Meet Lida from Armenia. Lida has been committed to building peace her whole life.
After fighting erupted again in 2020, people across Armenia were devastated. It felt as though a decade of activism had failed. There were thousands of casualties and even more people forcibly displaced by the conflict.
Lida became all too aware of how under-represented women are in decision-making processes regarding the conflict and peace negotiations.
“We want [more] women to lead peacebuilding and official negotiation processes and they need recognition, allies among international stakeholder and decision-makers.”
This is why Lida and a fellow feminist peace activist, Knarik, co-founded Women’s Agenda. A peacebuilding organisation that uplifts women’s resilience and knowledge to build peaceful communities and a sustainable future in Armenia
Lida and Knarik initiated Women’s Peace Academies and engaged expert and activist women to gain an advanced understanding of the conflict.
Through Women’s Agenda, Lida and Knarik are building a network of women peacebuilders who are involved in peace negotiations.
“It was a remarkable result to see these women gain their confidence and start believing that they can be negotiators too, despite the general narrative and norms in Armenia.”
Recently fighting erupted again, forcing 100,632 people from the Nagorno-Karakakh to flee to Armenia. Lida and her colleagues have been working tirelessly to support humanitarian efforts and continue building long-lasting peace.
“I am full of hope that the conflict will be resolved and that we will live in peace.”
Discover more from Lida and fellow Armenian Peacebuilders here.
Photo Credit: Rebecca Topakian
