Women’s international conference boosts local ownership and women’s participation in policymaking

Around 50 women experts from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and the Republic of Moldova convene for the second international conference of the Women’s Platform for Agenda Setting (WPFAS). Running from 15 to 19 April in Brussels, the event aims to enhance women’s leadership and participation in policy-making decisions, particularly in areas concerning peace and security.

The WPFAS international conference, now in its second edition, brings together a diverse group of 50 women from the South Caucasus and the Republic of Moldova. The conference is facilitating discussions on intergenerational cooperation, national gender action plans, women, peace, and security issues, as well as broader concepts of human and environmental security in the region. Participants include civil society activists, academics, and professionals in areas such as water and energy.

Yvonne Gogoll, European Commission Project Manager: “The EU is dedicated to inclusive dialogue and empowering women in our support efforts in the Eastern Neighbourhood. The Women’s Platform for Agenda Setting embodies our commitment to advancing gender equality and fostering sustainable dialogue.”

Tanja Tamminen, Team Leader of EU4Dialogue (Component 1): “The WPFAS Conference, second edition, is an excellent opportunity for women from the South Caucasus and Moldova to work together on specific topics around peace and security. Through collective action, in a neutral setting, we aim to enact positive change and build robust cooperation networks.”

For over two years, the women have been regularly convening through the WPFAS online platform, aiming to amplify their voices in policy-making processes related to peace and security. This initiative aligns with the European Union’s Action Plan on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in External Action 2021–2025 (GAP III). The second international WPFAS Conference gathers the most engaged participants from the online platform for in-person discussions.

This year’s conference features smaller roundtables and topical meetings, which have been identified by the participants meeting regularly in preparatory groups. Each group, including participants from conflict-affected regions, have worked on specific tasks over the past half-a-year, such as drafting recommendation papers on intergenerational cooperation, comparing national gender action plans, and developing a concept paper on human and wider security in the South Caucasus and Republic of Moldova.

The EU-funded project “EU4Dialogue: Supporting Understanding Between Conflict Parties” is the first component of the broader EU4Dialogue Programme. It aims to facilitate dialogue and enhance understanding across divides by conducting studies, organising events, training, and workshops at various levels and in diverse settings for participants from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and the Republic of Moldova. Implemented by Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e.V. in partnership with IDIS Viitorul (Republic of Moldova), IDP Women Association “Consent” (Georgia), Institute for Mediation, Counselling, Development (Germany), and Cowater International (Belgium), the project runs until July 2025.

Media inquiries

Anna Moghilda, Key Expert 2, Deputy Team Leader, EU4Dialogue Project, Component 1, E-mail: [email protected] or Mobile: +373 68 982 479.