A new scholarship for young peacebuilders in memory of Zaida Catalán

FBA has been tasked by the Swedish Government to establish a scholarship aimed at supporting the implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security. It will offer individuals at the beginning of their career an opportunity to expand their knowledge on issues regarding women’s participation in peacebuilding and conflict resolution.

The scholarship is established in memory of Zaida Catalán, who was seconded from FBA to several international peace operations where she served as gender expert.

– Zaida Catalán was a committed and highly appreciated colleague. This scholarship is a Swedish contribution to strengthen international efforts for women, peace and security, by giving young peacebuilders the opportunity to work on these issues in the spirit of Zaida Catalán, says FBA Director-General Sven-Eric Söder.

The scholarship targets young peacebuilders who are strongly committed to the women, peace and security agenda in FBA’s partner countries Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Palestine – the countries where Zaida Catalán was on secondment from FBA.

Initially, FBA only accepts applications for scholarships in the DRC and Palestine. In the future, we hope that we will be able to appoint scholarship holders in Afghanistan also. The last application date is 14 December 2020, to receive a scholarship in 2021.

Click here to read more about the scholarship.

The UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security was adopted 20 years ago. Together with subsequent resolutions, it constitutes the agenda for women, peace and security. The agenda states that the inclusion of women in the prevention, management and solution of conflicts is crucial for sustainable peace and security. The resolutions also highlight the need to improve the protection of women and girls against violence and the consequences of conflicts.

FBA is Sweden’s expert agency for the implementation of the women, peace and security agenda.

Photo: Marc Nozell/Flickr 

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