Very often, women possess unique experiences and capacities that enable them to play a critical role in peacebuilding. Unfortunately, this role has gone unrealized in many conflict spaces as a result of institutional and cultural marginalization. ICRD is dedicated to supporting female leadership, particularly in societies where the challenges faced by women and girls are the most severe.

ICRD works to empower women peacebuilders to recognize and bring to bear their particular abilities and insights. In some contexts, this means leveraging their credibility as professionals, parents, educators, or non-combatants. In others, it means working alongside women leaders to influence social spaces that are only accessible to women. Though in many traditional contexts women of faith are excluded from serving in formal religious positions, they nonetheless play a critical, informal role in shaping the attitudes of the community.

Across all of these efforts, ICRD remains acutely sensitive to the fact that constructive collaboration across gender divides is a key element in strengthening the role of women as leaders.