By Hanan Alsanah and Ela Alon
As we mark International Women’s Day, the possible collapse of the latest ceasefire and hostage agreement highlights the toll on civilians of the ongoing war. Women bear the brunt of this crisis while remaining largely excluded from decision-making. The 25th anniversary of UN security council resolution 1325 on women, peace, and security serves as a valuable reminder: sustainable peace is highly more likely when women’s voices and leadership are central to negotiations and policy decisions.
For decades, women have led grassroots peacebuilding efforts, mediating conflicts, rebuilding communities, and advocating for justice. Itach-Ma’aki’s Centre for Women, Peace and Security has worked to ensure women’s perspectives are included in conflict resolution. Alongside civil society partners, we successfully advocated for Israel to incorporate parts of UNSCR 1325 into legislation in 2005, but a 2014 government commitment to develop a national action plan remains unfulfilled. Today, with the country in a declared state of war, the 14-member state security cabinet includes only one woman. This exclusion not only undermines equality but weakens policy effectiveness in this vital realm.
History shows that peace agreements are more sustainable when women participate. Their involvement increases the likelihood of an agreement lasting at least two years by 20 percent and the probability of it being sustained for 15 years by 35 percent. Recognising this, we partnered with civil society organisations in the West Bank to train over 100 Palestinian and Israeli women in leadership positions for peace and security negotiations. Through expert-led sessions and networking opportunities, they gained tools to influence decision-making and integrate gender perspectives into future negotiations. Throughout the current conflict, we have continued to support our alumni in their initiatives and participation in “Track II” negotiations involving representatives from governmental agencies, civil society and the private sector.
Building on this success, we are working to ensure women’s perspectives shape any future peace process. Inspired by Colombia’s model of integrating women’s testimonies into negotiations, we launched a pilot project in Masafer Yatta (in the southern West Bank) to amplify the voices of Palestinian women facing occupation, home demolitions and displacement, demonstrating their resilience and understanding of their communities’ needs. This led to tangible impact, including the establishment of a gender-sensitive mobile health clinic with partners and successful advocacy efforts with lawmakers and diplomats.
Seeing the heightened need for this work since October 2023, we launched our online testimonies database, and gathered over 2,000 testimonies from diverse women – Bedouin women from unrecognised villages, Jewish evacuees and women without legal status – to document the impact of the war from a gendered lens. These stories highlight the devastation of the conflict and the critical perspectives missing from policy debates. Women’s voices must be heard to prevent further escalation and build a just and lasting peace.
Our Legal Aid Hotline, which assists 1,700 women annually, reveals the complex crises marginalised women face. We received dozens of calls from low-wage workers evacuated from areas surrounding the Gaza Strip who did not receive adequate compensation from employers; Palestinian citizens of Israel who have lost jobs due to incitement and discrimination; Bedouin women in unrecognised villages enduring war without shelters; and women without legal status who are being deported and separated from their families. Meanwhile, domestic violence has surged, exacerbated by war-related trauma, economic stress and limited social services.
This war has made one thing clear: Israeli and Palestinian women need peace. Women in both societies are enduring unimaginable loss, yet their needs and expertise remain sidelined. The international community must ensure women’s voices shape peace efforts.
Now more than ever, we call on governments, policymakers and civil society to uphold the commitments of UNSCR 1325. Women must not only be protected from war’s harms, they must also be recognised as essential agents in ending it. Without their leadership, there can be no meaningful, lasting peace.
It is time to listen to women. It is time to act.
Hanan Alsanah and Ela Alon are co-directors of Itach-Ma’aki: Women Lawyers for Social Justice
