Frontline voices: 25 years of women, peace and security

General Seán Clancy is the first Irish Chief of Staff to serve as Chair of the European Union Military Committee and the first Airman to hold the role of Chief of Staff of the Irish Defence Forces. With 37 years of service, he has held senior leadership positions including Deputy Chief of Staff (Support), General Officer Commanding the Air Corps and Director of Military Aviation. A decorated search and rescue pilot with 5,000 flight hours, Clancy has championed innovation, co-authored the Defence Forces Leadership Doctrine and played a pivotal role in establishing Ireland’s Emergency Aeromedical Service.

Irene Fellin is the NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for Women, Peace and Security and for Human Security. In this role, she leads the Alliance’s efforts to advance gender equality, integrate gender perspectives, and strengthen NATO’s human security agenda. A gender and security expert with 20 years of experience, she previously worked with Women in International Security, the International Affairs Institute in Rome, NATO Headquarters, and as a consultant for UN agencies. Fellin founded the Mediterranean Women Mediators Network and the Italian chapter of Women in International Security, both promoting women’s leadership in peacebuilding.

Mary Fitzgerald is a researcher and analyst specialising in the Mediterranean region with a particular focus on Libya. She has consulted for a number of international organisations including in the areas of peacebuilding and civil society. She has worked with the International Crisis Group (ICG), the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) and the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) among others. She is a Non-Resident Scholar at the Middle East Institute in Washington DC, an Associate Fellow at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation, King’s College London and an Associate Fellow at ISPI in Milan. Mary has also worked on wider initiatives with UNESCO, the Anna Lindh Foundation, the British Council and other cultural organisations. Her writing has appeared in publications including Foreign Policy, The New Yorker, The Washington Post, Financial Times and The Guardian.

Emmanuel Jacob is President of the European Organisation of Military Associations and Trade Unions (EUROMIL), where he champions the rights and welfare of military personnel and veterans across Europe. He began his career in the Belgian Armed Forces, serving in the Field Artillery and later at General Headquarters in Brussels. A founding member and former Secretary General of ACMP-CGPM, he also worked in the cabinet of Belgian Minister Pieter De Crem. Re-elected multiple times as EUROMIL President, Jacob continues to provide strong leadership and represent the interests of Europe’s military community.

Viviane Teitelbaum is a member of the Belgian Senate and President of the French Network of Women Parliamentarians of the Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie. She previously served two decades in the Parliament of the Brussels Region and was an alderwoman in Ixelles, where she introduced Belgium’s first gender-sensitive municipal budget. A committed feminist, Teitelbaum is also European President of the International Council of Women. She is the author of ten books and numerous contributions to collective works, and remains an influential advocate for gender equality in politics and public life.

Dr. Rudina Çollaku is a researcher and civil society activist with dynamic engagement in human rights defence, peacebuilding, and preventing and countering violent extremism. She is the Founder and Executive Director of the Women Centre for Development and Culture Albania (WCDCA) and also serves as Director of the Women’s Sector at the Interreligious Centre in Elbasan, Board Member of the Interreligious Institution Tirana (IRI), and an active member of the Alliance for Security and Leadership. With extensive expertise in P/CVERLT training, gender equality, and youth empowerment, Dr. Çollaku is a dedicated advocate for building inclusive, resilient communities through dialogue, education, and international collaboration.