Blog by Giovanna Guercio, SIE Vice President 2026–2027
Young Women Leading Peace and Governance
UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), 13 March 2026; side event organised by the Governments of Italy and Kyrgyzstan with OSCE, UN Women, Global Network of Women Peacebuilders, and the UN Youth Office
At the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, a side event titled Young Women Leading Change: Advancing Peace, Justice and Inclusive Governance brought together governments, international organisations, and young peacebuilders to reflect on how women are shaping responses to conflict and governance challenges. The discussion, organised by the Governments of Italy and Kyrgyzstan alongside OSCE, UN Women, the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders, and the UN Youth Office, centred on the role of young women within both the Women, Peace and Security and Youth, Peace and Security agendas.
What emerged clearly was that young women are already active in peacebuilding efforts, often working at community level to prevent conflict, support recovery, and strengthen local governance. Their contributions are practical and grounded, yet too often overlooked in formal decision-making spaces. Barriers remain embedded in systems and structures, limiting access to leadership roles and excluding their perspectives from negotiation processes.
The discussion pointed to a simple but often unmet condition: representation matters not only in numbers, but in influence. When women are present in peace processes, the scope of discussion shifts. Issues such as social cohesion, long-term stability, and community needs are more likely to be addressed alongside political agreements. This does not replace existing approaches, but broadens them, creating space for more durable outcomes.
Civil society organisations were highlighted as key to this work. They act as connectors between grassroots initiatives and institutional frameworks, translating lived experience into policy-relevant insights. In many cases, they also provide the support systems that enable young women to participate at all—through training, networks, and advocacy.
A recurring thread throughout the session was the need to address the structural barriers that limit participation. These include unequal access to education, limited economic opportunities, and social norms that restrict women’s roles in public life. Without tackling these underlying conditions, participation risks becoming symbolic rather than meaningful.
The conversation aligns closely with Soroptimist International’s focus on empowerment. Supporting young women to take part in decision-making is not a separate objective, but part of building more inclusive and accountable systems overall. Peacebuilding, in this sense, is not only about resolving conflict, but about shaping societies where participation is shared and sustained.
The session offered a grounded view of what inclusive governance can look like in practice. It also made clear that progress depends less on introducing new frameworks, and more on ensuring that existing commitments are applied consistently and with intent.
