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.