The war in Ukraine has led to the increasing celebration of toxic masculinity in the region. As a result, male identity is experiencing a serious crisis that affects a large number of men and women, writes Belarusian peace activist Olga Karatch in her article in the 2. edition of the "Feminists Connecting for Peace" magazine. She lists five ways to counter these patriarchal narratives.

"I had to close my heart and soul to work." Valentina Cherevatenko, Russian PeaceWoman, human rights defender and member of Women's Initiatives for Peace in Donbas(s) describes her despair after the Russian war of aggression began.

Feminists Connecting for Peace is our growing global network of peacebuilders. It grew out of the initiative “1000 Women for the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize” and has developed into a global community of peace activists. It aims to provide safety and solidarity; enable local, regional and global advocacy; give visibility to peacebuilders; ensure exchange, shared learning and knowledge sharing; and facilitate access to decision-making, resources and relevant actors. Through our Feminist Peace Initiatives (FPI), we provide technical and financial support to local, innovative and feminist peacebuilding initiatives and projects of our network members.

In November 2024, SOFAD with the support of PeaceWomen Across the Globe’s Feminist Peace Initiatives carried out a Women’s Peace Table to contribute to peace in the Great Lakes sub-region. The Women’s Peace Table facilitated the collaboration between the neighbouring countries DRC, Burundi and Rwanda by facilitating dialogue between different women, including some whose husbands, children and brothers are members of armed groups.