At the Geneva Peace Forum, the Global Cities Hub joined a session exploring women’s leadership and meaningful participation in peacebuilding. At its heart were Woman on Rope, a short film by Guila Clara Kessous, and the Femina Pax Resolution, an initiative calling for women to make up at least 30% of participants in UN-led peace negotiations and mediation processes. The resolution invites individuals to lend their support by signing it. Opening remarks were delivered by Eric Tistounet (former Chief of the Human Rights Council Branch at OHCHR) and Asya Varbanova (Deputy Chief at UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia), after which a high-level roundtable brought together Guila Clara Kessous (UNESCO Artist for Peace), Eline Morsink (Municipality of The Hague, seconded to the Global Cities Hub) and Renata Hessmann Dalaqua (UNIDIR), with the discussion moderated by Alasdair Ross (The Economist).
The event highlighted that women do not suddenly arrive in positions of influence: conditions for meaningful participation are shaped long before they reach international decision-making and formal peace negotiations. Women’s safety, economic independence, ability to participate in public life and recognition by institutions all shape their opportunities to exercise influence. Women are not a homogeneous group: intersecting circumstances such as poverty, displacement, discrimination, disability or legal insecurity can create additional barriers to meaningful participation. Local and regional governments therefore have an important role to play, from promoting access to education and supporting women’s organisations to creating safer and more inclusive public spaces and preventing gender-based violence.
Participants drew an important distinction between representation and meaningful participation: presence is not the same as influence. Measurable commitments such as the Femina Pax target matter, but numbers cannot be the endpoint. Women must also be able to set agendas, challenge assumptions and shape decisions. This depends on broader societal change, including the engagement of men and boys in advancing equality, respect and inclusion. Institutions themselves therefore need to create fair and inclusive pathways to participation, leadership and influence. Ensuring a genuine voice for people affected by decisions is not only a matter of equality but can also strengthen trust, legitimacy and the quality of decision-making.
Cities are not simply places where the consequences of conflict are felt; they are also places where more peaceful and inclusive societies can be built. For The Hague, the International City of Peace and Justice, this shows how local social policy and efforts to promote equality are closely connected to wider ambitions for peace and justice. This is a theme that will also resonate during The Hague Justice Week next month. For the Global Cities Hub, the discussion underlines the importance of bringing local experiences and perspectives into global discussions on peace, human rights and inclusive governance. Strengthening dialogue between cities and international actors can help ensure that these discussions are better informed by realities on the ground.
Read more:
English 
French 
Spanish