The International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG, Chairwoman Na-yeong Jeon) accelerated solidarity with global civil society at the 70th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) held in New York, opening a new chapter in its global peace efforts.
Marking International Women’s Day on March 8, IWPG’s activities spanned a wide spectrum—from a Peace Talk with local members to engagement with next-generation leaders at Columbia University.
Launch of the New Peace Initiative “PLACE”
On March 7, IWPG publicly introduced its new initiative, the PLACE campaign, for the first time at a peace talk held at the National Opera Center in New York. Standing for Peace as Lived and Connected Experience, the campaign is a “peace narrative archiving” program that documents and connects the everyday choices women make to practice peace.
The campaign received an enthusiastic response immediately upon its launch. Beginning with IWPG members in New York on March 7, sessions continued on March 9 with female students at Columbia University, drawing strong resonance and support from next-generation women leaders. At the NGO Forum on March 17, IWPG presented research findings involving women from five conflict-affected countries, such as Yemen and Ukraine, demonstrating that the PLACE campaign is grounded not only in vision but also in data-driven outcomes.
Strengthening Multilateral Cooperation with Governments, International Institutions, and NGOs
During CSW70, IWPG reinforced multilateral cooperation for women-led peacebuilding through joint events and strategic networking with a wide range of partners, such as the African Union (AU) and international NGOs.
Notably, a side event co-hosted with AU’s educational body, CIEFFA, on March 12 served as a significant opportunity to highlight the link between women’s education and peace on the global stage. H.E. Mohamed Idriss, Permanent Representative of the AU to the United Nations, emphasized, “Education is a prerequisite for all development, and without empowering women and youth, Africa’s future will be at risk,” adding that “IWPG’s work holds great value in the field of education, and we hope it will expand to more African countries.”
IWPG’s engagement extended both inside and outside the UN headquarters. On March 17, a side event was held at a UN conference room in collaboration with the Permanent Mission of Türkiye to the UN, where the vision that connections among women are the starting point of societal recovery was shared. On the same day, IWPG co-hosted an NGO Forum titled “Women as Leaders for Peace: Resilience and Transformation in Conflict-Affected Contexts” at the Church Center for the United Nations (CCUN), in partnership with the International Women Leaders Network (INLW) and Green Crescent Türkiye.
The forum brought together a diverse audience—from teenagers to Buddhist nuns and elderly participants—transcending generations, religions, and genders. Questions on the practical role of women in conflict resolution continued even after the session, reflecting the high level of engagement. Dr. Eric Ward, a peace studies scholar who attended the forum, remarked, “It was an excellent session where intergenerational connection and solidarity were clearly demonstrated,” and expressed interest in collaborating with IWPG at next year’s CSW.
Building Practical Governance with Governments and Institutions from Over 20 Countries
Beyond event participation, IWPG solidified its role as a platform connecting international networks. Through strategic engagement with governments, international organizations, and civil society representatives, IWPG expanded its cooperation base. Meetings were held with government officials from countries including the Philippines, Indonesia, Australia, Iceland, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, South Africa, and Zambia, where IWPG shared its vision for women’s peace education and explored practical avenues for collaboration.
Concrete outcomes in global cooperation also followed. IWPG signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with organizations such as the Association of Spouses of Nigerian Ambassadors (ASNA), HDA in Lebanon, and SHAD in Egypt. It also held strategic partnership meetings with organizations including the Women and Democracy Association (KADEM) of Türkiye, the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP), AIESEC, the International Indigenous Women’s Forum (FIMI) of Peru, and Voice for Change in Papua New Guinea.
Chairwoman Na-yeong Jeon stated, “In 2025 alone, over 200,000 conflicts have occurred worldwide, and even at this moment, countless women are losing their futures. We will continue to expand collective action through solidarity so that women’s peace practices become a culture and ultimately lead to institutional change and international norm-setting.”
IWPG is an international NGO registered with the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the UN Department of Global Communications (DGC), and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family of the Republic of Korea. With 115 branches in 122 countries and around 900 partner organizations across 68 countries, IWPG continues to implement substantive programs, including integrating women’s peace education into formal curricula. Building on the outcomes achieved in New York, IWPG plans to further accelerate efforts toward the institutionalization of sustainable peace by connecting 3.9 billion women worldwide as leaders of peace.
