PRESIDENT – LENA SUNDH

Lena Sundh became the chairperson of Operation 1325 in 2021. She has extensive international experience in peace, security, and development.

Lena has served as ambassador for Angola and has many years of experience as a diplomat.

She also has experience working within the UN system. Among her roles, she served as the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).

She has also worked as a political advisor at the Swedish Mission to the United Nations in New York and represented Sweden in various UN conferences and meetings, including the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995.

Lena has also had assignments in Thailand, Namibia, Morocco, and Geneva.

In addition to Operation 1325, Lena Sundh is involved in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs/Swedish Agency for Peace, Security, and Development’s Women’s Mediation Network. This network works to strengthen women’s roles and active participation in peace processes.

VICE-PRESIDENT – AASE SMEDLER

Aase is an economist and development specialist with many years of experience in the United Nations.

Gender equality and women’s rights have been a professional thread throughout her work in development cooperation, conflict resolution, mediation, and within the internal operations of the UN.

The work surrounding the international conferences in the 1990s was crucial, and Aase particularly highlights the inspiring Beijing Platform for Action in 1995.

“When the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 1325 in 2000, it marked both the culmination of progressive and gender-focused development in the 1990s and a turning point in the previously male-dominated security policy” – Aase.

The Security Council’s continued work on the Women, Peace, and Security agenda has yielded tangible results for women’s active participation and responsibility in conflict and security efforts.

Aase has been involved on the board since 2017.

TREASURER – ANKI WETTERHALL

Anki have been engaged in human rights for a long time and have worked both voluntarily and professionally for Amnesty International in Sweden, an umbrella organisation in Vienna for Helsinki Groups, the International Redd Cross in Moscow, and Human Rights Days.  

Joined Operation 1325 because of interest in women’s rights and participation. “Women, peace, and security are areas I find extremely important”.

Anki is retired, and board member of the OSCE network in addition to Operation 1325. She also goes to the gym, spend time with her grandchildren, participate in reading circle, film club, and attend many theatre and concert performances. 

EMELIE HULTÉN

Emelie chose to engage in Operation 1325 because, during her studies, she became interested in issues related to gender and gender-based violence in conflicts.  

Emelie holds a master’s degree in Gender Studier and International Relations from University College Dublin, where she studied courses related to women, peace and security. In her master’s thesis, she interviewed women’s rights organisations and examined how the implementation of international conventions related to gender-based violence in Ukraine has been affected by Russia’s invasion and the country’s EU integration.  

Previously, Emelie has been involved as a volunteer leader for Kvinna till Kvinna in Gothenburg, where they held event on women’s rights in conflicts and gender-based violence. She has also been involved in running the feminist digital magazine ‘Tora Thinks’ and served as a foreign policy monitor at Utrikespolitisk Afton. Additionally, she interned at Sida’s unit for Eastern Europe, where she delved into issues related to Resolution 1325, such as how militarization affects gender norms, gender-based violence, and equality in Ukraine. 

“Operation 1325’s work on the implementation of the UN’s Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, based on local grounding in the organisations partner countries, is incredibly important, and I am happy to have the opportunity to contribute to the organisations work”.

In her everyday life, Emelie works as a research assistant at Stockholm University. 

ANNIKA SCHABBAUER

Annika has chosen to engage in Operation 1325 because “It is important that the work for gender equality continues in all areas, there is nothing more important than peace and security. A strong grassroots movement is needed for all people to be free and have power over their lives”.  

In everyday life, Annika is an actively involved choir singer and gardener with friends and colleagues in many parts of the world. She has previously worked with Operation 1325 and with organisations and authorities for peace, development and gender equality. 

CECILIA RALFE STELANDER

“Peace is central to ecumenism, and women are often the most vulnerable in times of war and other forms of violence” – Cecilia.

Cecilia’s interest in gender equality began in the realms of sports, young adults and peace.

Cecilia was previously the chairperson of YWCA-YMCA IF, during which she was actively involved in democracy projects in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. She continues to support YMCA Ukraine and represents Sweden in the European Forum of Ecumenical Women (EFECW).

Today, Cecilia teaches at the Psychology Program at Uppsala University and runs a psychology clinic.

She is a member of the Sveriges Ekumeniska Kvinnoråd (Swedish Ecumenical Women’s Council). She has been involved on the board since 2013.

KARIN BECKMAN

Karin is involved in the Swedish Women’s Left Alliance.

Karin has previously worked as a librarian and worked a lot with high school, KomVux and SFI.

Karin believes that women’s participation and power in peace processes is fundamental. And thus the work to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1325, to work for women’s equal conditions, opportunities and cooperation across borders. Karin finds this both interesting and uplifting to follow.

“It’s not just about putting a woman in the negotiating room, but it’s the background work that 1325 has done that I appreciate. Although one might think that the resolutions would have carried more weight. But unfortunately this has not been the case”

LENA ANGVIKEN

Lena Angviken has a long-standing interest in women and peace issues, for example, through her involvement in Kvinnor för Fred. This is the reason she also wanted to engage in the board of Operation 1325 and the organisation’s knowledge sharing.

Lena is also part of the local UN association’s board, which also focuses on Resolution 1325.

The background for Lena joining Kvinnor för Fred is her opposition to nuclear weapons, which remains one of her core issues, along with the climate issue.

“These issues are crucial for the continued human life on Earth. Education, for both girls/women and boys/men, is crucial for everyone to realize that women have the same right as men to control their own lives. A woman does not demand rights she does not know she has” – Lena.

Lena is now retired, but occasionally substitutes at her former workplace, the municipal library. In addition to this, she is involved in local politics.

She has been involved in the board since 2020.”

ALTERNATE MEMBER – JOHANNA BERZELL

Johanna has always had a keen interest in women’s rights and peace work. Through her bachelor’s degree in Peace and Conflict Studies, she delved into the importance of women’s influence in peace processes and conflict resolution, which led her to take notice of Operation 1325 and her involvement in the organisation.  

“Operation 1325 working both nationally and internationally with information, education, and promoting debate and dialouge is important to me as I believe knowledge exchange at all levels of society is significant in creating long-term and sustainable peace”. 

Johanna has earlier worked with human rights issues at Amnesty, Clowns Without Borders, and Human Rights Fund, giving her experience in communication, event planning, and face-to-face fundraising. In 2019, Johanna also served as a trainee at childrens and women’s rights organisation in Uganda, where she gained a concrete understanding of the importance of grassroots engagement. 

Johanna is currently pursuing her master’s degree in international security at Sciences Po Paris and is set to graduate in the summer 2024. 

ALTERNATE MEMBER – MARIA SANDGREN LOA

Maria is a member of the organisation Svenska Kvinnors Vänsterförbund (Swedish Women’s Left Association), which is one of the organisations that founded Operation 1325.

Therefore, Maria’s interest in Operation 1325 naturally developed. Maria previously worked as a treatment assistant within the Stockholm municipality.

She has been engaged on the board since 2017.