Women Must Play Central Role in Building Lasting Peace, Federation President Says

Addis Ababa, July 14, 2026 (FMC) — President of the Ethiopian Women’s Federation Ayelech Eshetie has called for women to play a central role in building lasting peace and shaping the country’s future.

Ayelech made the remarks during a joint peace forum held in Addis Ababa, co-organized by the International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG) and the Ethiopian Women’s Federation.

The forum brought together women leaders from civic organizations, academic institutions and government bodies, including representatives from the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs.

Highlighting the historic role of women in preserving families, resolving conflicts and nurturing communities, Ayelech stressed that sustainable peace requires the full participation of women in leadership, decision-making, mediation and national development efforts.

She said strong partnerships are essential to developing practical solutions to challenges facing communities. She noted that the forum provides an important platform for exchanging experiences, promoting peace education and strengthening women’s leadership.

Ayelech also expressed hope that the gathering would pave the way for a formal memorandum of understanding (MoU) and long-term joint initiatives between the two organizations.

Director of IWPG Global Region 2 Seo Yeon Lee also underscored the importance of collaboration, noting that sustainable peace can only be achieved through the collective efforts of governments, civil society organizations, academic institutions and local communities.

Lee said IWPG’s objective is not to replace existing local initiatives but to learn from and strengthen Ethiopia’s ongoing peacebuilding and education programs.

She emphasized that Ethiopia already has many strong peacebuilding efforts and that IWPG seeks to expand international cooperation by building on existing strengths to create greater impact together.