LocationsHope, power, action: Women reclaiming peace
July 22, 2025
Women play a critical role in conflict prevention, resolution and peacebuilding. Believing that culture has the power to heal, Aliona Kompaniiets is creating a media centre to share Ukrainian songs and stories.
This year, we mark 30 years since the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, and we reflect on over two decades of progress implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.
Something I reflected on earlier this year with colleagues from around the world working on gender equality, is that gender equality is not just a technical goal—it is an endeavour that demands courage, persistence and solidarity. As we navigate a world marked by conflict, climate disruption and democratic backsliding, the Women, Peace and Security agenda is more urgent than ever. It is our blueprint for transforming power relations and placing women’s leadership at the heart of crisis response and recovery.
UNDP and the Government of France are working to bring this vision to life. From Ukraine to Chad to Mongolia: equipped with new information, technology and opportunities, women are transforming communities and accelerating recovery.
Ukraine: Women restoring hope amidst war
As war continues to displace millions in Ukraine, women are stepping up to lead recovery and rebuild community trust. With support from the Government of France, UNDP financed nine community recovery projects designed and led by nearly 90 women—who also received training in project management and advocacy.
These women are addressing urgent needs: from preserving cultural heritage to improving access to jobs and mental health services. Women-led hubs have supported over 2,500 people, offering services like maternal care and storytelling-based healing. Aliona Kompaniiets, 24, is creating a media centre to share Ukrainian songs and stories. Anna Shcherbakova transformed her library into a support hub for women in non-traditional jobs.
The results speak for themselves: 96 percent of project participants reported stronger leadership capacities, 93 percent felt motivated to engage in local planning, and 90 percent said they felt safer in their communities.
These stories from Ukraine remind us that recovery is not only about rebuilding infrastructure—it is about restoring dignity, agency and trust. Women are leading this charge, and our role is to amplify and support their efforts.
For women grappling with fear and anxiety, Anna Shcherbakova's libraries provide a sense of safety, hope and connection.
Chad: From economic empowerment to political leadership
In Mandelia, Chad, women face poverty, climate stress and limited access to electricity—conditions that deepen dependence and vulnerability. With support from France, UNDP provided solar-powered infrastructure, boosting agricultural yields and enabling financial independence.
Over 5,000 women benefited from training, cooperative development and clean energy kits. A women-run agroecological hub now includes a solar-powered daycare—an investment in both leadership and intergenerational resilience.
A new women-run agroecological hub has brought more than economic empowerment. When women gain financial independence and rights awareness, they begin to reshape the political and social fabric of their communities.
But empowerment goes beyond economics. Through training, women like Rémadji Tobaye Anasthasie and Aché Tom gained confidence to engage in local decision-making and political processes. Aché previously thought only literate women could speak among men, but now she is out in front, fearless, speaking on behalf of women. Rémadji meanwhile plans to take future opportunities to run for elections.
What we see in Mandelia is more than economic empowerment—it is a shift in power. When women gain financial independence and rights awareness, they begin to reshape the political and social fabric of their communities. This is the kind of structural transformation we must continue to invest in—where clean energy, care infrastructure and civic participation intersect to unlock women’s leadership.
Through training, women like Rémadji Tobaye Anasthasie gained the confidence to engage in local decision-making and political processes.
Mongolia: Women leading the clean energy transition
In Mongolia’s ger districts, coal reliance has led to deadly air pollution. UNDP installed solar-powered heating systems in 68 households—40 headed by women—and trained women to maintain and promote them.
The results are tangible: 67 percent of households reported energy cost savings, and 64 percent of women gained up to four hours daily for paid work, caregiving, or community engagement. Indoor air quality improved in 80 percent of homes, with fewer respiratory illnesses among children.
Women like Ms. Tsetsegee Tsend-Ayush and Tumentsetseg Baljinnyam are now speaking in national forums, positioning ger dwellers—and women—as agents of change.
With funding from France, UNDP installed solar-powered heating systems in Mongolian households and trained women to maintain and promote them.
Mongolia’s clean energy transition shows us that climate action and gender equality are not parallel goals—they are deeply intertwined. When women are equipped with the tools and knowledge to lead, they do not just adapt to climate change—they drive the solutions. This is the future we must build: one where women are not only protected from environmental harm but positioned as architects of resilience.
Women like Tumentsetseg Baljinnyam are now speaking in national forums, showing that women are agents of change in Mongolia's clean energy transition.
Women at the Centre: Advancing peace, power and possibility
The Women, Peace and Security agenda is not just a framework—it is a force for transformation. In the face of conflict, climate disruption and democratic backsliding, it offers a path forward: one rooted in women’s leadership, community resilience and sustainable development.
France’s commitment to feminist foreign policy has been a catalyst for innovation. Through the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Funding Window, UNDP has been able to pilot bold, locally driven solutions—from Ukraine to Chad to Mongolia. These initiatives are not isolated successes; they are proof points of what is possible when women are trusted as architects of peace and recovery.
As we expand our work to Burundi, Moldova and Gaza, our commitment remains clear: to invest in women not as beneficiaries, but as changemakers. This is not just a project—it is a movement. Together, we are building fairer, more inclusive societies—one community, one leader, one breakthrough at a time.
The UNDP Women, Peace and Security Project in Ukraine, Chad and Mongolia was made possible thanks to support from the Government of France through the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Funding Window.