Towards a feminist peace in Yemen with the hands of women

Background

Peace Track Initiative (PTI) is a feminist track II organization founded in 2017 by women inside and outside of Yemen to support peacebuilding and political transformation, contributing a feminist perspective to these processes. PTI works to create conditions for localized and inclusive peacebuilding by strengthening and consolidating movement(s) for feminist peace in Yemen.

At the core of PTI's mission is the creation of safe spaces for dialogue, the production of feminist knowledge, and the promotion of feminist leadership to position diverse women's voices in the diplomatic tracks of peace and political processes. PTI engages with stakeholders at local, national, and international levels to ensure women's meaningful participation in peace processes.

As an established Women, Peace and Security (WPS) stakeholder, PTI has developed numerous active partnerships and programs aimed at making feminist peace a reality in Yemen. Since 2019, PTI has been supported by various international partners committed to advancing women's rights and participation in peace processes.

PTI's work is particularly crucial in the Yemeni context, where women continue to be systematically excluded from both political and peace processes despite bearing the brunt of the ongoing conflict. The organization works tirelessly to challenge this exclusion and ensure that women's voices are heard and their expertise recognized in all peace-related initiatives.

Achievements

Feminist Peace Roadmap

One of PTI's most significant achievements has been the development of the Feminist Peace Roadmap, a comprehensive strategic guiding framework for peace in Yemen. Initially phrased as a ceasefire agreement, the roadmap was developed based on nine consultations on ceasefire and has been shared with more than 400 stakeholders inside and outside Yemen.

The Feminist Peace Roadmap has received positive feedback from Track II partners including USIP, Crisis Action, EIP, and DCAF. Lisa Grande, a prominent international figure, described it as "exceptional" among ceasefire documents she had read. National actors, including former Yemen's Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Khaled Al-Yemany and former NDC Outcomes State Minister Yasser Al-Roaini, have also expressed their support for this initiative.

 Women Solidarity Network and Women Experts Database

PTI has created the Women Solidarity Network (WSN) and an accompanying database of women experts called "Women Expert." This database features profiles of women experts in different fields, including young women experts, and is available in both English and Arabic. The database currently includes 107 profiles and is regularly updated.

The WSN and women experts database were launched during the anniversary of WPS in 2020, with two launching events organized by PTI. The first event targeted international and regional actors, while the second focused on members of the Women Solidarity Network and Yemeni national actors.

The database has proven to be a valuable resource for Track II partners and state missions, including IDEA, DCAF, ICRD, and the Department of State, who have used it to nominate women for Track II meetings. For example, IDEA selected 14 women from the database to participate in their Track II consultations, and DCAF selected 11 women for training on gender and security sector reforms.

Advocacy Campaigns

PTI has led and supported several impactful advocacy campaigns:

1. #YearForWomen Campaign: Launched on March 9, 2021, through a demonstration held in Aden by women groups led by Maha Awadh, Wogood chairwoman and member of the core group. In parallel, PTI organized an online virtual demonstration that hosted women in the diaspora and in other governorates.

2. #NoWomenNoGovernment Campaign: In response to the formation of a government with zero women ministers in December 2020 (the first cabinet in two decades without any women), PTI supported the formation of a women leaders working group that included 8 core group women and women in leadership positions. The campaign involved writing open letters to the President, political parties, and the STC, creating a website, and collecting more than 100 signatures.

 Capacity Building and Training

PTI has organized numerous capacity-building and training sessions for women leaders and organizations, including:

- Conflict analysis and negotiation training with Clingendael Institute
- Ceasefire concepts training
- Peace agreement training covering political arrangements, security arrangements, gender issues, and local administration
- Gender, governance, and security reforms training with DCAF
- Data collection and consultation training
- Digital security training
- Policy briefs writing training

 Convenings and Consultations

PTI has organized significant convenings and consultations, including an online Convening held over five days between June 28 - July 2, 2021. The convening featured 57 speakers (41 women, of whom 27 were Yemeni women) and had 332 registrations (231 women, 225 Yemenis) with an average attendance of 190 throughout the event.

The convening included high-level guest speakers such as the Dutch MFA Foreign Minister Ms. Sigrid Kaag, Andre Mundal, the Special Representative for Women, Peace and Security, Norway, Ambassador for Women, Peace and Security, Canada Jaquieline O'Niel, US Special Envoy, Peter Derek, Dutch Ambassador to Yemen, Sahar Ghanem, Yemen Ambassador to Netherlands, and Pascalle Grotenhuis, Dutch Ambassador for Women's Rights and Gender Equality.

 

• Publications

PTI has produced and contributed to various publications that highlight women's roles in peacebuilding and document their experiences:

Policy Briefs and Reports

- Yemen NAP Review report (October 2020)
- CNAP review report (September 2021)
- Joint Declaration (July 2020)
- Feminist Peace Roadmap
- Consolidated policy paper on issues including the Salaries Issue, Taiz Siege, and Women detainees issue

Op-Eds and Articles

PTI has supported women leaders in publishing numerous op-eds and articles on platforms such as:

- Fikra Forum
- The National
- London School of Economics blogs
- Middle East Institute
- Global Voices
- Wilson Center
- Daraj Website