Bertha von Suttner Peace Prize for contributions to peacebuilding awarded to Elene Maia Rusetskaya
Date:
Elene Maia Rusetskaya, founder of the Women’s Information Center, has received the 2025 Bertha von Suttner Peace Prize, recognizing the role of women in peacebuilding. This year, the award was presented for the first time on the global stage.
The Peace Prize aims to highlight the contributions of individuals working for peace and security in the South Caucasus, a region severely affected by conflict. This award honours those who stand on the front lines of dialogue, reconciliation and the protection of human rights in this challenging reality.
“Today, when both our country and the wider region are going through a difficult and often frustrating period, words that once carried particular value—peace, justice, solidarity—sometimes seem to be losing their meaning,” Elene remarked at the award ceremony. “It was precisely at such a moment that this happened. This recognition brought us back to the point when we worked with eyes alight, and to the belief that our work will bear fruit, even if that result may not be visible for years. That is why, to me, this award means far more than just words. Not only was Bertha von Suttner the first woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, but she also left us a message that peace is not merely an abstract concept. It is built through daily work, truth, dialogue and care for people. It is as if her voice can still be heard today, reminding us that the path to peace rests on women’s shoulders.”
Elene Maia Rusetskaya has been working in the fields of peacebuilding and women’s empowerment for many years. Notably, with the support of the UK Government, she is actively engaged in the work of UN Women, contributing to the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda at the local level and to the support and development of the Network of Women and Youth Peace Ambassadors.
The Bertha von Suttner Peace Prize has a distinctive history. Named after the Austrian writer, journalist, peace activist and first woman Nobel Peace Prize laureate, the award was established in 2019 in Zugdidi, Georgia—the town where Bertha von Suttner lived for some time. In 2025, her eponymous Peace Prize reached the global stage and was ceremonially awarded on 10 December at the Peace Palace in The Hague to mark International Human Rights Day. This important step underscores the universal significance of women’s leadership in peacebuilding and the importance of international recognition of local experience.
Notably, a panel discussion at the event was dedicated specifically to the unique contribution of women to peacebuilding. Alongside Elene Maia Rusetskaya, the discussion featured other Georgian women peacebuilders: Julia Kharashvili, Chairperson of the IDP Women’s Association “Consent”; Ekaterine Gamakharia, Head of the Tbilisi Office of the Charity-Humanitarian Women Fund “Sukhumi”; and Mariam Tvaladze, winner of the Model UN Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security, held for students. The speakers shared their experiences with an international audience and spoke about the importance of intergenerational dialogue. It is noteworthy that students who won other prizes in the open debate also attended the award ceremony and panel discussion, including Giorgi Ghurchumelia, Elene-Ekaterine Dvalidze and Tsotne Kokiashvili.
The event was organized by the UN Women Georgia Country Office within the framework of the regional programme “Women’s Increased Leadership for Resilient and Peaceful Societies”, generously supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark.