A growing number of highly-educated, committed women across the world are demanding a more active role in the public and private sectors. The exclusion of women is a globally shared experience resulting in a pronounced imbalance in policy-making. However, to ensure a more equitable future and to prevent the spread of extremist ideologies, women must be included in civil society and governance. They are missing element in preventing violent extremism. In order to promote women as agents of change and normalise the notion of women being integral in PVE efforts, Women without Borders (WwB) hosted a screening of the WwB-produced documentary film ‘Journeys through Darkness’ in 2009, followed by a panel discussion with two members of the Sisters Against Violent Extremism (SAVE) global network. Directed by Zia Trench, the film features three women, an ex-member of an Islamist organisation in the UK, a pioneer against violent extremism in Northern Ireland and a young woman affected by terrorism in Madrid, as they grow and fight for a peaceful future.
Speakers:
Edit Schlaffer, Founder and Executive Director of Women without Borders and SAVE – Sisters Against Violent Extremism
Manal Omar, program officer and Middle East Expert at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP)
Phyllis Rodriguez, member of September 11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows who promotes dialogue and reconciliation through the ‘Forgiveness Project’
