The positive aspects of working for peace and conflict transformation balance the negatives. Peacebuilding brings the women joy, happiness, confidence, trust, and a sense of accomplishment.

Women see their gender as a source of strength. Women’s unwavering belief in conflict transformation drives their professional resilience, and part of that resilience is the recognition that being a woman in the field is a helpful catalyst for their work.

Informal supports such as connections with family, friends, and partners to cope with the impact of their work & formal counselling to “unpack” and “offload” when work becomes “heavy.”

Women mediators derive strength from changing lives, preventing conflict, and addressing the needs of victims. Women compartmentalise the emotions associated with what they are hearing to maintain the mental focus required to do their work.

Working with other women provides increased enthusiasm and strength, and the opportunity to come together as a community of global women for support, advice and solidarity in a non-competitive, safe, and professional space.

Adequate psychosocial support, including regular participation in a community of practice debriefing/support forum; formal education/training on trauma and resiliency, local support groups, expert-led group retreats, counselling, therapy or other clinical support, relaxation and stress-reducing techniques.

1. Self-organised support groups, storytelling circles, mentoring, peer debriefing, professional counselling, and professional reflective spaces

2. Reducing isolation allows women practitioners to let down the barriers that exist in their professional lives, and gain strength

3. Space for women to rest, reflect, share stories, gain new skills, access complimentary therapies, and receive formal therapeutic support

1. Greater knowledge about how conflict-related stress and trauma can impact practitioners and conflict-affected populations

2. Awareness of signs of impact and knowing when to access peer or professional support

3. Learn more relaxation and stress-reduction techniques

4. Trauma-informed and resiliency-focused training embedded within working practices

1. Formal therapeutic support including space to process the pressures of their work, help to re-energise, and assist in coping with the stressful or mentally difficult parts of their work

2. Support for families as women mediators are often “working in a hostile environment[s] so [their families] feel that anything can happen to them anytime”

3. Counselling available by phone, virtually, and/or in person

1. Advocacy for the psychosocial support of women mediators and peacebuilders to normalise the discussion

2. Recognition of the role of women mediators and peacebuilders needs to be promoted at local regional, national, and international levels

3. Research into themes related to the personal impact and professional resiliency of women mediators should be funded to continue

1. Pre-deployment briefings and post-deployment debriefings that take into account psychosocial needs and impact should be offered to every women mediator and peacebuilder

2. Sexual harassment awareness, response, and reporting frameworks should be established within organisations working with and deploying women mediators and peacebuilders. Leaders should create a safe space for women to make complaints and ask for support

1. Governments and INGOs need to implement funding structures that will effectively support the work of women mediators and peacebuilders working at the local, national, regional and international levels

2. Funding needs to be created to generate new self-care and psychosocial support structures for women mediators and peacebuilders