Celebrating Feminists’ Voices, Inspiring Global Peace

Men and Love in Times of Conflict and Polarisation (Nigeria Edition) is re-opened for submissions

African Artists’ Foundation (AAF), in collaboration with the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) is pleased to invite submissions from Nigerian photographers for its upcoming “Men and Love in Times of War and Polarisation” photography exhibition.

Image credit: Mouneb Taim

WILPF International Secretariat

African Artists’ Foundation (AAF), in collaboration with the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) is pleased to present “Men and Love in Times of Conflict and Polarisation“, a project reimagining masculinity in the context of conflict and peace-building.

In line with WILPF’s mission to dismantle militarised masculinity and broaden narratives surrounding gender, Men and Love in Times of Conflict and Polarisation uncovers rich, multifaceted experiences of men—offering perspectives of care, love, vulnerability, and hope amidst turmoil.

The project aims to challenge prevailing stereotypes of men as unfeeling or aggressive and explore men’s emotional landscapes in times of war, instead portraying men as compassionate, joyful, and committed to peace. It seeks to Illuminate shared experiences across divides, fostering dialogue around collective struggle and resilience.

A person stands in a field of tall grasses, holding a child on their shoulder. Both are looking towards the camera. Text above reads Open call for submissions. Below, it mentions Men and Love in Times of Conflict and Polarisation, with a submission deadline.

Call for Submissions:

AAF and WILPF is calling for submissions from Nigerian photographers whose work engages thoughtfully and innovatively with these themes. We invite Nigerian photographers to submit works that creatively and powerfully engage with these themes, helping to foster a broader understanding of masculinity in a world marked by conflict and transformation. Your submissions will contribute to a dialogue that promotes non-violence, empathy, and a redefined vision of masculinity that aligns with WILPF’s mission to challenge militarised masculinity and create more inclusive gender narratives.

Key Dates:

– Submission open : 28 January 2025
– ⁠Deadline: 15 February 2025
– ⁠Final selection: by the end of February 2025

Submission Details:

This is a re-issued call for submissions, if you have applied last year using the google form and link, please DO NOT re-apply.

Submit using this link or directly through this google form.

More about the previous collaborations

The photography collaboration is part of WILPF’s ongoing “Mobilising Men for Feminist Peace” initiative, which has previously focused on themes like “Militarised Masculinities and Alternatives” in 2022. These projects have explored the complex emotional landscapes of men, promoting themes of care, empathy, and vulnerability.

It builds on the legacy of previous WILPF exhibitions in Geneva (2024), the Netherlands (2024) and Colombia (2024) and will expand to other cities by the end of the year. The latest iteration in 2024, “Men and Love in Times of Conflict and Polarisation,” aims to expand the dialogue around gender roles by providing a platform that engages with the intricacies of male identity, love, and conflict.

About the Organisers:

This project is a collaborative effort between the African Artists’ Foundation (AAF), a leading platform for contemporary African art, and the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), the world’s longest-standing women’s peace organisation founded in 1915. Together, they seek to dismantle harmful stereotypes and promote narratives that inspire positive change and gender equality.

This project offers a vital platform to rethink masculinity and engage in the global conversation on love, care, and peace in the face of conflict. The exhibition will be presented in Lagos at the end of 2024.

For more information visit AFF’s website or write to info@africanartists.org

To see pictures from our exhibition in Geneva, click here

To take a look at our photography overview and look at all the images selected for the Geneva exhibition and read more about the exhibition, click here

To follow our exhibition as it travels around the world, visit WILPF’s calendar page.

WILPF International Secretariat

WILPF International Secretariat, with offices in Geneva and New York, liaises with the International Board and the National Sections and Groups for the implementation of WILPF International Programme, resolutions and policies as adopted by the International Congress. Under the direction of the Secretary-General, the Secretariat also provides support in areas of advocacy, communications, and financial operations.

Matt Mahmoudi

Matt Mahmoudi (he/him) is a lecturer, researcher, and organizer. He’s been leading the “Ban the Scan” campaign, Amnesty International’s research and advocacy efforts on banning facial recognition technologies and exposing their uses against racialized communities, from New York City to the occupied Palestinian territories.

Berit Aasen

Europe Alternate Regional Representative

Berit Aasen is a sociologist by training and has worked at the OsloMet Metropolitan University on Oslo. She has 40 years of experience in research and consultancy in development studies, including women, peace, and security, and in later years in asylum and refugee studies. Berit Aasen joined WILPF Norway five years ago. She is an alternate member of the National Board of WILPF Norway, and representing WILPF Norway in the UN Association of Norway, the Norwegian 1325 network and the Norwegian Women’s Lobby. Berit Aasen has been active in the WILPF European Liaison group and is committed to strengthening WILPF sections and membership both in Europe and relations across continents.

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Thank you!

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.