The fifth Rome Dialogue, held on 27 May 2016, was planned in partnership with Women in International Security (WIIS) Italy, and was focused on the theme of the importance of gender issues in peace and war strategies and the many roles of women on the frontline. As all the other Rome Dialogue, the event consisted in a dynamic conversation between international experts and scholars with a focus on gender perspectives, including:

Irene Fellin - International Expert on Gender, Peace and Security - President of WIIS Italy

Katerina Krulisova – PhD Researcher at Nottingham Trent University

Azzurra Meringolo – Journalist and Researcher - Istituto Affari Internazionali.

Irene Fellin first presented an overview of WIIS Italy, created to support the implementation of the United Nations’ Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security. She spoke in details about the aim, context and implementation of this resolution, which suggests actions to protect and stimulate the participation of women in conflict resolution, peacebuilding and security institutions. After that, Katerina Krulisova, reinforced the idea of women as agents of positive change as opposed to the media narrative, portraying women in a stereotyped and victimized way. In particular, she underlined the stark contrast in the representation of women that are victims of the violence of Daesh in Syria and Iraq, and women that take arms against Daesh. Finally, Azzurra Meringolo explored more in-depth this argument, presenting the actions undertaken by survivors of Daesh violence from the Yazidi community that have managed to escape and are now encouraging the international community to take actions and fight back. From the lively debate with the public, formed by over 50 attendees among university students and professors, young professionals, representatives from the media and NGOs, the discussion shifted towards the many questions that remain open for future discussions and research on the many roles of women on the frontline.