“Women are the first responders when there's a crisis” - Why women peacebuilders require recognition and resources
Wazhma Frogh is a human rights lawyer and the Founder of Women & Peace Studies Organization – Canada (WPSO-Canada), a non-profit organization that supports Afghan women, families and conflict-affected communities. She is a member of the Women’s Alliance for Security Leadership, spearheaded by the International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN).
Below, she reflects on her work and the essential role of women in advancing peace and justice and ending violence, including gender-based violence..
What is the Women, Peace and Security Agenda and why is it important to your work?
The Women, Peace and Security Agenda is a very international rhetoric. When I first started working with communities, women were the first responders when there was a crisis. I saw women helping survivors of domestic violence, helping businesses, bringing the communities together. They do not call themselves peacebuilders, but that's how they keep the peace in the community.
Then with [the passing of] Resolution 1325 [which reaffirms the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts], many of the women activists, community organizations and women's movements said, "We are doing the peacemaking on the ground. We need to be recognized internationally." So that's very much what [Women & Peace Studies Organization] WPSO does.
What does security mean to you?
As a child growing up in Afghanistan, I saw the war happening on the streets. The conflict started and then we had bombings and explosions. My understanding was that if these go away, then we would have peace.
But I realized that as a girl child, if I cannot go to school, this is not peace. If I'm being threatened, intimidated, harassed on the way to school or on the way to university — or if I cannot even go there — then I'm not safe. This is not security for me. So my understanding of security started changing. It's not just the end of explosions and wars. It's about your ability to access services, to be able to live your life without any threats and to have a voice.
In so many places, there's no war going on but people have no voice. People are not able to participate or raise questions or access justice. Peace and security in our daily life is about being able to live our life to our full potential and exercise our basic human rights.
What is one thing you wish more people understood about peacebuilding work?
Internationally, women peacebuilders' roles are not being recognized. The way we work in the communities, keep communities together and resolve conflicts is not factored into international peace rhetoric or international peace agendas.
We need to bring more women into the peace and security agenda. We need to bring more women into positions of power at the international level. I want to see a woman as the next UN Secretary-General.
What’s one thing you'd change to better support women peacebuilders?
I think what is missing within the women, peace and security work are resources. Women on the ground do not have access to resources. There are international aid agencies, organizations, UN agencies, receiving millions of dollars to distribute food to a community. Women, peace and security organizations support the women, the groups on the ground, with food. But they're also helping them to find means of survival so that they do not become just beneficiaries and receivers of food hampers, but people who can change their lives.
It's not just about humanitarian service, it is about conflict transformation and transformation of communities, and I think resources are the biggest shortage in our time.
As told to Natalie Raaber. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
