ÉñÂíÎçÒ¹¸£ÀûÍø

Bienvenidos a las Naciones Unidas
Idioma:
  1. Portada
  2. In Peru, more than 300 women leaders rise as peacebuilders

In Peru, more than 300 women leaders rise as peacebuilders

July 2025

Peacebuilding often begins where it¡¯s least expected ¨C at the grassroots, with women whose voices have long been silenced.

In Peru, where tensions persist among some communities and social conflicts arise sporadically, women demand a seat at the table. Slowly, with support from the Secretary-General¡¯s Peacebuilding Fund, they¡¯re transforming how peace is rebuilt and strengthened.

Despite global commitments, women remain largely excluded from peace processes. In 2023, they accounted for just 9.6% of negotiators, 13.7% of mediators, and 26.6% of signatories to peace agreements, according to UN Women. In Peru, the numbers echo this global gap: only 17.3% of participants in national dialogue forums are women. Among rural communities, fewer than 6% of leadership roles are held by women. This situation is also reflected among Indigenous Peoples.

Change, however, is taking root ¨C led by women at the grassroots.

A Network of Women for Peace

In response to these disparities, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Peru launched a grant competition to empower women-led organizations to undertake peacebuilding initiatives. Four grassroots groups - the Loyola Center in Ayacucho, the Organization for the Empowerment of Amazonian Girls and Women (ENMA) in Loreto, Tarpurisunchis Association of Apur¨ªmac, and the Wi?ay Warmi - Federation of Women of the Puno Region (FEMURP) were selected. The winning initiatives developed an assessment of social conflicts and a capacity-building plan to train women peace promoters. With technical support from UNDP, more than 300 women have now been trained. They¡¯ve facilitated community dialogues on critical issues like health and education with more than 30 authorities ¨C bridging gaps between citizens and decision-makers.

Breaking the Silence

Rosa Cachi, president of FEMURP, said, ¡°I ran for president in my community and they told me I wouldn't govern well. But if we manage our homes, how can we not manage our town?¡±

Rosa leads a network of Indigenous textile artisans promoting economic empowerment. Today, she is part of ¡°Women for Peace¡± initiative that built a network of more than 130 women in Puno working for the peaceful resolution of social conflicts.

¡°In Puno, we are more than 130 women learning about conflict transformation, participating in spaces for dialogue, and including conflict prevention as a focus in the Women's Agenda of two provinces,¡± shares Rosa, who hopes to one day run for mayor of her province.?
In Loreto, Fiorella P¨¦rez, speaks of a different kind of conflict. After being relocated from her community in Iquitos, she faced violence for defending her home. ¡°They moved us to a piece of land that was under legal dispute. I lived in fear for 11 years. They threatened to kill us.¡± She further added, ¡°We know the reality of what is happening within the community, but we are not taken into account to prevent or resolve social conflicts.¡±

That¡¯s changing. As a result of her participation in the initiative, many women have strengthened local women peacebuilding networks.

¡°We have created two Conflict Prevention Committees and are formalizing the Loreto Women's Network,¡± says Fiorella P¨¦rez proudly. These spaces are key to preventing land ownership disputes that in the past affected the lives of Fiorella and her family.

In 2025, the ¡°Women for Peace¡± conference brought together women leaders from different regions of the country, like Fiorella and Rosa. They gained valuable tools for advocacy, conflict management and political participation. This gathering fostered a collective voice and laid the groundwork of a national women¡¯s network for peace. ?

¡°Strengthening dialogue also means reducing participation gaps. This grant has benefited more than 350 women, today they are recognized as peace promoters in their communities¡± confirms Bettina Woll, UNDP¡¯s Resident Representative in Peru.

The work is part of Rimanakuy ¨C a Quechua word meaning ¡°we are listening to each other.¡± The initiative supported by the PBF and implemented by UNDP and OHCHR, the Resident Coordinator Office of the United Nations System and the Government of Peru, aims to strengthen the conflict prevention and management system at the national level and make key contributions to the protection of human rights.

Building Systems, Not Just Skills

Rimanakury isn¡¯t only about community empowerment ¨C it¡¯s also reshaping institutions. In 2024, the project helped reopen three regional prevention offices and inaugurate a fourth. A far-reaching open online course on conflict prevention was also launched in partnership with the National School of Public Administration. More than 2,000 civil servants have already enrolled. ?

Shifting the Paradigm

Initiatives like Women for Peace represent more than training or funding. They¡¯re seeding a cultural shift ¨C one where women lead dialogue, shape policy, and reimagine peace from the ground up.

They are helping to rewrite unwritten societal rules: that women belong in public