Our Story
Women Peace Makers (known as WPM) began as a youth and women-led peacebuilding network in 2000 comprising of mostly female university students who were particularly concerned about conflict and violence against women in the post-conflict context of Cambodia. In 2003, WPM formally registered as a non-profit and non-governmental organisation in Cambodia and began to focus its efforts on empowering women, youth, and communities to address conflict non-violently and to stand up for womenโs rights through community mobilization, awareness raising, and capacity building on issues related to womenโs rights protection and conflict transformation. Todayโs WPM is the culmination of over a decade-and-a-half of action and learning in the field with longstanding and well recognised history of intervening in violent situations for women in Cambodia and has developed a strong base of programming to raise awareness, empower women, and advocate for change in the community and conflict settings. WPM envisions a peaceful and gender just society where everyone, regardless of identity, can reach their full potential and live free from violence. WPM works to support the empowerment of women and youth, transform conflict, and prevent violence by providing creative tools and space for dialogue, deeper understanding and strategic intervention into issues of gender and peace.
WPM is grounded in its approach and community voices inform all of its continued learning and strategic directions. There are two main thematic issues WPM is focusing on, namely, Gender and Women Issues Program and Peace and Conflict Transformation Program. Currently, WPM works at the local level with grassroots communities, at the national level with civil society and key stakeholders, and at the regional level with other NGOs, universities and gender and peacebuilding networks in neighboring countries. WPM is currently serving as a steering committee member of the Gender and Development Network (GADNet), a member of Cambodian NGO Committee on CEDAW (NGO-CEDAW), and a member of United Nation Youth Advisory Panel (UNYAP).