Grace - podcast Women, Peace and Security

In this episode, we hear from Grace Achan from Uganda, an advocate and survivor of abduction who was taken from school and held for eight years. After returning home, she went back to school, co-founded the Women’s Advocacy Network, and now campaigns nationally and internationally for reparations and justice for survivors of conflict-related violence.

Grace shares how her sense of justice started long before the war: as a schoolgirl who refused to accept girls being treated as lesser, and as the eldest daughter who knew what unfairness felt like. Today, she channels that same courage into supporting other women, listening to their stories, translating their testimonies, and challenging stigma in their communities so survivors can live in dignity, not shame.

Through her work with hundreds of women, Grace has seen the power of sisterhood and storytelling: how sharing pain can turn into strength, how unity can heal, and how resilience can grow even after unimaginable violence.

Grace looks forward, not back. She calls for a world that truly listens to survivors and stops using violence as a tool of power. Above all, she embodies her message: that no matter how heavy the past, this is not the end of life. There is always a way to move forward, together.