On a crisp October day in 2000, the United Nations Security Council in New York City adopted a document that would fundamentally shift the landscape of international diplomacy. Resolution 1325 was more than just a four-page administrative agreement; it was the birth of the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda. For the first time in history, the world’s highest security body formally recognized that conflict does not affect men and women in the same way, and more importantly, that sustainable peace is impossible without the equal participation of women. Yet, for years, a haunting question lingered in the corridors of power: How does a document signed by people in suits in a glass tower influence the life of a woman in a remote village or a displaced person in a makeshift camp?
In Uganda, the answer is being written not in ink, but in action. From the rugged terrain of the Kasese District to the bustling town centers of Kyegegwa, a movement is surging. Peace in Uganda is no longer viewed as a top-down mandate from the capital of Kampala; it is being grown from the soil up. Through a sophisticated network of local mediators, community leaders, and grassroots advocates, the lofty ambitions of the United Nations are being translated into tangible safety, justice, and stability. This transformation is driven by a simple but profound realization: those who live through the conflict are the ones best equipped to end it.
The philosophy of “Nothing for us without us” is perhaps best personified by Juliet Mbambu. As the Executive Director of the Bwera United Women with Disabilities Association, Mbambu understands the intricacies of exclusion better than most. Diagnosed with polio at the age of ten, her path to leadership was paved with physical and social obstacles. In her community, a disability was often seen as a dead end, but Mbambu’s sisters and friends refused to let her be left behind, sometimes carrying her on their backs for miles so she could attend school. Today, as a social worker and mother of three, she uses that lived experience to advocate for others who are often invisible in peace processes.
Mbambu often uses a poignant architectural metaphor to explain her work. You would never dream of building an entry ramp for a public building without consulting someone who uses a wheelchair, she notes. To do so risks building a “mountain” rather than a path. This logic applies directly to peacebuilding. In the Kasese District, which sits precariously near the border of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the threat of violent extremism is a constant shadow. Extremist groups often target the most marginalized and disillusioned members of society for recruitment.
Through specialized conflict mediation training provided by the Coalition for Action on 1325 (CoACT) and supported by UN Women, Mbambu has become a frontline defense against radicalization. She leads community dialogues that specifically target the youth most at risk of being lured by extremist rhetoric. Her approach is not one of lecture, but of listening. By the end of these sessions, the young participants are not just observers; they are authors of their own “action points,” committing to act as ambassadors of peace among their peers. Mbambu’s work proves that when you empower those with lived experience, you create a security net that is far more resilient than any military patrol.
While Mbambu focuses on the intersection of disability and security, Angel Musiime represents the rising tide of youth leadership in Uganda’s peace agenda. At 26, Musiime serves as a local parish chief and peace mediator in the Kyegegwa Town Council. Her journey to this position was a battle against the low expectations often placed on young women in rural settings. After losing her mother and facing the challenges of a pregnancy while still a university student, Musiime was met with the familiar refrain that her professional life was over. The societal script was clear: get married, have children, and disappear into the domestic sphere.
“But I thank God I had this voice that kept on telling me, ‘Make your mother proud,’” Musiime recalls. When the opportunity for peace mediator training arose in 2023, she seized it with both hands. She describes the morning of the training with vivid clarity—balancing the demands of motherhood with the fire of her own ambition. For Musiime, the training was the key that unlocked her ability to defend the rights of women and girls in her parish. She has since become a vital bridge for her community, successfully navigating the complex waters of domestic abuse cases and school dropouts. By convincing young boys to return to the classroom and providing a lifeline for women in abusive relationships, she is dismantling the cycles of violence that often serve as the precursor to larger societal conflict.
However, the work of peacebuilding in Uganda is as much about logistics as it is about leadership. Sharon Kabugho, a Communications Officer with the Kasese District Local Government, knows this all too well. To Kabugho, being a peacebuilder means being comfortable on the back of a pickup truck, bouncing along unpaved roads to reach the most isolated residents. “You have to get there,” she says simply. Her role is central to the implementation of Uganda’s Third National Action Plan for WPS. This plan is unique because it emphasizes “Local Action Plans,” which take the broad strokes of international policy and refine them to address specific local grievances, such as land disputes and gender-based violence (GBV).
Kabugho’s evolution as a leader came through a realization that many things she once accepted as “normal” were actually violations of women’s peace. This shift in perspective is a core goal of the WPS agenda: redefining security to include the domestic and economic spheres. Peace is not merely the absence of war; it is the presence of dignity and safety within the home. To spread this message, Kabugho utilizes every modern tool available, from radio broadcasts and hotlines to social media campaigns, ensuring that the message of equality reaches even those who cannot attend a physical meeting. She views herself as a “candle-bearer,” urging all stakeholders to keep the flame of the WPS agenda alive until true equality is reached.
The impact of these individual efforts is backed by staggering data that highlights a systemic shift in Ugandan society. Adekemi Ndieli, the UN Women Deputy Country Representative for Uganda, notes that a society that guarantees the safety of its women is a society that guarantees its own stability. This is not just a sentiment; it is a statistical reality. With critical funding from the Government of Norway, UN Women has supported the development of 16 Local Action Plans across the country. The results are transformative. In the districts where UN Women operates, women’s representation on local peace committees has skyrocketed from a mere 17 percent in 2022 to 46 percent today.
The year 2024 alone saw approximately 500 community-level conflicts successfully mediated or resolved by the women trained under these programs. These are 500 instances where a land dispute did not escalate into a riot, where a domestic grievance did not end in tragedy, and where a neighborhood tension was de-escalated through dialogue rather than force. By integrating women into the very fabric of local governance and conflict resolution, Uganda is creating a model for the rest of the world.
The success in Uganda serves as a powerful testament to the enduring relevance of Resolution 1325. It proves that when global policy is placed in the hands of local women, it ceases to be a dry academic exercise and becomes a living, breathing force for change. The peace being built in these districts is sustainable because it is inclusive. It accounts for the mother, the student, the person with a disability, and the remote farmer. As these women continue to lead, they are not just settling disputes; they are redefining what it means for a nation to be truly at peace. They are the proof that while world leaders may sign the documents, it is the women on the ground who turn those words into a reality that lasts.
