On 1st July 2025, H.E. Ambassador Marie-Thérèse Pictet-Althann and First Secretary Silvia Vandi participated at the Workshop on “The role of women in De(radicalisation) in Africa”, taking place at the NATO Joint Force Command Naples. During her speech, the Ambassador underscored the critical role of faith and women in countering radicalisation and promoting peace. She outlined, how religion, while often manipulated to serve as a divide, may serve as a unifying factor through the role of women in interfaith dialogue. Furthermore, the Ambassador noted with concern that women remain underrepresented in formal peace processes, despite their crafting of “powerful counter-narratives rooted in shared humanity and forgiveness”. In addition, she presented three concrete propositions to harness the power of women in faith-based approaches to mediation. To conclude, Ambassador Pictet-Althann reiterated that women are crucial protectors of human dignity, whose moral authority and leadership are essential aspects for peace-building efforts. Therefore, she called for the structural inclusion of women as mediators, changemakers, and agents of peace.

(L to R: Ambassador Pictet-Althann; Ms. Irene Fellin, NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for Women, Peace and Security; Lt. General Rodolfo Sganga, JFC Naples Chief of Staff; Brig. General Aydin Kiliç, NSD-S Hub Director).