Deadline: 31-Jul-23
Nominations are now open for the Women Building Peace Award to honor a woman peacebuilder who has made a substantial contribution to the pursuit of peace and security in her community, region, or issue area.
The Women Building Peace Award reflects the Institute’s comprehensive commitment to women and peacebuilding and honors the vital role of women in civil society who are making substantial contributions to the pursuit of peace and security in their countries.
The annual award recipient is chosen with the help of the Women Building Peace Council. The Council is a brain trust of distinguished experts and leaders who offer their guidance and support to USIP as they elevate the voices of women peacebuilders. Drawing upon their collective expertise in the fields of gender and peacebuilding, the Council’s core role is to help select the finalists and the recipient of the annual Women Building Peace Award.
USIP’s award is different from other prominent awards for women in two ways: First, it focuses on women from civil society who are working on the front lines of conflict. Second, it focuses on women at the grassroots level who have not been previously recognized for their peacebuilding work.
USIP strongly encourages nominations of women who have not been previously recognized for their peacebuilding work.
Eligibility Criteria
- Nominees must meet all six requirements listed below to move forward in the award selection process. Self-nominations are not permitted.
- The nominee must be a living woman of at least 18 years of age. Posthumous nominations are not accepted.
- The nominee must be a non-U.S. citizen.
- The nominee must be working to build peace in a fragile or conflict-affected country or region. A fragile country or region is one at high risk for violent conflict.
- The nominee must be able and willing to travel to the United States, participate in a social media campaign, and speak publicly about her work.
- The nominee cannot be employed by USIP or have been affiliated with USIP as a contractor, grantee, or fellow during the 24 months prior to the submission of this nomination.
- The nominee cannot be a prior recipient of the Women Building Peace Award.
Award Selection Criteria
- Commitment to Peace
- The nominee shows a commitment to peace through her work to prevent or resolve conflict nonviolently. She has persisted in the face of profound barriers and personal risk. She inspires others through her personal courage.
- Exceptional Leadership
- The nominee demonstrates exceptional leadership through her vision, integrity, and collaboration, and has earned the respect of others in the pursuit of peace. She raises and legitimizes the views of marginalized communities. She is a catalyst for change.
- Outstanding Practitioner
- The nominee has a coherent focus on peacebuilding and grounds her work in practical experiences. She has adapted her peacebuilding work to changing conflict dynamics. She is exceptionally skilled and innovative in her use of the tools of peacebuilding. Her work serves as a model for others.
- Substantial Impact
- The nominee’s work has demonstrated significance in a conflict context of strategic importance and has led to tangible, quantifiable results. She has developed her peacebuilding efforts from local origins (grassroots, bottom-up). Her efforts strengthen civil society and make a positive impact on community resilience, cultural norms and attitudes.
For more information, visit United States Institute of Peace.