Women on the Frontline: Art, Testimony and the Pursuit of Justice

On the margins of the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Council, the EU Delegation to the United Nations and other international organisations in Geneva, together with Legal Action Worldwide (LAW), co-hosted Women on the Frontline: How Women Transform Trauma into Memory, Healing and Resistance at the Residence of the Ambassador of the European Union.

The event brought together women artists, survivors, human rights defenders, practitioners and diplomats for an evening of artistic expression, testimony and dialogue. Through photography, poetry, visual art, body mapping, storytelling, music, dance and immersive virtual reality, participants explored how women affected by conflict transform personal experiences of violence into acts of remembrance, healing and resistance.

The event brought together women artists, survivors, human rights defenders, practitioners and diplomats for an evening of artistic expression, testimony and dialogue. Through photography, poetry, visual art, body mapping, storytelling, music, dance and immersive virtual reality, participants explored how women affected by conflict transform personal experiences of violence into acts of remembrance, healing and resistance.

“Tonight, we gather not simply to view art, but to encounter courage. Across conflicts and continents, women have endured war, displacement, persecution, and loss. Yet they have also shown extraordinary resilience: the determination to remember, to create, to resist, and to lead. We hope this evening deepens understanding, inspires solidarity, and strengthens our shared commitment to ensuring that women affected by conflict are both heard and recognized as powerful agents of change, justice, and peace”  |  EU Ambassador Deike Potzel

As spaces for women affected by conflict become increasingly limited, the event underscored Geneva’s role as a platform where survivors, artists and decision-makers can engage directly on issues of justice, accountability and human rights. It also reflected on the power of art to preserve memory, challenge injustice and contribute to policy conversations.
 

Alongside the live programme, guests visited a series of artistic installations highlighting women’s experiences across multiple conflict-affected contexts. The exhibition featured body mapping from South Sudan, a Yazidi virtual reality experience from Iraq, installations from Gaza, drawings documenting women’s lives under repression in Syria and Afghanistan, portraits of Afghan women from Afghanistan to exile, photographs from Ukraine exploring the impact of conflict, including conflict-related sexual violence, and a short film on the Rohingya community’s pursuit of justice from refugee camps in Bangladesh to the International Court of Justice.

The evening concluded with a reception, allowing participants to engage directly with the artists and survivors, view the exhibitions and continue discussions on how art, justice and accountability can reinforce one another in responding to conflict and human rights violations.

Through initiatives such as Women on the Frontline, the European Union reaffirms its commitment to supporting survivors of conflict, promoting gender equality, and advancing accountability for serious human rights violations and international crimes. By creating spaces where women’s voices, lived experiences and creative expression are placed at the centre of the conversation, the EU continues to support inclusive approaches to justice that recognise the essential role of survivors in shaping lasting peace and accountability.