When Women Lead Peace, They Do Not Wait for It

When Women Lead Peace, They Do Not Wait for It- By Samia El Hashmi

“We do not inherit peace—we build it, generation by generation, voice by voice.” Sindisiwe Chikunga, Minister of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, South Africa.

At the High-Level Dinner on Women’s Political Leadership as a Catalyst for Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, I did not speak only as a Sudanese lawyer. I spoke as a daughter of resilience, and as a witness to the cost of silence when women are excluded from power. Across conflict zones and fragile democracies, women’s leadership is no longer a political luxury—it is a necessity for survival. Yet women’s participation is still too often treated as symbolic rather than strategic. As we approach CSW70 and beyond, three urgent priorities must guide our collective work if women’s political leadership is to become a genuine engine for peace.

Institutionalizing Women’s Leadership in Peace Processes

Inclusion is not enough. Women must not only be present at negotiation tables—they must help shape agendas, oversee implementation, and hold institutions accountable. This requires legal reform, enforceable quotas, and sustained investment in women-led mediation and monitoring networks.

Protecting Women Leaders in Times of Crisis

For women in conflict-affected countries, political leadership is dangerous work. We urgently need protection mechanisms—legal, digital, and diplomatic—for women leaders under threat. Women’s safety is not separate from peace; it is a precondition for it. From the legacy of the Kandakat—the warrior queens who shaped Sudan’s history—to the women of El Fasher, Bara, Al-Jazira, and Khartoum who have suffered horrific sexual violence during this war by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Sudanese women have carried the burden of conflict with extraordinary courage. Their suffering is not anecdotal—it is systemic, and it demands justice, recognition, and protection.

Financing Women’s Political Futures

We cannot speak of sustainable development while women’s movements remain chronically underfunded. What is needed are bold commitments: direct funding to grassroots women’s organizations, sustained support for feminist political education, and investment in intergenerational leadership. As this evening ignited reflections across generations, I carried with me the memory of Sudanese women who led revolutions, who gave their loved ones as martyrs, and who negotiated the foundations of transitional governance with strength and clarity. They did not abandon their vision for justice, nor did they crumble under grief.

I dedicate these words to them—and to the young women who will rise tomorrow, not to inherit our struggles, but to reshape them.

Let us ensure that when history looks back, it will say:
they did not wait for peace—they led it.

Johannesburg – 21 November 2025
Samia El Hashmi