Youth Advocates of Peace and Development Network (YAPDN)

Youth Advocates of Peace and Development Network (YAPDN)

The Comprehensive Peace Agreement in Bangsamoro signed in 2014 between the Government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front saw a formal end to hostilities in the region. Despite progress made in maintaining peace, civil society organizations note that much of the conflict and post-conflict challenges faced by women and girls are not being addressed. Women and girls have limited livelihood options, face social discrimination, and do not often have their voices heard.

The Youth Advocates of Peace and Development Network (YAPDN) is a network of young professionals that work towards the advancement of marginalized communities in Mindanao. They seek support in implementing a project to aid Bangsamoro women learn more about gender equality in the context of Islam and indigenous people, help them to understand the impact of peace issues, as well as create opportunities for women’s leadership, participation and agenda-building. Furthermore, they aim to mainstream the Women, Peace, and Security agenda through advocacy. Ultimately, they hope to ensure that local level policies are gender-responsive by training policymakers and mainstreaming gender into local government agendas.