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Reimagining Collective Security: Highlights from the 3rd International Women, Peace and Security Forum  

“The Security Code for Our Generation” was a call to action echoed by global leaders, peacebuilders and advocates gathered from June 2–3 2025, in Pristina, Republic of Kosovo, for the 3rd International Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Forum. Hosted under the leadership of President Her Excellency Vjosa Osmani Sadriu and the WPS Regional Center of Excellence, the forum focused on strengthening women’s role in shaping peace and collective security in a rapidly changing world. Here are some key takeaways and reflections from Sylvie Ndongmo, WILPF President.

A woman in colorful traditional clothing stands at a podium labeled Women Peace Security, speaking in front of a blue and purple backdrop with partial text visible. She is wearing glasses and a headwrap.
Image credit: WILPF
  • 5 min
Sylvie Ndongmo
13 June 2025

“The Security Code for Our Generation” was more than a theme—it was a call to action echoed by global leaders, peacebuilders and advocates gathered from June 2–3 2025, in Pristina, Republic of Kosovo, for the 3rd International Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Forum. Hosted under the leadership of President Her Excellency Vjosa Osmani Sadriu and the WPS Regional Center of Excellence, the forum focused on strengthening women’s role in shaping peace and collective security in a rapidly changing world. 

President Vjosa Osmani Sadriu: Reclaiming Security through Justice and Inclusion

Opening the forum with a rousing speech, President Vjosa Osmani reaffirmed Kosovo’s unwavering commitment to democratic values, peace and security through international partnerships. Emphasising that Kosovo’s security is intrinsically tied to its Euro-Atlantic integration, President Osmani also spoke powerfully on justice for survivors of sexual violence, particularly women and girls. “Fighting for justice for women is not a seasonal effort; it is a mission for life,” she said. Her leadership set the tone for an event that spotlighted women as central agents of peacebuilding—not merely beneficiaries of peace, but architects of lasting, inclusive solutions. 

Feminist Approaches for Economic Empowerment

Sylvie Jacqueline Ndongmo, WILPF President, drawing upon lessons from WILPF Cameroon, shared how economic empowerment—when rooted in context and justice—can shift power dynamics in post-conflict settings. 

Between 2021 and 2022, the WILPF Section in Cameroon, supported more than 500 displaced and vulnerable women in the Menoua Division. Their initiatives included capacity-building to generate income and start up support as well as digital marketing and social cohesion workshops. This resulted in not just income generation, but increased leadership, agency and strengthened community resilience among these group of women. 

 “We must move away from narrow empowerment narratives and create economic models that prioritise care, equality and structural transformation,” said Sylvie.  

WILPF in Demand: Global Interest and Connection

The energy around WILPF’s presence extended beyond the stage. Throughout the forum, participants—including youth, activists, and institutional representatives were curious to learn more about WILPF’s work and keen to link into local sections. This curiosity reflects not only a growing recognition of WILPF’s relevance today’s peacebuilding, but also that grassroots peacebuilding is not only needed but actively sought after.

A Future in Their Hands: Children Lead the Closing

In a moving and symbolic break from tradition, the Forum’s closing ceremony featured a panel of children who asked President Osmani candid and hopeful questions about leadership, identity and Kosovo’s future.

This moment embodied the heart of the Forum’s message: the next generation is not waiting for permission to engage in peacebuilding—they are already doing it.

Conclusion: From Participation to Transformation

The 3rd International Women, Peace, and Security Forum in Pristina was more than a space for dialogue—it was a site of transformation. From President Osmani’s justice-centered leadership to Sylvie Ndongmo’s bold economic justice vision, and the fearless voices of youth, the Forum reminded us that peace is not a distant dream—it is a shared responsibility.

The path ahead demands continued action, deeper partnerships and a commitment to turning momentum into sustained, institutionalised change. As the Women, Peace and Security agenda grows in relevance, so must our ambition for what collective security can and must look like.

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Sylvie Ndongmo

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.

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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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.

A woman in a blue, black, and white dress smiles radiantly in front of a leafy green background.

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.