Legarda: Strengthen Women’s Role in Peace Building

MANILA-Senator Loren Legarda today echoed the United Nations’ call to strengthen the role of women in the peace building process and urged the Senate to look into the country’s implementation of the provisions of a UN Security Council Resolution on the issue.

Legarda, in her report to the Senate on the outcome of her official mission to the Women in Parliaments Global Forum - Annual Summit held in Brussels, Belgium on November 27-29, 2013, said that aside from celebrating the Philippines’ triumph in closing the gender gap, the conference also highlighted the need to strengthen the role of women in conflict resolution and the peace building process.

“In the sidelines of the Women in Parliaments Global Forum, I had the chance to meet with Ms. Jody Williams, Chair of the Nobel Women’s Initiative and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, who inspired me to look into the implementation of the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security in light of the country’s commitments to the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325,” she explained.

UNSCR 1325, adopted on October 31, 2000, primarily acknowledges the significant role of women in conflict prevention and peace building efforts.

As member of the United Nations, the Philippines has the duty to implement the Resolution’s key provisions namely the participation of women in all levels of decision-making; gender-perspective in Secretary-General Reports and Security Council Missions; protection of and respect for human rights of women and girls; gender perspective in conflict processes; and gender perspective in peacekeeping, which ensures government commitment in improving the participation of women in the peace process and addressing sexual violence committed against women in times of armed conflict.

Legarda filed Senate Resolution No. 407 to look into the implementation of the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, which provides the baseline in evaluating government efforts in its commitment to implement UNSCR 1325.

“After recording significant achievements in gender equality as noted by the World Economic Forum in its 2013 which ranked it 5th among 135 nations and the 1st in South and South East Asia, the Philippines must fully utilize the potential offered by women in the determination for peaceful and sustainable solutions to armed conflict besetting the country today,” said Legarda.