Sweden

The Swedish Women’s Mediation Network was established by the Swedish government in 2015, which consists of 19 Swedish women with extensive experience in dialogue and peace mediation.

The objective of the Swedish Women’s Mediation Network is to increase the meaningful participation of women in peace processes – including both processes to prevent and solve conflicts and peacebuilding efforts in the aftermath of conflict – to ensure that women’s needs, perspectives and interests are prioritized.

The network aims to:

• Strengthen the capacity of women leaders in conflict-affected countries, within the area of dialogue, mediation and peacebuilding.

• Support ongoing peace processes in order to improve the conditions for women’s participation, and to enhance the quality of peace agreements.

• Promote the role and experience of women in dialogue and peace mediation, through advocacy and participation in high-level meetings, conferences, seminars and the like.

• Engage with similar initiatives in other countries and regions.

• Increase knowledge and understanding about the role of women in peace processes.

The Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA), the Swedish agency for peace, security and development, coordinates the network in close collaboration with the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs.