Applications for the October 2025 Programme now open!

FAQ about the WiC 1325 Fellowship

What is the Beyond Borders Scotland WiC 1325 Fellowship about?

The Women in Conflict 1325 Fellowship is based around the principles of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 which “reaffirms the role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflict, peace negotiations, peacebuilding, peacekeeping, humanitarian response and in post-conflict reconstruction, and stresses the importance of their equal participation in all efforts for the promotion of peace and security”.

The programme takes the form of workshop/discussion-based sessions, field visits, and activities that  provide space for participants to learn with and from each other through sharing experiences, knowledge, and examples of successes and obstacles faced in their work. Participants in this programme are new Fellows. The Women in Conflict 1325 Fellow runs 3 times throughout the year, held in Edinburgh and the Scottish Borders.

The WiC 1325 Fellowship is funded and supported by the Scottish Government. In 2025, Beyond Borders Scotland and Edinburgh Law School were awarded funding to continue delivering the Women in Conflict 1325 Fellowship and its Alumnae Community of Practice. As part of the current inception phase, we are currently revising and updating the Fellowship curriculum and programme of activities, based on input from Alumnae, former programme facilitators, thematic experts, and experienced educators.

If you have any questions about the inception phase, please email fellowship@beyondbordersscotland.com

What are the goals of the Fellowship Programme?

The Fellowship Programme aims to:

• provide a platform enabling the sharing of experiences in relation to UNSCR1325 and the global Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda; women’s roles in peace building and conflict resolution; and gender equality;
• facilitate peer to peer learning providing a safe space for Fellows to learn from each other through sharing experiences, ideas and challenges faced in their different contexts;
• explore the equal and meaningful participation of women in peace processes, peace building, and more widely in society, including identifying challenges and entry points;
• facilitate a network of women engaged in an on-going learning and experience-sharing process, building a sustainable and evolving alumnae community;
• provide guidance on topics including:mediation and negotiation,; conflict analysis, transitional justice;; gender equality; policy advocacy; gender, conflict, and climate; recovery and conflict transformation through the arts, and self-care strategies, among others.

What are the Fellowship topics?

The October Fellowship will include sessions and activities based around the following themes and topics:

• Women, Peace and Security: Foundations and critiques of 1325, challenges and opportunities for women’s participation in peace processes, implementing and adapting WPS across diverse contexts
• Mediation and Negotiation: principles and practices of mediation and negotiation in conflict resolution, gender-sensitive and inclusive mediation, mediation skills-building
• Transitional Justice: Mechanisms, practices, critiques, and gendered approaches to pursuing justice during and after conflict
• Gender, Conflict and the Climate Crisis: Climate justice and inequality, intersections of WPS and climate, psychosocial impacts of the climate crisis
• Reconciliation and Recovery through Creative Arts: The role of art in peacebuilding; using the arts to advance WPS, practical approaches to art for conflict transformation
• Self-care: Recognising the importance of resilience and self-care of women working in conflict and peacebuilding, there are activities and sessions throughout the programme to support Fellows mental wellbeing.

Who can apply?

All levels of experience are considered. However, we do ask for some level of experience or interest in conflict and peacebuilding.

The Fellowship will be conducted in English, and therefore applicants should be comfortable with engaging effectively with others in English, in order to make the most of the Fellowship. However, we acknowledge that this may prevent those with other language proficiencies from applying, and are currently developing an Fellowship programme which will be held once a year outside of Europe, which would be held primarily in regional majority languages such as, for example, Arabic, French, or Spanish. .

What countries are considered?

We welcome applications from any country that has recently been or is currently affected by conflict even if you are not currently living there.

Can I apply if I require a visa to travel to the United Kingdom?

Yes. If you are accepted, we will assist with the visa application process.

If you have previously applied for United Kingdom, United States, or Schengen visas in the past and have been rejected you are still welcome to apply. However, please provide reasoning as to why you received the rejection.

If you have to travel to another city or country to apply for a visa you are also still encouraged to apply.

Can I apply to attend part of the programme?

Due to the structure and nature of the WiC 1325 Fellowship Programme, we do not allow applicants for only part of the programme. You must be able to attend the full programme.

Can I apply to attend the programme virtually?

Similar to the above question, due to the programme’s structure, we do not allow hybrid or virtual attendance. All travel costs are supported by Beyond Borders Scotland to allow participants to join in person in Scotland.

What do I need to apply?

To apply for the Women in Conflict 1325 Fellowship Programme, we ask for:

• A Completed Application Form
• An Up-to-date CV or professional biography
• A Copy of your Passport
• Letter of Recommendation

Please note, if you do not hear back within 2 weeks of the applications closing, assume your application has been unsuccessful.