In November 2024, the peace education that began in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, did not end with a one-time training program. Local women learned about peace and began putting it into practice in their communities, and the collaboration between the Ivorian government and the International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG) developed in a more concrete direction.

That transformation extended to the international community.

This unfolded as the peace activities of women who began their journey in Abidjan were shared at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) and eventually contributed to the launch of a Peace Committee bringing together female peace leaders from Côte d’Ivoire and neighboring countries.

Abidjan’s Women’s Peace Education Takes the UN Stage

On March 11, 2026, a side event held during the 70th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) took place at the conference hall of the Permanent Observer Mission of the African Union (AU) to the United Nations in New York, USA.

Co-hosted by IWPG and CIEFFA, an educational institution under the African Union (AU), the event was attended by government and UN officials, who exchanged views on women, peace, and education.

Among the attendees, one figure stood out as a panelist representing Côte d’Ivoire: Lamarane Barry, Deputy Chief of Staff at the Ministry of Women, Family, and Children of Côte d’Ivoire.

Deputy Chief of Staff Barry introduced Côte d’Ivoire’s experience with women’s peace education to the international community, emphasizing the relationship between peace and education.

He emphasized, stating, “Education cannot properly take place in an environment where conflict and war persist. In particular, to prevent the reality of girls’ education being interrupted due to war, creating a peaceful environment must precede discussions on education.”

This is also a perspective that the Ivorian government has emphasized throughout its collaboration with IWPG. Previously, Moussa Diarrassouba, Cabinet Director at the Ministry of Women, Family, and Children, described peace education as something that must be learned in schools just like mathematics or science, conveying the principle that peace is not an optional luxury for development, but a fundamental precondition for development to occur.

From Women Who Learned to Women Who Lead Peace

The value of peace education becomes even clearer through the roles that women who receive it assume afterward.

On April 4, 2026, the ‘Global Region 7 Peace Committee,’ comprising female peace leaders from Côte d’Ivoire and Mali, was officially launched online.

A total of seven members participated in the Peace Committee, including four women from Côte d’Ivoire and three from Mali.

They plan to practice the values of peace in their respective local communities, voluntarily planning and carrying out peace projects tailored to regional characteristics and needs.

In particular, the growth of Ivorian women holds significant meaning in this launch.

Konan Gladys, President of the Cocody Women’s Association Federation (FAFCO) and a graduate of the 2025 IWPG PLTE course, also joined as a peace committee member.

She shared that her encounter with IWPG and peace education brought about a profound transformation in her life, expressing her commitment to taking direct action so that peace can take root in her village and country.

Beyond Côte d’Ivoire to African Solidarity

The launch of the Peace Committee demonstrates that the collaboration initiated in Côte d’Ivoire has extended beyond a single nation and into solidarity with neighboring countries. It is especially meaningful that women from Côte d’Ivoire and Mali have become connected within a unified peace network.

Although the nature of conflict and social environments differ in each country, the goal of expanding women’s participation and establishing a culture of peace in local communities remains the same. Based on this shared objective, the Peace Committee takes on the role of identifying and carrying out necessary activities for local communities on their own initiative.

The Ivorian government has also presented women’s empowerment and greater participation in decision-making as core tasks for peacebuilding. With the addition of voluntary peace practices by women working on the ground, the foundation for peace can broaden simultaneously across both institutions and civil society.

Eun Kyung Kim, Regional Director of IWPG Global Region 7, also emphasized the significance of the Peace Committee’s launch, stating that small efforts to understand one another, words of consideration, and actions of solidarity come together to build peace.

A Journey of Peace Beginning in Abidjan, Passing to the Next Generation

The journey shared by IWPG and Côte d’Ivoire began in New York. Having met through the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), both sides sustained their collaboration based on a shared understanding of peace and the role of women, leading to IWPG directly visiting Côte d’Ivoire in 2024.

By conducting peace education for local women and discussing women’s participation in peacebuilding with government officials, the education laid a foundation for translating what they learned into action within local communities. In 2026, that experience was once again presented to the international community and led to the launch of a Peace Committee uniting female peace leaders from Côte d’Ivoire and Mali.

The journey between IWPG and Côte d’Ivoire continues. Efforts persist so that one person’s learning leads to community transformation, and that transformation in turn grows into new solidarity.

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