25 Years of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security: Women in Uganda Building Peace from the Ground Up

As the world commemorates 25 years of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325, Uganda’s grassroots women leaders are demonstrating what it means to lead peace from the ground up. At the heart of the Women, Peace and Security agenda are four interlinked pillars: participation, protection, prevention, and relief & recovery. Together, they capture the essence of UNSCR 1325: that peace is only sustainable when women shape decisions, are protected from violence, help prevent conflict, and lead recovery. This article highlights how Uganda’s women are bringing these pillars to life, turning global commitments into real change on the ground.

Participation: Women at the Heart of Local Peacebuilding

Rashida Adong, the visionary leader of Women Peace Initiatives-Uganda, based in Lira, in the Lango sub-region of Northern Uganda—a region deeply affected by the 20-year conflict with the Lord’s Resistance Army is one of the women creating this change. In 2024, Rashida served on the Local Action Plan (LAP) Taskforce of Lira District, which spearheaded the development of the Lira District Local Action Plan, which contextualises UNSCR 1325 to the local issues in the district. Following the launch of the LAP, Rashida is now leading advocacy and lobbying efforts to ensure the LAP is implemented effectively. Together with other women trained through UN Women partnerships and collaborations, Rashida, is pushing for women’s inclusion in leadership and decision-making, attending district coordination meetings, and presenting community priorities.

Prevention: Building Networks of Women Mediators

Through UN Women’s support, Rashida was trained as a woman mediator—a role she once only heard about. Today, she coordinates the Lira Women Mediators Network, a registered group of women from three sub-counties in Lira district. Thanks to the funding from the Government of Norway, three other mediator networks have been established in Kyegegwa, Terego and Yumbe districts. These networks act as an early response mechanism to prevent conflicts from escalating into violence. In 2025, these networks collectively mediated over seven hundred conflict cases, bringing many to peaceful closure and referring others to higher authorities for management, proving that women are not just victims of conflict—they are agents of peace.

Protection: Defending Rights and Dignity

The impact of this work is deeply personal. Baako Afisa Neva, a member of the Yumbe Peace Mediators Network, used her training to stand up for her rights. When her husband abandoned her but returned years later and attempted to sell the land she lived on with her children, she could stand up to him because she knew her rights. She explains, “He could not proceed to sell the land. I am now using the skills to help other women in my community.”

Grace Odongo was displaced by the Lord’s Resistance Army conflict in 2004 after rebels attacked her family. She lost her husband, her children dropped out of school, and she was left alone and traumatized. “I had no one to lean on. I waited to die,” she recalls. Through her participation in UN Women-supported transitional justice trainings, Grace found strength in community. She began sharing her story to inspire healing and resilience among other women and helped form a support group that promotes reconciliation, emotional recovery, and economic empowerment through savings. Grace now serves on the Barr sub-county peace committee, in Lira district advocating for sustainable peace and protection for conflict-affected women.

Relief & Recovery: Healing Through Transitional Justice

Rashida Adong is also leading efforts to raise awareness about Transitional Justice platforms in Lira. Together with other women who were trained by UN Women on transitional justice, Rashida organizes community dialogues, church-based discussions, and public events to promote truth-telling, reconciliation, and healing. These non-formal platforms are helping communities understand the importance of justice and recovery after conflict.

In Yumbe District, Salama Angudeyo, a 48-year-old community facilitator, shares a similar journey. After attending a UN Women training in 2023, she gained skills in conflict resolution and early warning. She now uses community groups to promote peace, intervening in youth conflicts and advocating for women’s rights. “Peace means love, togetherness, tolerance, trust, and cooperation,” she says. “Women need safe spaces where they can find refuge and discuss issues that affect them.”

The work of Rashida, Baako, Grace, Salama, and countless other women across Uganda is a living embodiment of the vision of UNSCR 1325. Their leadership is not only transforming communities—it is ensuring that the WPS agenda is owned, sustained, and driven by women themselves. Their stories remind us that peace is not just negotiated in boardrooms—it is built in villages, homes, and hearts. And it is women who are leading the way.

As Uganda reflects on 25 years of UNSCR 1325, the courage and conviction of its women show that peace is most enduring when it is built from the ground up. Their leadership, rooted in lived experience and community trust, has turned words into action and policies into progress. They are in the fore front from mediation tables to community dialogues, they are restoring hope, justice, and dignity where conflict once divided. The next chapter of peace will be written by women who continue to rise, rebuild, and redefine what inclusive peace truly means for Uganda and the world.