Restoring Hope Through Her Leadership: How Women Are Shaping Peace After Conflict

The UNDP and France’s Global Women, Peace and Security Initiative empowered women in Chad, Mongolia, and Ukraine to lead recovery, peacebuilding, and climate action in crisis-hit communities. It proved that when women lead, societies rebuild faster, stronger, and more sustainably.

The Global Women, Peace and Security Initiative – Phase I Report (2024–2025), developed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with support from the Government of France and research input from OCHA, UNHCR, IOM, and UN Women, showcases how women in Chad, Mongolia, and Ukraine are driving recovery in fragile and conflict-affected areas. With an investment of €1 million, the project reached over 25,000 people, 70 percent of whom were women, demonstrating that empowering women is crucial to rebuilding societies devastated by war, climate change, and displacement.

Rising Leaders in Chad’s Fragile Heartlands

In Mandelia, a flood-hit commune in southwest Chad, women who had long been excluded from leadership stepped forward as agents of peace and development. Through training in civic participation, gender equality, and small business management, they began to shape local decision-making and restore community trust. Literacy classes and women-led cooperatives introduced solar-powered irrigation systems that improved farming, especially moringa cultivation. Over 5,000 women gained economic independence, 500 adopted climate-smart agriculture, and community dialogues reduced gender-based violence.

“Before, we didn’t have a voice. Today, we are listened to,” said one participant. Women like Rémadji Tobaye Anasthasie now plan to run for local office, while others like Amina Adoum lead women’s groups and advocate for equality. Despite challenges like low literacy and insecurity, the project changed deep-rooted social norms, helping women move, as one leader put it, “from the back to the front.”

From Coal Smoke to Clean Energy in Mongolia

In Mongolia, the initiative tackled air pollution and energy poverty in Ulaanbaatar and Erdenet, where many families rely on coal for heating. Women-headed households received solar and electric systems, reducing both costs and exposure to hazardous air. Time once spent gathering fuel was redirected toward family care and small businesses.

Training on leadership, governance, and climate advocacy turned women into local changemakers. Two women’s advocacy networks were formed, and partnerships with the Ministry of Energy and the National Committee on Gender Equality helped integrate gender perspectives into national energy policies. Fourteen of the fifteen engineers trained in gender-responsive energy planning were women. Inspired by these results, the Governor of Chingeltei District pledged $300,000 to expand the model.

Stories like Tsetsgee Tsend-Ayush, who went from tending a coal stove to speaking at national forums, and Gantuya Nyamdovdon, whose daughter’s asthma disappeared after switching to clean energy, capture the project’s impact. “Since we installed the new system, I finally sleep without fear,” said Gantuya. The initiative also influenced Mongolia’s Just Energy Transition and carbon market framework, embedding gender equality in climate policy.

Women Rebuilding Ukraine from the Ground Up

In war-torn Ukraine, the project supported women-led recovery hubs in Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Zakarpattia, offering safety, psychosocial support, and economic opportunities to more than 2,500 women. Women trained in project management, advocacy, and non-violent communication launched nine recovery projects, from solar-powered charging stations and maternal health upgrades to cultural preservation initiatives.

One of them, Anna Shcherbakova, transformed 24 libraries into digital learning and support centers. In Kharkiv, Aliona Kompaniiets created a media center to revive Ukrainian folk culture, and in Zakarpattia, Maryna Stashina-Neimet, who is visually impaired, worked to make public services accessible for displaced people. “Recovery is not just about rebuilding infrastructure, it’s about restoring trust and hope,” said Anna. Despite constant air raids and power cuts, 96% of women reported improved leadership capacity, and local governments began allocating funds to women’s projects.

A Global Movement for Feminist Peacebuilding

Beyond the three countries, the initiative sparked global learning. Its methods are now being shared with Burundi, Gaza, and Moldova, helping women in other fragile states apply similar models. France played a central role in amplifying the message, through embassy field visits, media engagement, and high-level advocacy at the UN Commission on the Status of Women and the UN Security Council’s open debate on Women, Peace and Security. The partnership showcased France’s feminist foreign policy in action, proving how diplomacy can fuel inclusive recovery.

The Future: Scaling Women’s Power for Peace

The report concludes with a call to expand and sustain successful models. Future phases will strengthen women’s economic empowerment as an entry point for peace, boost financing for women-led organizations, and promote behavioral change to challenge gender bias. The initiative’s next phase already extends to Burundi, Gaza, and Moldova, with potential expansion to the Sahel, South Caucasus, and Central Asia.

From moringa farms in Chad to solar panels in Mongolia and libraries in Ukraine, the Global Women, Peace and Security Initiative proves that when women lead, societies recover faster and stronger. It’s a story of courage, innovation, and unity, showing that peace is not only possible but sustainable when women are at the heart of it.