"Peace begins with women's leadership" The world's largest women's peace conference was held in Cheongju, South Korea.

- Participants from 44 countries, including the Minister of Women's Affairs of Mali and Yemen... Discussing the spread of peace education for women -

A message from a female leader from the war zone: "We are the ones who will make peace happen"

The International Women's Peace Group (IWPG), headed by Jeon Na-young, held the 2025 International Women's Peace Conference at the Enford Hotel in Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do , on the 19th, bringing together women leaders who have worked for peace from all over the world, which has been marred by conflict and conflict.

The conference, with the sub-theme of "Women's Peace Leadership: Overcoming Conflict to Move Forward to Hope and Recovery," attracted over 800 female leaders from Korea and abroad to discuss ways to achieve sustainable peace. Participants included Mali's former Minister of Women, Children and Family, Bouaré Bintou Founé Samaké; Yemen's Deputy Minister of Culture, Faiza Abdulraqeb Sallam; and Libya's Member of Parliament, Aisha Al-Mahdi Shalabi. These key female politicians from regions currently experiencing or have experienced conflict, particularly drew attention.

◆Vivid messages of peace from women leaders in conflict-affected areas

The first part of the conference focused on the impact that women's leadership can have on peacebuilding in conflict and crisis situations. Aisha Al-Mahdi Shalabi, Libyan National Commissioner for Peace, delivered a keynote speech entitled "Speaking of Peace in Times of Conflict," in which she outlined the role of women in seeking new hope and recovery even in times of war and conflict.

Next, former Chief Minister of Mali Bouaré Bintou Founé Samaké spoke on the theme of "Turning Point Towards Recovery: Women's Peace Leadership," emphasizing that women are not victims or mere allies, but "key leaders guiding recovery and transformation at the community and national levels." Former First Lady of Belize Kim Simplis Barrow spoke on the theme of "The Powerful Power of Women's Leadership and Its Effect on International Contributions to World Peace," highlighting the ability of "women's leadership" to be "a model of embracing leadership."

In particular, Amrita Kapur (Australia), Secretary General of the Women's Leadership Federation (WILF), who presented the video, presented examples of how the current international community is institutionalizing the peace process through UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda.

The conference also presented concrete examples of women transforming their communities in real-world situations that go beyond various theories.

Maria Theresa Timbol, Vice Mayor of the Philippines, shared her experience transforming Mindanao from a place of conflict to a platform for peace, while Boojoo Lakshm, Advisory Officer for Gender Equality and Environment at the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change of Mongolia, presented an example of extending the values of peace and human rights to the diplomatic sphere through feminist foreign policy.

Ruth A. Richardson of the Netherlands, Secretary General of the International Liberal Women's Network, analyzed how women's participation and leadership in global issues such as cross-border institutions, crises, conflicts, poverty, climate change, and water issues can create sustainable and inclusive policies.

◆ Seeking sustainable peace and education

The second part of the conference focused on institutionalizing and educating for sustainable peace.

Mampurane Caron Kgomo, Director of the Foreign Affairs and Japan Affairs Bureau of the Republic of South Africa, spoke about the importance of enacting the "Declaration for Peace to End War in the Global Village (DPCW)" peace law, and said that women's participation should be a key player in the process of enacting it and that it will play a key role in making it a reality.

In particular, Lee Hye-ryeon, North Korean defector and financial director of the Hope Club, who is also the chairperson of the IWPG Peace Committee, presented specific examples of the role women can play in building peace on the Korean Peninsula under the theme, "The Role of Women in Civil Society and for Sustainable Peace in a Divided Nation."

◆ Sharing examples of peace education diffusion from around the world

The second part of the conference, the Women's Peace Education Session, was held in the afternoon and focused on the practical effects of peace education and ways to spread it.

Ms. Nasseneba Touré Diané, Minister of Women, Family and Children of Côte d'Ivoire, introduced the case of introducing "IWPG Women's Peace Education" at the national level,

Faiza Abdulraqeb Sallam, Undersecretary of Culture of Yemen, stressed the need for peace education in conflict areas.

Lkhagvasuren Nyamtsetse, a medical supply officer at the Mongolian Armed Forces Air Force Command, spoke about the results of 160 military personnel completing peace education, and described the changes that "women's peace education" has brought about within the military organization.

Within Mongolia, the introduction of peace education within the military has been particularly noteworthy.

◆Peace Family Workshop seeks practical ways to cooperate

After the conference, the "Peace Family Workshop" was held at 3:15 pm at the Cheongju Enford Hotel Uam Hall. The workshop, with the theme of "Women's Leadership for Sustainable Peace," was attended by 90 key stakeholders, including peace committee chairs, public relations ambassadors, and overseas branch chiefs, and provided an opportunity for people from both inside and outside of Korea to share practical strategies.

At the workshop, participants were divided into groups based on their country and reviewed their goals and activities for this year as Peace Families in their respective countries. They also discussed specific tasks that they should undertake as Peace Families in the coming year.

The forum was attended by 44 people, including Kinmumu Han, general secretary of the Mandalay Young Women's Christian Association from Myanmar, Bold Batsuvd, president of the Mongolia Women's Federation, and Karen Elizabeth León Romero, chairperson of the UNAM Peace Committee from Mexico, as well as 25 peace activists from the Republic of Korea. The forum shared their respective countries' experiences in peace practice and explored ways of cooperation.

◆Providing a wealth of content from a variety of related events

A variety of related events were held in addition to the conference. On the 17th, the final round of the 7th International Peace and Love Painting Competition was held, with renowned artists from the Czech Republic, India, and Korea participating as judges. On the 18th, the Peace Culture Lounge was held for foreign dignitaries, and special cultural programs were offered, including traditional Korean cultural experiences, colored salt art making, and Korean writing.

IWPG representative Jeon Na-young said, "This was a meaningful occasion where women from all over the world who have worked together for peace despite conflicts and disputes came together to discuss concrete measures for realizing sustainable peace."

The conference was simultaneously interpreted into six languages, including English, Korean, French, Spanish, Arabic, and Mongolian, and broadcast online in seven languages, including Japanese, Burmese, Kazakhstan, Czech, Khmer, and Indonesian.