As part of its outstanding Women’s Leadership for Peace Programme, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) has developed the Women’s Leadership for Peace Emerging Leaders course. The course offers a unique opportunity for the participating women to revisit their approach to leadership within the wider peace and security field while also further building their career pathways and exchanging with senior women leaders within the Geneva Ecosystem. Through experiential learning, participants engage in exercises that support their professional and personal growth and have opportunities to apply learnings to self-identified leadership objectives. To reflect the ever-changing nature of the challenges that women leaders face, the course draws on contemporary leadership and security challenges to ensure that the skills which participants develop reflect the adaptability and versatility which are needed to address the ever-evolving global dynamics and politics.  

The first iteration of the Emerging Leaders Course was held in Geneva, Switzerland in October 2023. Fifteen women leaders from around the world came together to reconnect with what it means to be a woman leader for peace, hone their leadership style and situate their passions, strengths and unique contributions in the broader peace and security field. 

Being a part of the Women’s Leadership for Peace has been life-changing. The peace-building lens applies to so many facets of our world. Using the unique tools and skills we learned in change management and/or conflict resolution will create peace in the communities we live and work in. Learning to “choose ourselves” and aligning with our values will allow us to be our best selves as we work together to create a world filled with positive peace and leave no one behind. - 2023 Emerging Leaders Participant 

I had a truly enriching experience during the Women's Leadership for Peace Programme. The biggest takeaway for me was the invaluable opportunity to learn and grow alongside a diverse group of motivated individuals. The interactive learning activities and real-world scenarios made the content come alive, and I found that I could immediately apply what I learned in my daily life and work. - 2023 Emerging Leaders Participant