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 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.