As the global security landscape grows increasingly fractured, gender-based violence continues to be both a consequence and a tactic of conflict. In this IIEA event, expert panellists explore how the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda can more effectively address conflict-related sexual violence and ensure justice and support for survivors. Drawing from a range of experiences and diverse regional perspectives, from the Sahel to Latin America, and Ukraine to Northern Ireland, this discussion examines the multiple dimensions of gender-based violence in conflict settings. The panellists also consider how women can be agents of change in peacebuilding processes and reflect on what effective prevention, accountability, and survivor-centered responses look like in practice.

This panel includes:

Kateryna Levchenko, Ukrainian Government Commissioner for Gender Equality Policy

Mary Fitzgerald, Researcher, Policy Analyst and Consultant affiliated with the Middle East Institute in Washington DC where she specialises in Libya

Aisling Swaine, Professor of Peace, Security and International Law at the Sutherland School of Law, University College Dublin.

Caitriona Dowd, Assistant Professor at the School of Politics and International Relations, University College Dublin.