Youth, Women, Peace and Security
Peace and security are at the heart of WOVOP’s mission. This commitment traces back to our beginnings as the Student Talks program, where we witnessed firsthand how conflict, violence, and insecurity affect not only schools but also families, communities, and the future of young people.
Over the years, we have learned that sustainable peace can only be achieved when women and young people are meaningfully included in decision-making and peacebuilding efforts. Through this thematic area, WOVOP works to strengthen the leadership, participation, and resilience of women and youth in preventing conflict and building peaceful communities.
Our programs equip young people, particularly girls and young women, with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to lead processes in dialogue, mediation, conflict prevention, social cohesion, and community recovery. We also create opportunities for women and youth to engage in local, national, and regional peace and security processes, ensuring their voices help shape more inclusive and sustainable peace across Kisumu County and throughout Kenya.
We believe that when women and young people are supported to lead, communities become more resilient, inclusive, and better prepared to prevent and respond to conflict.
Peace Talks
NewPeace Talks are frequent, community-led dialogue platforms that create spaces for people to openly discuss emerging threats to peace, share experiences, and identify locally driven solutions. They help us stay connected to community realities, understand evolving risks, and support communities to take ownership of preventing and responding to challenges affecting their safety and wellbeing.
Building on WOVOP’s work under the Women, Youth, Peace and Security agenda, Peace Talks bring together women, men, young people, elders, and local stakeholders to engage in open and intergenerational conversations. These conversations recognise that communities hold valuable knowledge and solutions, and that sustainable peace must be built from within communities themselves.
The dialogues take place within Peace Corners established across the seven sub-counties of Kisumu County, which serve as accessible community platforms for continuous engagement, early warning, and collective action. WOVOP supports and facilitates these conversations where needed, while ensuring that communities remain at the centre of identifying concerns, shaping responses, and leading peace efforts. The Peace Corners work closely with existing community structures, including Nyumba Kumi leaders (community policing) and local peace actors.
Key observations and emerging issues from the dialogues are documented and shared with relevant county stakeholders, including the Kisumu County Commissioner’s Office, contributing to stronger coordination and responsiveness across the county.
Peace Talks are more than conversations. They are part of WOVOP’s approach to ensuring that peace is understood as a shared community responsibility.
Partner with us
This work grows through partners, peace practitioners, facilitators, and organizations who believe in investing in young women as leaders in peace and security.