N-Peace, or ‘Engage for Equality, Access, Community and Empowerment’ is a UNDP flagship initiative founded in 2010 to commemorate a decade of UNSCR 1325 implementation via the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda.
Currently unique to the Asia-Pacific region, N-Peace operates in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Nepal with the goal of increasing the role of women in conflict resolution and peace-building. N-Peace is built on the premise that if targeted men, women, and civil society organisations are supported with increased investments in capacity, skills, and resources, they will be able to create institutional and social shifts that prioritise the inclusion and empowerment of women and girls, and ultimately change the discourse on the roles of women in peace-building.
Many interventions aimed at facilitating WPS have approached women's inclusion through top-down tactics: influencing policy and lawmakers, empowering women to realize their economic potential, and introducing quotas for women's participation in peace agreements and political institutions.
N-Peace ultimately serves four primary goals: first, to conduct dialogues among communities, governments and other groups related to WPS; second, to build the capacity of women peace activists working on the ground; third, to expand and strengthen the network of peace-building activists to best implement UNSCR 1325; and finally, to support women's participation in peace and security through sharing their stories.
List of award winners WinnerYearAchievementsTitle of AwardCountry of citizenshipRubina Feroze Bhatti2011Founder of Taangh Wasaib, Rubina is devoting her life to creating a more peaceful Pakistan. She protects the rights of religious minorities and women who are targets of gender-based violence.Untold StoriesPakistanElectronita Duan2011Founder of Politenik Perdamaian Halamahera, an institute for those whose education was interrupted by armed conflict, she was awarded for her commitment to peacebuilding and the pursuit of peace through education and creative means.Role Models for PeaceIndonesiaShreen Abdul Saroor2011Founder of both the Mannar Women's Development Federation and the Women's Action Network for the empowerment and promotion of women's rights, she was awarded for her efforts in campaigning for peace and creating stability between the different ethnic groups in Sri Lanka.Role Models for PeaceSri LankaFilomena Barros Dos Reis2011Human rights and justice activist, she was awarded for her commitment to campaigning for political change on behalf of Timorese women.Role Models for PeaceTimor-LestePurna Shova Chitrakar2011Founder of the "Ban Landmines Campaign Nepal", she was awarded for her effort in empowering landmines victims and providing them with access to the opportunities they need to fulfil their goals.Role Models for PeaceNepalAmina Azimi2012Founder of Empowering Women with Disability and Landmine survivors, Amina was awarded for her advocacy for the protection and the promotion of the rights of women and girls with disabilities.Emerging Peace ChampionsAfghanistanSadhu Ram Sapkota2012Former Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction of Nepal, he was awarded for his efforts in applying the UN Security Resolutions 1325 and 1820 on recognizing and empowering women's rights and experiences, making Nepal the first country in South Asia to nationalize and operationalize these provisions. Men who advocate for equality Nepal Sister Lourdes (Mana Lou)2012Founder of ISMAIK, a solidarity network across Timor-Leste dealing with urgent humanitarian assistance and poverty, she was awarded for her dedication in promoting and defending human rights in Timor-Leste. Role Models for PeaceTimor-LesteTeresita Quintos Deles2012Social activist, civil servant and former Presidential Advisor to the Peace Process in the Philippines, she was awarded for her efforts in implementing UNSCR 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security at national level in the Philippines. Role Models for PeacePhilippinesRadha Paudel2012Author and activist, she was awarded for her commitment to advocating for equal citizenship, the stop of child marriage and the empowerment of Mahesh women in Nepal. Role Models for PeaceNepalRupika De Silva2012Founder of Saviya, an NGO focused on supporting the rights of women and children in local communities, she was awarded for promoting a peace based approach of development for southern provinces and other conflict-affected areas of Sri Lanka and empowerment of women's entrepreneurship skills.Role Models for PeaceSri LankaSuraiya Kamaruzzaman2012Founder of Flower Aceh and advocate for the rights of Acehnese women, Suraiya was awarded for work to empower women by ensuring their safety and advising them on issues of economic and reproductive rights. Role Models for PeaceIndonesiaQuhramaana Kakar2012Gender Advisor for the Afghanistan Peace and Reconciliation Program, she has been instrumental in developing gender-responsive policies and organising women's groups to function as a pressure group to the government. Quhramaana was awarded for her commitment to engaging women and youth in the most insecure parts of the country towards creating peace and rebuilding AfghanistanRole Models for PeaceAfghanistanFarkhunda Zahra Naderi2012Former Afghan Parliamentarian and Senior Advisor to the President on UN Affairs, she was awarded for her commitment to representing women's voice in institutional settings and fighting for their political participation.Role Models for PeaceAfghanistanRohaniza Usman2013Former Philippine Country Director and Coordinator for the Asia America Initiative, Rohaniza was awarded for promoting peace and development through education, inter-generational engagement and socio-economic development in Mindanao and Bangsamoro.Emerging Peace ChampionsPhilippines Suprayoga Hadi2013Civil servant and champion of women's rights, Suprayoga was awarded for his efforts in the inclusion of women in peace and security issues in Indonesia. Men who Advocate for EqualityIndonesia Masuada Karokhi2013Afghan member of Parliament and MP and activist, Masuada was awarded for raising awareness about the promotion and protection of women's rights in Afghanistan. Role Models for PeaceAfghanistanShashi Kumary Adhikary2013Lawyer and advocate for gender equality, she was awarded for her commitment to campaigning for gender equity within Nepal's laws and women's access to equitable justice, promoting women's rights from education and property rights to the basic right of identity.Role Models for PeaceNepalValentina Sagala2013Founder of Yayasan Institut Perempuan, an NGO advocating for laws to promote the protection of women and children, monitoring policy formulation and law enforcement, providing direct services to women and children survivors of violence, Valentina was awarded for her efforts in promoting and shaping laws against gender-based violence.Role Models for PeaceIndonesiaIrene M. Santiago2013Pioneering women's rights advocate and peacemaker, she is the co-founder of the Mindanao Commission on Women, an NGO composed of Moro, Christian, and indigenous women leaders. she was awarded for her commitment to advancing the significant role of women in the Women, Peace, and Security agenda.