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Monday, November 2, 2026
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How Do Women Build Peace?
From left, UN staffers Sophie Boudre, Ruth Aluoch, and Silmara Roman; Bertrade Ngo-Ngijol Banoum, Ashley Peguero, and Michael Buckley
November 2, 2026
Lehman College welcomed two United Nations representatives to campus on Oct. 29 to launch Through Her Lens: Global Stories, Women, Peace, and the Power of Community, an outdoor photography exhibition highlighting women’s roles in peacebuilding, peacekeeping, and human rights around the world. Created in support of the UN’s Women, Peace and Security agenda, the exhibition features portraits of women by women photographers and journalists from the communities represented.
The College is a fitting location for the exhibit, noted President Fernando Delgado. “Lehman’s student body is 73% female, and the campus has a long legacy of women coming to campus to become leaders and going out into the community, showing what is possible.”
Associate Professor of Philosophy Michael Buckley, who is also director of the Center for Human Rights and Peace Studies, and UN tour guide Silmara Roman explored Lehman’s deep ties to the UN, women’s roles in its founding, and their historical contributions to peacebuilding.
“Having the opportunity to experience a panel like this on campus is a privilege that I don’t take for granted,” said student Destini Rivera. “Hearing about women like Eleanor Roosevelt, Malala Yousafzai, and [diplomat] Minerva Bernardino really puts into perspective how important the equality battle for women is, and will always be.”
UN Political and Gender Affairs Officer Ruth Aluoch spoke about the status of the Women, Peace and Security initiative and highlighted the success of international peacekeeping efforts that involve women working in formal and informal spaces. She then joined a panel with Lehman Women’s Club founder Ashley Peguero and Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies and Africana Studies Bertrade Ngo-Ngijol Banoum, who pointed out that seven recent women Nobel Peace Prize laureates were largely grassroots organizers. “These women have broadened the scope of what peace is,” Banoum said. When Peguero asked how people can advocate for women globally, Banoum urged local action: “Start from your community. The work begins right here in the Bronx.”
Through Her Lens is on display in the main campus plaza through Nov. 23.