Despite the wealth of evidence highlighting the benefits that investing in women and youth can bring in terms of conflict prevention, crisis response, and peace, the failure to allocate sufficient resources and funds has been perhaps the most serious and persistent obstacle to the implementation of the WPS and YPS agendas. Moreover, research shows a consistent, striking disparity between policy commitments to gender equality and women’s empowerment, and the financial allocations to achieve them. Saumya is the co-founder and CEO of Youth for Peace International, a youth-led peacebuilding organisation in India. As a social entrepreneur, peacebuilder, and international trainer, Saumya has been working towards building a peaceful world by empowering young individuals and creating a sustainable society. In this episode, we discuss Saumya’s experiences accessing resources as a young peacebuilder; she shares what needs to change in the donor community to ensure an enabling environment for young women peacebuilders, and an ideal future where all members of society have equal opportunities to achieve and sustain peace.

Music credit: 'Coffee Shopping' by Bruno Freitas, licensed under hooksounds.com.