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UK Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom 2017 General Election Manifesto

May 2017

The UK section of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) asks all political parties and prospective Members of Parliament to commit to integrating women’s full human rights into every aspect of political policy. In particular, there should be a particular focus on three areas of change:…

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Adoption of the WILPF Manifesto: renewing a centennial commitment to peacemaking

April 2015

Today, 23 April 2015, marks an historic moment for WILPF, as we celebrate the founding of the organisation 100 years ago and renew our commitment to peacemaking by adopting the WILPF 2015 Manifesto. ABOUT 300 WILPF WOMEN GET TOGETHER TO DISCUSS THE MANIFESTO The WILPF 2015 Manifesto, the official…
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WILPF Manifesto 2015

February 2015

Curious to know more about WILPF’s intentions, views and work? The Manifesto is our official declaration and our renewed commitment to peacebuilding in the 21st century. The Manifesto was adopted in 2015, at our centennial Congress in The Hague. It reiterates and sets our guiding principles and intentions for…

Our Work

November 2023

Our Work Stay updated To achieve our vision of a world of permanent peace, we work towards four interconnected goals. Transformed Mindsets Violence Prevented Feminist Alternatives A Powerful Movement As a mobiliser, convenor and thought leader, we work hand in hand with activists, partners, networks, coalitions, platforms and civil…

About us

October 2023

About Us Founded in 1915, the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) is a membership-based feminist peacebuilding organisation with presence and impact around the world. Our global movement includes member Sections and Groups in over 40 countries across the Americas, Africa, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South Asia and the…

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WILPF’s New President: Get to Know Sylvie Jacqueline Ndongmo

July 2022

Q: How long have you been involved with WILPF, and what first inspired you to join the movement? A: Ten years ago, I got familiar with WILPF and its work at the AWID Forum in Istanbul, Turkey. While there, I visited WILPF’s stands and participated in workshops organised by…

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Holding Onto Nonviolence and Feminism in the Midst of War

May 2022

When Putin ordered Russian troops to invade Ukraine, attempting to restore Russia’s position in the global imperialist chess game, the outrage and disbelief over another war being unleashed was widespread. For us that have experienced war, the images of destruction and suffering were all too familiar. Protests to stop…

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F*** you and your world order! Voices for peace, freedom, and solidarity

March 2022

I borrowed this slogan from a recent rally in support of the people of Ukraine, organised by an informal group of anti-war activists in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. We used it on one of our signs and it quickly became one of our most popular signs, appreciated by Bosnians…

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WILPF Austria: Then and NOW!

June 2021

We are thrilled to announce that a new member has just joined the fold of our movement: WILPF Austria! The newly established Group will be celebrating its launch with a special event titled “1921–2021 Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom: Then and NOW!” The event, which will take…

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Melissa Torres

VICE-PRESIDENT

Prior to being elected Vice-President, Melissa Torres was the WILPF US International Board Member from 2015 to 2018. Melissa joined WILPF in 2011 when she was selected as a Delegate to the Commission on the Status of Women as part of the WILPF US’ Practicum in Advocacy Programme at the United Nations, which she later led. She holds a PhD in Social Work and is a professor and Global Health Scholar at Baylor College of Medicine and research lead at BCM Anti-Human Trafficking Program. Of Mexican descent and a native of the US/Mexico border, Melissa is mostly concerned with the protection of displaced Latinxs in the Americas. Her work includes training, research, and service provision with the American Red Cross, the National Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Centre, and refugee resettlement programs in the U.S. Some of her goals as Vice-President are to highlight intersectionality and increase diversity by fostering inclusive spaces for mentorship and leadership. She also contributes to WILPF’s emerging work on the topic of displacement and migration.

Jamila Afghani

VICE-PRESIDENT

Jamila Afghani is the President of WILPF Afghanistan which she started in 2015. She is also an active member and founder of several organisations including the Noor Educational and Capacity Development Organisation (NECDO). Elected in 2018 as South Asia Regional Representative to WILPF’s International Board, WILPF benefits from Jamila’s work experience in education, migration, gender, including gender-based violence and democratic governance in post-conflict and transitional countries.

Sylvie Jacqueline Ndongmo

PRESIDENT

Sylvie Jacqueline NDONGMO is a human rights and peace leader with over 27 years experience including ten within WILPF. She has a multi-disciplinary background with a track record of multiple socio-economic development projects implemented to improve policies, practices and peace-oriented actions. Sylvie is the founder of WILPF Cameroon and was the Section’s president until 2022. She co-coordinated the African Working Group before her election as Africa Representative to WILPF’s International Board in 2018. A teacher by profession and an African Union Trainer in peace support operations, Sylvie has extensive experience advocating for the political and social rights of women in Africa and worldwide.

WILPF Afghanistan

In response to the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban and its targeted attacks on civil society members, WILPF Afghanistan issued several statements calling on the international community to stand in solidarity with Afghan people and ensure that their rights be upheld, including access to aid. The Section also published 100 Untold Stories of War and Peace, a compilation of true stories that highlight the effects of war and militarisation on the region. 

IPB Congress Barcelona

WILPF Germany (+Young WILPF network), WILPF Spain and MENA Regional Representative

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Demilitarisation

WILPF uses feminist analysis to argue that militarisation is a counter-productive and ill-conceived response to establishing security in the world. The more society becomes militarised, the more violence and injustice are likely to grow locally and worldwide.

Sixteen states are believed to have supplied weapons to Afghanistan from 2001 to 2020 with the US supplying 74 % of weapons, followed by Russia. Much of this equipment was left behind by the US military and is being used to inflate Taliban’s arsenal. WILPF is calling for better oversight on arms movement, for compensating affected Afghan people and for an end to all militarised systems.

Militarised masculinity

Mobilising men and boys around feminist peace has been one way of deconstructing and redefining masculinities. WILPF shares a feminist analysis on the links between militarism, masculinities, peace and security. We explore opportunities for strengthening activists’ action to build equal partnerships among women and men for gender equality.

WILPF has been working on challenging the prevailing notion of masculinity based on men’s physical and social superiority to, and dominance of, women in Afghanistan. It recognizes that these notions are not representative of all Afghan men, contrary to the publicly prevailing notion.

Feminist peace​

In WILPF’s view, any process towards establishing peace that has not been partly designed by women remains deficient. Beyond bringing perspectives that encapsulate the views of half of the society and unlike the men only designed processes, women’s true and meaningful participation allows the situation to improve.

In Afghanistan, WILPF has been demanding that women occupy the front seats at the negotiating tables. The experience of the past 20 has shown that women’s presence produces more sustainable solutions when they are empowered and enabled to play a role.

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