Seeking Peace

Monica McWilliams was one of only two women at the peace talks that ended the war in Northern Ireland. She explains why you have to be willing to “wave goodbye to dinosaurs” to achieve peace. We also hear from a young peace activist in Yemen. 

Former President of Ireland and climate justice activist Mary Robinson explains how climate change is a man-made problem with a feminist solution. And, in Mexico, we hear how the effects of climate change on water resources puts a strain on women specifically. 

Major General Kristin Lund, the first and only woman to command a UN peacekeeping mission, tells us how the bond between women makes her job easier. Also, from Ukraine, we meet some of the women joining the police force, a job that was off-limits to them until just a few years ago. 

The first woman to be elected president of any African country, former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, explains how she kept the peace in Liberia. We also take you to Colombia, where former FARC combatants are adjusting to legitimate political and civilian life. 

Actress and UN Goodwill Ambassador Ashley Judd tells us how sexual violence affects women in war zones. Also on this episode: twenty years after the war in Kosovo, rape survivors are being recognized as victims of war. 

Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton tells us why women’s rights have to be a central part of American foreign policy. Also: meet the women of Afghanistan’s first all-female landmine clearing squad. 

Kristen Bell, actress and advocate for the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund, explains the meaning of “goodness” and why women are the key to lasting peace. We also take you to the world’s largest refugee camp in Bangladesh, where a group of Rohingya women are building a case against the government of Myanmar.