Edinburgh Law School hosts the July 2026 Women in Conflict 1325 Fellowship

As part of the Scottish Peace Programme, Edinburgh Law School (ELS) hosted the Women in Conflict 1325 Fellowship on 20 July 2026. 

The Women in Conflict 1325 Fellowship Programme, which has convened more than 400 women peacebuilders from 40 plus conflict-affected countries across the Middle East, Africa, South Asia, Europe, and Latin America since 2017. Run by Beyond Borders Scotland (BBS) in partnership with ELS and funded by the Scottish Government, the Fellowship supports women peacebuilders and the critical work they do to end and transform violent and nonviolent conflict.

The July Fellowship welcomed women peacebuilders, researchers, lawyers, humanitarians, and mediators from 11 countries, all of whom drew on their professional and personal experiences as women working for peace and gender equality. During their time at ELS, the Fellows took part in thematic workshops on ‘the Women, Peace and Security agenda’, ‘Inclusive Peacemaking in Contemporary Conflict’ and ‘Gender and Mediation’ led by Senior Research Fellow Laura Wise, drawing on findings from the PeaceRep programme, a research consortium led ELS. Fellows also met members of the Scottish Peace Platform, of which BBS and ELS are the joint Secretariat, for a peer-exchange to share experiences from Fellows with members doing related work in Scotland. 

Throughout the course of the week, Fellows also discussed and practiced mediation and negotiation, transitional justice, the climate-conflict-gender nexus, and the use of arts as a tool for peacebuilding. Scottish-focused experiences included a meeting at the Scottish Government with Minister for Equalities and International Development Simita Kumar MSP, Edinburgh’s Forgotten Women’s Tour, a visit to Traquair House in the Scottish Borders, and a ceilidh! 

Senior Research Fellow Laura Wise said, “As conflict escalates around the globe, such spaces of solidarity and exchange are vital for learning from those most experienced in responding to conflict: women peacebuilders. We aim to create a space where Fellows feel comfortable to share their experiences across diverse contexts, and to build relationships with peacebuilding professionals based in Scotland, the rest of the UK, and Ireland. We are grateful to the Scottish Government for their continued funding to support the Fellowship programme, and to Edinburgh Law School for welcoming the Fellows.” 

Read more about the 1325 Fellowship 

Read more about the Scottish Peace Platform

Photo credit: Shona McCallum - Beyond Borders Scotland