peacebuildin Affairs, UN Wimmen, an e Elsie Initiative Fund, e event featured fifty lairge portraits o wimmen peacekeepers an peacebuilders as pairt o an Inside Oot Photobooth Action. Ese portraits served as a pouerfu reminder o the urgent need tae ensure the inclusion o wimmen in endin conflict an biggin sustainable peace.

E exhibition coincided wi the annual Open Debate on Wimmen, Peace, an Security, faar the Security Council assessed wimmen’s participation in peace processes. It heichlichtit the importance o implementin UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000), fit recognizes the crucial role o wimmen in peace efforts an caas for eir fu, equal, an meaningfu participation.

Despite e progress made syne e adoption o Resolution 1325, wimmen’s richts warldwide continue tae be threatened, an eir voices aften silenced. E exhibition shed licht on e courage an resilience o wimmen peacebuilders like Joenia Wapichana an Pétronille Vaweka, at hae dedicated eir lives tae promotin peace an dignity in eir communities.

In a warld marked by conflict an uncertainty, e ‘Peace Begins wi Her’ exhibition emphasizsed e vital role o wimmen in biggin an protectin peace. By showcasin e stories o UN peacekeepers, local peace activists, an peacebuilders fae diverse regions, e exhibition unnerscored e universal significance o wimmen’s contributions til peace.

As we reflect on the pouerfu message o ‘Peace Begins wi Her,’ we are reminded o the ongaan need for tae advance wimmen’s fu participation in peace an political processes. By addin oor vyces til e global movement for wimmen’s empooerment an peace, we can collectively strive towards a mair inclusive an harmonious warld.