Our work with women in eastern Ukraine has shown even before the war escalated on 24 February 2022: Violence against women is a military tactic is, writes our programme manager Annemarie Sancar in the latest issue of à propos. Women's experiences must be part of the process of dealing with war crimes.

In the Annual Report 2022, you will learn everything important about our work in the past year - and why feminist visions of peace were put to a tough test.

Our new director, Deborah Schibler, brings a lot of experience in peacebuilding and peace processes from her various assignments around the world - and a lot of passion for the participation of women.

In the webinar "Memory and Transformation", experts and participants addressed the legacy of conflict-related violence and injustice. In particular, the webinar explored which voices and experiences are excluded when dealing with this legacy, which still resonates today, and what the consequences of this exclusion are. The recording of the webinar is now available.

Moments of recognition and understanding emerged during the exchange between peace activists from Colombia and the Philippines. Our programme officers Andrea Filippi and Karin Widmer were there.

The second issue focuses on the topic of "security". What does security mean from a feminist perspective? How does this understanding conflict with a military understanding of security? Read the nine contributions from our network.

UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on "Women, Peace and Security" is considered a milestone, but our work to implement the resolution reveals several points of criticism. Read more about the search for a truly feminist peace policy in the article by our programme manager Annemarie Sancar in KOFF's magazine à propos.

Our founder and president Ruth-Gaby Vermot-Mangold talks about her life and her commitment to women's peace work in an interview with the Croatian media platform Phralipen.

In an interview with our Ukrainian programme coordinator Olena Zinenko, she recalls the first days and months after the Russian attack on 24 February 2022 and talks about the path she has travelled since then. She also explains why women must be the driving force behind a future-oriented "life agenda" in Ukraine.

What images does the word "peace process" conjure up for you? You probably imagine years of negotiations, a ceremony at which the parties to the conflict sign an agreement and shake hands? We have deconstructed this common image and taken an in-depth look at the question: "How do women influence peace processes?" The result is a graphic representation of the different stages of peace processes. With this tool, we put the role of women centre stage and show where they exert influence to drive peace processes and prevent setbacks.

In this article, our director Deborah Schibler explains why the common images and narratives of peace processes need to become feminist. It was published in the March issue of à propos, the magazine of KOFF swisspeace.

Today, on International Women's Day for Peace and Disarmament, the Alliance for Women, Peace and Security launches its report on civil society priorities for the 5th Swiss National Action Plan to implement the Women, Peace and Security agenda. The report contains recommendations from Swiss civil society to make Switzerland – and the world – safer and more peaceful for all people, especially women, girls and queer people.

Since April 2023, Sudan has been embroiled in a brutal conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. As a result, tens of thousands of people have been killed, twelve million have been displaced, and famine is imminent. On 24 July 2024, the United States invited the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces to peace talks in Switzerland to take place on 14 August. So far, similar initiatives to bring about a ceasefire have failed. Prominent Sudanese mediator and peace activist Rabab Baldo is part of our global network Feminists Connecting for Peace. She has decades of experience working for a just peace in Sudan and explains what needs to happen for the talks in Switzerland to succeed.

Negotiations for a ceasefire in Sudan began in Geneva in mid-August. Fifteen Sudanese women also travelled there to demand to be part of the peace processes. In the swissinfo article, Rabab Baldo from our network and our director Deborah Schibler share their insights.

The danger of nuclear weapons being used is greater than it has been for decades. Russia announced that it would change its nuclear doctrine, i.e. lower the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons. For three years in a row, the nuclear powers have increased investment in their nuclear arsenals. Only a comprehensive ban can bring lasting security worldwide. Nuclear weapons – like armament and militarisation in general – promote armed conflicts. In no way do they contribute to comprehensive security. We are co-sponsors of the Initiative to Ban Nuclear Weapons (“Atomwaffenverbotsinitiative”) because we consistently advocate for global nuclear disarmament and demilitarisation. Switzerland must fulfil its obligations, also within the framework of the UN resolution on “Women, Peace and Security”. We urge you to support the initiative and to contribute to a more secure world.

The book “Voices along the way” records the stories of Ukrainian women from the first year of the Russian war of aggression. The 24 stories recount uncertainty and flight, upheaval, fear and hope. The book also poses the question: “When loud voices urge us to end the war, do they actually mean peace?” The 24 stories in the book thus become an important contemporary document.

The swissinfo podcast asks the question that drives us in our work: "Where are the voices of women in peace talks?" Our director Deborah Schibler and Larissa Mina Lee, Network and Advocacy, took part in the discussion.

On 31 October 2000, the UN Security Council Resolution on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) was adopted unanimously by all 15 members of the Council. At the core of the landmark resolution that launched the Women, Peace and Security agenda lies the fundamental principle that “peace is not possible without the full, equal, meaningful and safe participation and leadership of women and girls in all their diversity”. Twenty-five years later, the WPS agenda hangs by a thread.

How do you talk about peacebuilding during an ongoing war? It’s hard and challenging, but 20 Ukrainian women gathered in Lviv from 17-20 November 2025 and did just that.

Our founder and president, Ruth-Gaby Vermot, is stepping down. For decades, she has championed the visibility of the often undervalued work of women in countries affected by war and armed conflict. Her courageous vision of collectively nominating 1,000 women from around the world for the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize lives on in our collaboration with women and feminist activists in our programmes and within the Feminists Connecting for Peace network. In an interview with our colleague Larissa Mina Lee, she talks about successes, setbacks and hopes.

Fostering connections and exchange among women and feminist peacebuilders from countries affected by violent conflict is a central aim across all our programmes. To advance this goal, we invited two Sudanese and two Colombian peace activists to Switzerland. Over four days they shared experiences, strategies and approaches to feminist peacebuilding. They also met with decision-makers to highlight the challenges faced by women peace activists, particularly young ones, in their respective countries – and to voice their expectations.

Undoubtedly the world is experiencing a phase of radical change and uncertainty. The year 2025 has shown how negatively these developments impact feminist peacebuilding. In the annual report, you can find out how we and our partners are dealing with this.

On 27 September 2026, Swiss voters will vote on the Neutrality Initiative. Through its campaign slogan and the misuse of the peace dove, the initiative suggests that a "No" vote on the initiative amounts to a “No” to peace. This is misleading and demagogic. For these and other reasons, we are voting "No". Together with Frieda – the feminist peace organisation, we unequivocally reject the initiative’s content, purpose and form.