Ending violence against women

Ban Ki-moon and Mary Robinson discuss gender injustice and the role of men in tackling it.

Founded by Nelson Mandela in 2007, we are independent global leaders working together for peace and human rights

Ban Ki-moon

Former UN Secretary-General and former South Korean Foreign Minister; championed the world’s vulnerable by putting Sustainable Development, climate change, and gender equality at the top of the UN agenda.

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Gro Harlem Brundtland

First woman Prime Minister of Norway; former Director-General of WHO; a medical doctor who champions health as a human right; and put sustainable development on the international agenda.

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Zeid Raad Al Hussein

Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; champion of international justice and multilateralism; outspoken advocate for peace and human rights; veteran Jordanian diplomat and peacekeeping expert.

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Hina Jilani

Pioneering lawyer and pro-democracy campaigner; a leading activist in Pakistan's women's movement and international champion of human rights.

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Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

Former President of Liberia and Africa’s first elected female head of state; Nobel Peace Laureate; a leading promoter of peace, justice and democratic rule; a voice for freedom; and advocate for health for all.

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Ricardo Lagos

Former President of Chile; tenacious fighter for democracy and human rights; implemented health reform and reduced economic inequality while diversifying Chile’s external trade in the era of globalisation.

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Graça Machel

Women’s and children's rights advocate; former freedom fighter and first Education Minister of Mozambique; co-founder of The Elders.

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Mary Robinson

First woman President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; Chair of The Elders; a passionate advocate for gender equality, women’s participation in peace-building, human dignity and climate justice.

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Juan Manuel Santos

Former President of Colombia; a Nobel Peace Laureate who led complex peace negotiations, ending over 50 years of intractable civil war.

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Ernesto Zedillo

Former President of Mexico who led profound democratic and social reforms; a renowned economist; and an advocate of multilateralism, inclusive globalisation, nuclear nonproliferation, drug policy reform and universal healthcare.

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Martti Ahtisaari

Former President of Finland; Nobel Peace Laureate; and expert in conflict mediation, diplomacy and post-conflict state-building.

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Ela Bhatt

The ‘gentle revolutionary’; a pioneer in women’s empowerment and founder of the more than 1 million-strong Self-Employed Women’s Association trade union in India; Gandhian practitioner of non-violence and self-reliance.

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Lakhdar Brahimi

Former Algerian freedom fighter, Foreign Minister, conflict mediator and UN diplomat; an expert in peacekeeping and post-conflict reconstruction.

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Fernando Henrique Cardoso

Former President of Brazil; implemented major land reform programme, reduced poverty and significantly improved health and education; an acclaimed sociologist and global advocate for drug policy reform.

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Jimmy Carter

Former President of the United States, Nobel Peace Laureate and veteran peace negotiator; dedicated to advancing peace, democracy and health worldwide.

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Desmond Tutu

Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town and Nobel Peace Laureate; a veteran anti-apartheid activist and peace campaigner widely regarded as ‘South Africa’s moral conscience’.

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Our key programmes

Access to Justice
Climate Change
Conflict Countries & Regions
Universal Health Coverage
Ethical Leadership & Multilateral Cooperation
Refugees and Migration

Access to Justice

Access to justice for all is an important human right. We will work with governments and civil society to make this right a reality.
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Climate Change

We want to help ensure a just transition to the low carbon economy, create political space for ambitious action, and encourage innovative new solutions.
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Conflict Countries & Regions

We endeavour to assist in efforts to secure peaceful resolution to conflicts through quiet diplomacy and a willingness to talk to all sides.
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Universal Health Coverage

We make global and country-level interventions to help political leaders take the bold steps needed to implement pro-poor UHC reforms.
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Ethical Leadership & Multilateral Cooperation

We support international co-operation & strong multilateral institutions as the most effective ways of tackling global challenges, including nuclear disarmament.
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Refugees and Migration

We champion the need for compassion, tolerance and solidarity in response to vulnerable people on the move. ​
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Latest News & Insight More on what we do

Latest News & Insight

News
Ethical leadership is needed to address the scourge of injustice
Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon on the responsibility of African leaders to intervene in the conflict in Ethiopia, and how factors such as conflict, COVID-19 and poor leadership hinder gender equality.
Statement
The Elders call on African leaders to push for an urgent ceasefire, mediation and humanitarian access in Ethiopia
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Juan Manuel Santos Ban Ki-moon
30 Nov 2021
The Elders today urged African leaders to intervene to stop the conflict in Ethiopia escalating into a regional crisis and an even worse humanitarian disaster. 
News
Ending violence against women and girls requires the attention of all
Ban Ki-moon Juan Manuel Santos Graça Machel Zeid Raad Al Hussein Mary Robinson
25 Nov 2021
Marking the UN’s campaign for '16 days of activism against gender-based violence', The Elders reflect on leaders’ responsibilities, regardless of gender, to end this persistent injustice.
Statement
The Elders call on all parties to JCPOA to seek compromise and keep talks alive
24 Nov 2021
Ahead of the resumption of JCPOA talks in Vienna, The Elders call on all parties to show courageous leadership and a willingness to compromise.
Statement
The Elders deplore dereliction of leadership at COP26 and call for urgent climate action
Mary Robinson
15 Nov 2021
The Elders express disappointment at the lack of progress at COP26.
Speech
Leaders have to come up with a pathway to close the gap to 1.5°C
Juan Manuel Santos
10 Nov 2021
Juan Manuel Santos addresses the Sustainable Innovation Forum at COP26, discussing how climate action and preventing biodiversity loss must go hand in hand.
Guest Blog
No climate action without climate education
05 Nov 2021
Jordan Madden is a young climate activist from the US. He explains why climate education is the basis for climate action. Foreword by Mary Robinson.
The Elders in the world

Video and gallery content from The Elders

Videos
Together, we can shape a better future for us all
At a time of populism and isolationism, when polarised politics and self-interest have the upper hand, The Elders offer an alternative approach.
Photos
2020: a year in review
2020 was a year like no other as COVID-19 wreaked havoc on people’s lives across the world. During this time, The Elders continued to deliver on Nelson Mandela’s mandate to “support courage where there is fear” and “inspire hope where there is despair”
Videos
Israel-Palestine: the realities of occupation
Gro Harlem Brundtland joins Nadav Weiman, a former IDF soldier and Deputy Director of Breaking the Silence, to discuss his military service, the realities of occupation and hopes for peace between Israel and Palestine.
Videos
#NuclearThreat: a call for minimisation
Ban Ki-moon, Ernesto Zedillo, Gro Harlem Brundtland and Mary Robinson explain why all nuclear powers must pursue policies of nuclear minimisation, to preserve peace for future generations.
Videos
How close are we to realising gender equality?
How do we accelerate the unfinished business of the landmark Beijing Declaration on women’s rights? Mary Robinson and Amani Aruri in conversation.
COVID-19 Hub
Reflections, updates and insights on the COVID-19 pandemic
Podcast

Gro Harlem Brundtland

Health Inequality and COVID-19

To deal decisively with COVID-19 and prepare for future threats requires comprehensive and sustained political commitment.
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
Humanity’s collective experience of COVID-19 has reminded us all how precious, fragile, and intertwined life can be.
Juan Manuel Santos
It is essential we seize the opportunity presented by COVID-19 to acknowledge failings, and repair systems and processes.
Ernesto Zedillo
History will judge us harshly should we not marshall every resource at our disposal to make sure we get vaccines in the arms of those who need it.
Graça Machel
State of Hope

Mary Robinson

On our shared challenges

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