Across the world, and in every country where MAG works, women play a critical role in helping their communities recover and rebuild following the devastation wrought by war.

They are peacebuilders, decision-makers, wage-earners and care-givers.

And often they play these roles having suffered in unique and terrible ways because of the conflict and armed violence that has gone before.

In 2024, MAG will be highlighting the role that women play in our mission to save lives, ease suffering and enable sustainable development so people can live with dignity and choice, free from fear.

We are doing this because the role that women can and do play is too often unacknowledged or under-recognised.

Women bring unique perspectives, vital insight, expertise and experience to post-conflict recovery and peacebuilding. Today, as conflict and insecurity affect millions of people worldwide, the leadership of women, no matter what their role, has never been more important.

Five renowned women photographers, from South East Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe, are collaborating with MAG to document the experience of our female staff and the role of women in rebuilding communities after conflict.

Together, we will bring you stories of female leadership, resilience, skill and courage. 

These are the stories of the women of MAG, women working for peace.

You can read about some of our women leaders below. And you can also find out more below about the photographers collaborating with us in the coming months.

Join our journey this year as we celebrate the women working for peace.

Meet the photographers

Meet some of MAG's staff working to advance gender equity

Anne Akello is MAG's Gender and Inclusion Advisor, responsible for promoting equality and inclusion across our teams. 

"I am proud to champion the cause of gender equity and meaningful inclusion. I provide colleagues and peers with guidance on how to integrate gender considerations into all aspects of MAG's work and to enhance the inclusion of women’s agency and influence in conflict-affected communities. 

We are making significant progress in promoting gender and inclusion practices both regionally and locally. We have seen an increase in our influence in shaping policies supporting gender equity, for example feeding into UN action plans on gender and diversity. This increase in influence is further demonstrated by the growing interest of local partners and donors in learning more about MAG's approaches to promoting gender and inclusion practices." 

Ria is our Director of Finance, one of our female leaders who oversees MAG's budget and ensures the organisation’s financial health and long-term sustainability.

She joined MAG in 2018 from a practice background where she specialised in the not-for-profit sector. With over a decade of experience she brings a wealth of skills at an operational and advisory level. In addition to her leadership of MAG’s Finance team, Ria plays a leading role in the organisation’s treasury management and global tax compliance work.

Najat El Hamri is our Regional Director for the Middle East, and brings over 20 years of experience in the humanitarian and development sector. She oversees our work in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and is supporting teams to ensure gender mainstreaming is integrated into their national plans and part of all project proposals.  

"We are cultivating a collaborative learning environment by facilitating the exchange of expertise among our programmes in relation to gender equity and the inclusion of vulnerable groups. We have launched training sessions and workshops to address challenges and celebrate achievements." 

"In MAG's programmes in the Middle East, we are fostering connections with local organisations whose work is relevant to gender equity and diversity. We also encourage the exchange of knowledge between national authorities on topics relevant to gender equity. In the past MAG staff have delivered training on gender to national authorities, to support them to reflect on these important issues within their own teams." 

Thuk is a team leader with MAG Cambodia. She joined MAG straight from school and is now one of team leaders in Cambodia. She says she is proud to be playing such an important role in making her community safe following years of conflict. Thuc describes her family as ‘poor farmers’ and says 80% of her income goes to support the wider family.  She said: “A couple of years ago when I was home on leave, my grandfather found a bomb behind our house. I reported it and MAG came straight away and destroyed it. We live with this danger all the time – every day. So, you can understand why I value my job so much, we are making a big difference to people’s lives as we help our country recover from the terrible conflict so many years ago.”

Delia Maphosa is MAG's Diversity and Inclusion Manager.

"Achieving gender equity requires more than just women fighting for it. In my role, I lead in formulating and executing strategies, programs, and initiatives designed to cultivate an environment where every employee feels cherished, respected, and empowered to contribute their unique perspectives and experiences. My work is not only a bridge between the different levels of the organisation but also acts as a driving force behind the advancement of diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the organisation. 

As the Diversity and Inclusion Manager I help foster transformation in our organizational culture by conducting awareness-raising and training for staff and supporting managers and leaders to foster an inclusive and identity-sensitive culture and lead by example. I collaborate with the Gender Advisor to conduct trainings and workshops for staff and, when relevant, of partners to ensure the workplace is gender-sensitive, inclusive, and equitable and that women are supported adequately to take up more technical leadership roles. I am honoured to be part of an organisation that seeks to amplify the voices of women and to be part of the organisational shift towards building a more inclusive and equitable MAG." 

Cover photo by Maryam Ashrafi.