WILPF is a membership-led organisation. Members either join one of the WILPF National Sections or National Groups, or become international members if no National Section or Group is present in their countries. The work of WILPF National Sections and Groups is based on the aims and principles of WILPF and the International Programme adopted by the International Congress.
Our highest decision-making body is the International Congress, which meets every third year to discuss the work of WILPF and set the policies and direction of WILPF. WILPF is governed by a Constitution and By-Laws, these are available in:
Between Congresses, WILPF’s International Board is responsible for the overall governance of WILPF and for WILPF achieving its aims and principles. The International Board also ensures that the decisions adopted by Congress are implemented. The International Board is composed of the President, two Vice-Presidents, the Treasurer, and one Regional Representative or one alternate Regional Representative for each region (currently Africa, Asia Pacific, South Asia, Europe, Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and the Americas). The Secretary-General is also part of the International Board but in a non-voting advisory role.
WILPF has a number of Standing Committees (Standing Finance Committee, Standing Constitution Committee, Standing Committee on Risk Management, Standing Personnel Committee). These Committees provide guidance, propose policies in key functional areas and advise the International Board.
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.
The WILPF International Board is composed of 17 members: the President, two Vice-Presidents, a Treasurer, one Regional Representative and one Regional Alternative Representative from six regions, Africa, the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and South Asia, and the Secretary-General.
WILPF International Secretariat currently consists of two offices, one in Geneva (GVA), and one in New York (NY).
Want to work with us? Have a look on our career page to check WILPF opportunities to work on feminist peace.
Geneva Office
Telephone: +41 (0) 22 919 70 80
Secretary – General
Madeleine Rees (GVA)
secretariat (a) wilpf.org
+41 (0) 22 919 70 80
+41 (0) 78 763 90 16
+27 73 944 40 80
Deputy Secretary – General Laila Alodaat (UK)
laila.alodaat (a) wilpf.org
+44 (0) 20 7250 1968
+44 (0)788 1930254
UN Office Manager, New York
Ashish Mahajan (NY)
ashish.mahajan (a) wilpf.org
Senior International Office Coordinator
Jeanine Leaflang
jeanine.leaflang (a) wilpf.org
Human Resources and Operations Associate
Maryna Hlushko
maryna.hlushko (a) wilpf.org
Finance Associate
Cynthia Muputisi (GVA)
cynthia.muputisi (a) wilpf.org
Senior Grants Coordinator
Sandra Spissinger
sandra.spissinger (a) wilpf.org
Grants Coordinator
Maya Dimitrova (GVA)
maya.dimitrova (a) wilpf.org
Contact: secretariat (a) wilpf.org
Head of Communications
Nina Maria Mørk Hansen (GVA)
nina.hansen (a) wilpf.org
Digital Communications Coordinator
Adélaïde Barat-Magan (GVA)
adelaide.barat (a) wilpf.org
Contact: communications (a) wilpf.org
Membership Manager
Jenny Aulin (GVA)
jenny.aulin (a) wilpf.org
Membership Coordinator
Elena Cason (GVA)
elena.cason (a) wilpf.org
Governance Liaison
Live Favre (GVA)
line.favre (a) wilpf.org
Environment Focal Point
Katrin Geyer (London)
katrin.geyer (a) wilpf.org
Contact: membership (a) wilpf.org
Programme Director
Patrizia Scannella (GVA)
patrizia.scannella (a) wilpf.org
Programme Coordinator
Tessa Cerisier (GVA)
tessa.cerisier (a) wilpf.org
Programme Director
Ray Acheson (NY)
ray.acheson (a) wilpf.org
Programme Manager
Allison Pytlak (NY)
allison.pytlak (a) wilpf.org
Programme Manager
Zarin Hamid (NY)
zarin.hamid (a) wilpf.org
Programme Associate
Genevieve Riccoboni (NY)
genevieve.riccoboni (a) wilpf.org
MENA Interim Director
Salma Kahale
salma.kahale (a) wilpf.org
MENA Manager
Rola Masri (UK)
rola.masri (a) wilpf.org
Syria Associate
Leen Alabed (UK)
leen.alabed (a) wilpf.org
MENA Associate
Nihad Kasmi (GVA)
nihad.kasmi (a) wilpf.org
MENA Associate
Sara Dominguez (GVA)
sara.dominguez (a) wilpf.org
Project Coordinator
Nela Porobić Isaković (BiH)
nela.porobic (a) wilpf.org
Project Director
Dean Peacock
dean.peacock (a) wilpf.org
New York Office
Telephone: (+1) 212 682 1265
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 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 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.
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.
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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.
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.
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.
