Armenian peace broker: “Don’t wait for a seat at the table – build your own and invite others in"

Gulnara Shahinian is an international human rights expert who founded and chairs the NGO Democracy Today, which focuses on promoting democracy and gender sensitivity in Armenia. Shahinian served as the first United Nations Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery from 2008–2015 and was Vice President of the Intergovernmental Commission that prepared the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. She has also been instrumental in developing Armenia’s National Action Plan (NAP) on Women, Peace and Security (WPS).

1.    How has your work on combating human trafficking influenced your work on Armenia’s NAP on WPS?

My international mandate allowed me to witness the deep fractures that violence – both visible and invisible – leaves in the lives of people, especially women and girls. I saw how armed conflict, poverty and displacement do not occur in isolation – they intersect, compound and often manifest as modern forms of slavery and exploitation. Time and again, I met women who, in the aftermath of unthinkable loss, found the strength to lead, to care, to organize, to demand dignity not just for themselves, but for entire communities.

These global experiences shaped how I approached Armenia’s Third NAP on WPS. I knew that this could not be just another formal document with lofty goals. It had to be rooted in the real, lived experiences of women – especially those who live in our border villages, who carry the burdens of war without ever being consulted on peace. Armenia’s NAP had to be bold – not simply integrating women into existing systems but transforming those systems that have historically excluded, dismissed or endangered them. It had to be justice-centred, future-facing and, above all, human. Because peace built without rights is fragile. And security without empathy, without justice, is simply another form of control.

2.    What role is civil society playing in developing Armenia’s NAP on WPS?

Civil society is often the first to respond in times of crisis and the last to remain when the spotlight fades. In Armenia, civil society has been instrumental in documenting human rights violations, supporting survivors of violence, educating communities on peace and equality, advocating for institutional reforms, and providing life-saving support to displaced and refugee women.

As the founder of Democracy Today, I’ve seen first-hand the transformative power of grass-roots engagement. Our organization has withstood the trauma of three wars, guided by the conviction that democracy and peace cannot be imposed from above – they must be built from the ground up. This belief has driven our work in rural and border communities, where conflict has left deep scars. When women are empowered to speak, organize and lead, they reshape not only their own lives but also local governance, fostering resilience and social cohesion in places often overlooked by national policy.

Civil society is not just a stakeholder – it is a driving force of WPS. From shaping Armenia’s NAPs to piloting local ones, civil society brings legitimacy, innovation and accountability. Without its active involvement, the WPS agenda risks becoming a top-down process, detached from the lived realities of the people it seeks to serve.

3.    What are the most persistent barriers hindering women’s meaningful involvement in peace and security that need to be addressed by Armenia’s upcoming WPS NAP?

One of the most persistent challenges is the lack of institutionalized, sustainable pathways for women’s participation in peace and security decision-making, especially at local and regional levels. Despite the presence of gender equality frameworks and growing political will, implementation is often hindered by insufficient financial and human resources, and by entrenched patriarchal norms that still shape institutional behaviour and societal expectations.

The forthcoming Third NAP on WPS offers a timely opportunity to confront these structural gaps and build on the progress already achieved. Key priorities include: institutionalizing inter-agency coordination to ensure that WPS principles are mainstreamed across the defense, justice, governance and social protection sectors, embedding gender perspectives into core State functions; strengthening monitoring and accountability mechanisms, with robust indicators, sex-disaggregated data and building institutional capacity, so that gender-sensitive governance becomes a standard professional practice, not a peripheral concern. Addressing these challenges demands a cultural and institutional shift that recognizes women not as beneficiaries of peace, but as essential agents in its creation.

4.    What do you consider key indicators of success when assessing WPS efforts?

From my experience in Armenia, these indicators include:

• Women’s meaningful leadership in peace and security: Armenia has witnessed growing numbers of women entering leadership roles in traditionally male-dominated sectors – such as the Ministry of Defense, local self-governance bodies and foreign policy. However, meaningful participation must include women’s active involvement in shaping policies, leading peacebuilding initiatives and driving reform agendas.
• Local Action Plans (LAPs) on WPS: The adoption of Armenia’s first LAP in the Martuni community demonstrated that WPS principles can be adapted to the specific needs of conflict-affected regions, and that women in rural and border areas can lead when given a platform and support. The process itself became a tool for awareness, mobilization and institutional engagement, bridging the gap between national commitments and local realities.
• Gender-sensitive budgeting and policy planning: A critical sign of success is when institutions adopt gender-responsive budgeting, ensuring that resources are allocated in ways that address the differentiated needs of women and men. Armenia has made progress here, with the Ministry of Finance incorporating these tools and some line ministries piloting gender audits. However, scaling this practice across all sectors remains a key challenge and opportunity.
• Reduced gender-based violence and improved service-delivery: Decreased gender-based violence incidents – alongside increased access to justice, psychosocial services, shelters and economic reintegration programmes for survivors – are essential outcomes of a successful WPS policy. The recent opening of additional crisis centres and hotlines for women is a positive step, but sustained funding and systemic change are necessary to make these services truly effective and accessible.
• Inclusive monitoring, evaluation and accountability mechanisms: In Armenia, civil society organizations – particularly women’s groups – have played a vital role in independently tracking progress on WPS implementation, budget allocations and impact, holding institutions accountable. Their inclusion in inter-agency coordination bodies is an important marker of both democratic practice and effective implementation.

5.    What advice would you give to the next generation of Armenian women human rights defenders working on gender equality and peacebuilding?

My advice is this: never underestimate the power of your voice – even when institutions, traditions or systems try to diminish it. Your lived experience, commitment to justice and vision for peace are not peripheral to the conversation; they are essential to transforming it.

Let the stories and struggles of women in border villages, displaced families and marginalized groups shape your advocacy. Build coalitions across generations, across movements and across sectors. Feminist peacebuilding is strongest when it’s collective.

Don’t wait for a seat at the table – build your own, and invite others in. Use the WPS agenda not just as a set of commitments, but as a powerful framework that connects human rights, democracy, development and peace. Let it guide you, but don’t be afraid to challenge it, expand it and make it your own.

Finally, take care of yourself and one another. Human rights work can be exhausting, especially for women who are often expected to carry more. But you are not alone. You carry the legacy of those who came before you, and you are lighting the way for those who will come after.

This story is published as part of "The Past, Present, and Future of Women, Peace, and Security" campaign, commemorating the 25th anniversary of UNSCR 1325, to celebrate the power of peace. The campaign aims to foster a deeper dialogue on equality, justice and peace, honoring the legacies and amplifying the voices of 25 trailblazing women from across Europe and Central Asia whose significant contributions have transformed their communities, societies, and beyond. The content reflects the personal views and experiences of the author(s) and does not necessarily represent the official position of UN Women, its partners, or the United Nations.