BACK

Women in Conflict

Over the course of the last decade, we’ve seen a fantastic selection of work on a huge variety of different conflicts and topics related to them. Below you will find a selection of pieces entered into our international competitions, by young people from around the world. This mini series is a good starting point when considering the many different ways conflict can affect people’s lives. We hope you will dive deeper into many of the topics and learn more.

Please be aware that the information below touches on topics related to war, conflict and its effects. It may therefore not be appropriate for all audiences.

PIONEER 
by Leah, 14-16, USA

For this piece, I was inspired by my voice. Many refer to my voice as soft and quiet, so I wanted to create an oil painting that depicted me as the opposite, shouting. In relation to the theme,we can prevent future wars by speaking out and using our words rather than our weapons. Wars are often caused from a dispute over ideas, so by solving these ideas, we can reach a new state of peace throughout nations.

THE ECHOES OF REFORMATION
by Heather, 16-18, Canada

My subject matter is about all women and girls in Afghanistan as they have been oppressed and denied fundamental human rights or freedom, which includes education, work, movement, and even clothing.

After the United States left Afghanistan in 2021, killing over 176,000 Afghans and 67,000 in Pakistan, the people were left without security. Thus, the Taliban came into power in August 2021, which led to women and girls having their rights systematically and legally stripped away. Taliban edicts “have denied girls from getting an education beyond the sixth grade and banned women from working for nongovernmental organizations,” but now women don't even have the right to “decide when to go and buy groceries” (Penn, 2024). These laws had only grown harsher over the years, as they banned women “from hearing one another’s voices and severing one of their last means of connection [as an Afghan minister said that] a woman’s voice is considered awrah… shouldn’t be heard in public, even by other women (Moaven 2024).

Hence with a surge of interest, I wish to further bring awareness and attention to allow their voice to be heard, while preventing future wars and demonstrating the consequences of conflicts.

THE PAST CAN SAVE THE FUTURE
by Jane, 16-18, South Korea

“Can the dead save the living? Can the past help the present?” Inspired by Nobel Prize-winning author Han Kang’s words, my artwork explores the power of history in preventing future wars. It portrays a girl reading a history book, its pages revealing two contrasting realities—one filled with the tragic destruction of war, the other showing a peaceful democratic movement. History is more than just a record of the past—it is both a warning and a guide. By learning from past mistakes, individuals and leaders alike can make wiser choices. True peace begins with education, guiding us forward to ensure that war remains in the past, never the future.


“The past can save the future”