Building Peace from the Ground Up: Ugandan Women Leading Change Beyond Resolution 1325

When the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 1325 in October 2000, it marked a turning point in recognising the unique impact of conflict on women and girls, as well as their essential role in building peace. The resolution launched the global Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, with a bold vision to empower women everywhere to participate equally in peace processes. Yet, twenty-five years later, a question remains: how does a four-page UN document signed in New York translate into meaningful change in the lives of women in rural communities across Africa?

In Uganda, the answer lies in the work of women who are transforming this global agenda into tangible peace efforts within their own communities. From Kasese to Kyegegwa, women are mediating conflicts, countering violent extremism, promoting equality and ensuring that peacebuilding begins where it matters most – at the grassroots.

Voices of lived experience

For Juliet Mbambu, Executive Director of the Bwera United Women with Disabilities Association, peacebuilding is personal. Diagnosed with polio at the age of ten, she grew up facing discrimination and isolation. With the support of her sisters and friends who carried her to school, she found the strength to advocate for others like herself.

Now a social worker and mother of three, Mbambu leads groups that support children with disabilities and their parents in Kasese District, an area that has long faced the threat of violent extremism from across the border in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Through mediation training supported by the Coalition for Action on 1325 (CoACT) and UN Women, she has become a key figure in promoting community dialogue and preventing youth radicalisation.

Her approach is grounded in empathy and inclusion. “Nothing for us without us,” she says, emphasising that those affected by conflict or marginalisation must be part of the solution. Through her leadership, young people once vulnerable to extremist recruitment are now developing their own community action plans for peace.

Young women rising

In Kyegegwa Town Council, 26-year-old parish chief and peace mediator Angel Musiime has become a symbol of hope for young women in her community. Her journey has not been easy. Losing her mother at a young age and becoming a mother herself while still at university, Musiime was told her dreams were over. Instead, she defied expectations.

“In our settings, they say this is the end of you: get married, have children and that’s it,” she recalls. “But I had this voice telling me, ‘Make your mother proud.’”

After attending peace mediator training with CoACT in 2023, Musiime gained new skills in conflict resolution and leadership. She now supports women facing gender-based violence and encourages young men to return to school. Her impact, she says, lies in extending leadership to others. “From the skills we attained, I’ve touched people’s lives,” she says with quiet pride.

Reaching people where they are

For peace to take root, it must reach the most remote corners. Sharon Kabugho, a Communications Officer with the Kasese District Local Government, knows this well. Whether it means riding in the back of a pickup truck or travelling long distances on rough roads, she ensures that the message of peace and equality reaches every village.

Kabugho plays a critical role in implementing Uganda’s Third National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, which focuses on stopping conflict at the source. This includes addressing disputes over land and tackling gender-based violence. Through her work, she engages religious, cultural and local leaders, helping them to understand the true meaning of peace and the importance of gender equality.

She also uses radio shows, hotlines and social media to reach women who face abuse and need help. “Peace means seeing the humanity in one another,” she says. “For the fact that our women are still undergoing different forms of abuse, let us keep the candles up. Let each stakeholder come out to see that Women, Peace and Security is fought for.”

A nation strengthened by women

The growing participation of women in peacebuilding is reshaping Uganda’s stability. According to UN Women’s Deputy Country Representative in Uganda, Adekemi Ndieli, “A society that guarantees women’s safety guarantees its own stability.” Through direct support and funding from the Government of Norway, UN Women has helped develop sixteen Local Action Plans that bring the Women, Peace and Security agenda to life in Ugandan districts.

The results are significant. Women’s representation on local peace committees has risen to 46 per cent, up from 17 per cent in 2022. In 2024 alone, approximately 500 community-level conflicts were successfully mediated or resolved by women trained through UN Women and CoACT initiatives.

These achievements show that Resolution 1325 is not just a piece of paper. It is a living promise – one that continues to evolve through the commitment of women like Mbambu, Musiime and Kabugho. Their stories remind the world that peace is not imposed from above but nurtured from below, through compassion, inclusion and the courage to lead.

As Uganda’s women continue to build peace from the ground up, they embody the true spirit of the Women, Peace and Security agenda. Their work shows that when women are included, communities do not just survive conflict – they thrive beyond it.