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.
Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) Consultations for Big Impact
The Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) Consultations for Big Impact Project was created from a simple but powerful recognition: young people are not only affected by conflict and insecurity, they are also critical actors in preventing violence, building social cohesion, and shaping sustainable peace.
Grounded in United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security, the project builds on the global recognition of young people’s positive role in peace and security processes. It also draws from UNSCR 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, which emphasises the importance of women’s full, equal, and meaningful participation in shaping peace and security decisions.
Led by WOVOP through a consortium including the Badili Tana Initiative (BTI) and the Youth-Serving Organizations (YSO), the project created spaces for young people across Kisumu and Tana River counties to share their lived experiences, identify peace and security challenges, and propose solutions that reflect their realities.
Through inclusive and youth-led consultations, young people explored the drivers of conflict, exclusion, insecurity, and the barriers to meaningful participation in peace processes. The consultations moved beyond discussion by creating a platform where young people could generate concrete recommendations and influence policy conversations at national and global levels.
Those recommendations fed two significant processes. They informed submissions to the Second Independent Progress Study on Youth, Peace and Security, led by the UN Youth Office, ensuring the priorities of young peacebuilders were reflected in global discussions. They also captured the hopes and priorities of young people from Kisumu and Tana River counties to contribute to the development of Kenya’s National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security.
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.