



Young Women+ Leaders for Peace
Developing the Leaders of Today and Tomorrow
GNWP’s Young Women+ Leaders for Peace (YWL) program enables young women to gain the skills and confidence to become community leaders. In countries experiencing conflict and crisis, young women and girls are often overlooked members of society, experiencing inequality in nutrition, medical care and education. When young women’s leadership and peacebuilding potentials are realized, they are a positive force that transforms communities and society.
The goal of the YWL program is to strengthen the capacities of young women and gender equality allies, to promote and protect their rights, and to realize their leadership potential fully. Members of the YWL networks develop their skills and explore leadership strategies. They learn about Women, Peace and Security (WPS) and Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) resolutions. Participants work together to analyse local peace and security conditions and design bespoke peacebuilding initiatives within their communities. They also learn various other skills – from effective use of traditional and digital media, producing theatre performances, delivering functional literacy trainings, and developing and running their own micro-enterprises. The YWL are encouraged to train other young women who do not have the opportunity to go to school, or are unable to attend the training. The ultimate goal of the program is to empower all YWL network members with the tools needed to be independent peacebuilders within their communities.
Significantly, the program has been recognized as a peacebuilding best practice by the Secretary-General of the United Nations in his first report to the Security Council on Youth, Peace and Security.
GNWP tailors the methodology and specific approach of the program to the needs identified by young women from each participating country. Read more about our YWL priorities’ and their work below!
Promoting social cohesion in Cox's Bazar through peacebuilding theatre and teaching literacy and numeracy. Implementing gender-responsive humanitarian action for all.
Working to localize the Women and Youth Peace and Security Agendas in the region.
Raising awareness on gender-based violence through online and offline advocacy campaigns to promote gender equality and peace.
Ensuring young women's leadership in Youth, Peace and Security and enabling young people’s entrepreneurship for economic development.
Supporting Internally Displaced People (IDPs) and promoting social cohesion in Georgia.
Preventing Violent Extremism through economic empowerment, access to education for girls and young women and social media advocacy.
Advocating for the institutionalization of Youth, Peace and Security in Lebanon and the Arab League.
Implementing gender-responsive humanitarian action & building decision-making capabilities amongst young women.
Networking and exchanging opportunities to promote peace and gender equality.
Advancing peace, human rights and gender equality through offline and online advocacy & peacebuilding initiatives.
Boosting young women's leadership skills & teaching literacy and numeracy in the Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement.
A regional platform for young women in Burundi, DRC and Rwanda to achieve inclusive and sustainable peace.
Countering misinformation and advancing gender-responsive humanitarian action.
Our Young Women+ Leaders
Since 2014, over 7,000 young women have develop skills to become leaders and peacebuilders. Meet some of the Young Women+ Leaders!




















