A new public engagement project led by Agnieszka Fal-Dutra Santos has received support through the Swiss National Science Foundation's (SNSF) Agora programme, which this year awarded CHF 5.5 million to 29 projects selected from a record number of applications. The project, Women in Peace Processes, was highlighted by the SNSF as one of three featured examples demonstrating how researchers are engaging society in dialogue around pressing global issues.
Through a photo exhibition, public reflection spaces, and encounters with women peacebuilders from Colombia, the project aims to raise awareness of the critical role women play in building and sustaining peace.
The initiative responds to a growing body of research showing that peace processes are more likely to produce durable and effective agreements when women participate meaningfully in negotiations and implementation. Yet women's contributions often remain under-recognised in public and political discourse.
By bringing the experiences of Colombian women peacebuilders into conversation with Swiss audiences, the project seeks to foster greater understanding of how inclusive approaches contribute to more effective peace agreements and long-term peacebuilding outcomes.
The project is led by Agnieszka Fal-Dutra Santos, senior researcher and research lead at the University of Bern and research associate at the Geneva Graduate Institute's Gender Centre. Fal-Dutra Santos is also well known for her work on Women, Peace and Security, gender in peacebuilding, and feminist approaches to recovery and reconciliation.
The project team includes co-applicants/Agora Specialists Jenny Diaz Muñoz and Jennifer (Gigi) Thornquest, with administrative support provided by Francy Jara Mentora.
