On 9 and 10 December 2025, International Human Rights Day, The Hague will host the International Women’s Peace Conference, more than one hundred years after the historic 1915 meeting in the city.
Women in peace and advocacy
The International Women’s Peace Conference aims to give a voice to those working on resistance and action, inspiring lasting peace based on equality and cooperation. It underlines the importance of women in conflict resolution, decision-making, and the implementation of UN Resolution 1325, which affirms women’s critical role in peace processes. With advocates such as Yael Admi and Reem Al-Hajajreh — Israeli and Palestinian peace leaders — Chekeba Hachemi — iconic feminist and pacifist scholar — Nouzha Chekrouni; and Guila Clara Kessous — UNESCO Artist for Peace, and Isabelle Rome; Catherine Samba Panza — the Women and Peace Conference aims to build a more peaceful, inclusive, and gender-just world.
“Peace is stronger when women are at the table. This Women’s Peace Conference in The Hague underlines their vital role in shaping dialogue, justice and lasting security worldwide.”
Global partners unite in The Hague for women’s leadership in peacebuilding
This event — Femme & Paix, led by Mrs. Hélène Pichon — Director of Alliance Française The Hague and Coordinator of the Alliance Française of the Netherlands — is supported by a broad coalition of partners, including the Municipality of The Hague (Mayor Jan van Zanen), the United Nations, UN Women (Carlotta Gradin, President UN Women France), the French Embassy, professors and students from universities worldwide, and many more. On 9 and 10 December 2025, women leaders, scholars, and activists from around the world will gather at the Peace Palace and venues across The Hague to share strategies and strengthen women’s role in building lasting peace.
“The support for this conference has been remarkable. From Institutional to private sponsors — to International Scholars, Professors and Students — contributions have come from many sides. This collective effort underlines the global commitment to peace and to women’s leadership.”
Bertha von Suttner Peace Prize
The Bertha von Suttner Peace Prize is a prize established in Georgia in 2019 by Salome Adamia to honor individuals and organisations working for peace, conflict resolution, and disarmament. It is inspired by the legacy of Bertha von Suttner who lived in Georgia for a few years and who was the first woman ever to win the Nobel Peace Prize. During the conference, the Bertha von Suttner Peace Prize — which includes a financial award and a smaller replica of the statue of Bertha von Suttner displayed at the Peace Palace, created by The Hague–based artist Ingrid Rollema — will be presented.
Scientific academic book
During the conference a steering committee composed by the Alliance Française of The Hague, Sciences Po Lyon, Leiden University, and the Institute for Peace will highlight their scientific academic book with the results from different war and peace studies. This initiative aims to create reference work that will be widely distributed to reach a diverse audience and raise awareness of the importance of inclusive diplomacy and equitable governance. This book will serve as an academic foundation for the development and enrichment of courses on feminist diplomacy and gender studies. In addition to theoretical insights, it will feature visual storytelling through contributions from Cartooning for Peace and Le Monde diplomatique, ensuring broad accessibility and impact beyond academia. By strengthening ties between academic and cultural institutions, it will contribute to a better integration of contemporary feminist diplomacy and gender equality issues into education and research.
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International Congress of Women of 1915
This Spring, on April 28, the Peace Palace will participate in the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the International Congress of Women that took place in the city of The Hague in 1915.
Bertha von Suttner
Bertha von Suttner (1843-1914) was an Austrian pacifist and one of the key figures in the fascinating Peace Movement that emerged during times of great mutual tension between European states. A stay in the Caucasus at the time of the bloody Russo-Turkish War increasingly shaped her pacifist ideals. She expressed her aversion to wars in the novel “Lay down your arms!” (1889) which made people worldwide think.
Women & Peace 2025
To mark International Human Rights Day, our conference aims to break down gender stereotypes that reduce women to passive roles in conflicts. The aim is to give voice to powerful stories of commitment, resistance and action from conflict zones, giving much-needed visibility to those who are working for peace behind the scenes. By bringing together voices from around the world, the conference aims to inspire a lasting peace based on equality and cooperation.
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