Written by: Jorie-Annie Rico
Abstract
With women comprising more than half of the world’s current population, their critical role in engendering and sustaining peace has gained acknowledgment today more than at any other point in history.
Transcending the issue of equality or morality, the inclusion of women in any peace-building process is an efficiency issue. Empowering women to take part in any peace-building effort is crucial because peace will be impossible to achieve if half of the world’s population remains excluded or faces discrimination (Peace Direct, n.d.).
Whether they are combatants, survivors, peacekeepers, or innocent civilians, women must be empowered to play an active role in ensuring peaceful development (Kristof, as cited in Kuehnast, 2011).
Numerous international and national commitments were put in place to reaffirm the importance of women in peace processes. It was in 2005 when Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women and Peace and Security was accepted, the first time that inter-linkages across development, peace and security and human rights were globally recognized (Klot, 2007).
Six years after, the Busan Joint Action Plan on Gender Equality and Development captured the commitment to gender equality, women’s rights, and women’s empowerment. In 2010, United Nations Policy Committee endorsed the seven-point action plan on women‟s participation in peacebuilding (ADB, 2013).
That women are at the heart of peacebuilding is apparent in every conflict-ridden region. Anecdotes from UN News‟ 2004 report reveal the unseen and unsung efforts made by women to bring peace in many troubled countries. Israeli and Palestinian women have collaborated to advocate for peace in the teeming Gaza Strip.
Nepali women have represented the voice of women in the peace talks between the government and Maoist rebels. Women‟s Peace Caravans venture into the most treacherous conflict-ridden interiors of Colombia to protest against the civil war and negotiate with the guerillas.
This research paper seeks to discuss the role of women in the peace process in the Philippines. The paper begins with an analysis of the nexus of gender and conflict. Next, roles of women in the peace process are discussed. Lastly, policy recommendations are focused on tapping opportunities to expand women‟s participation.
Keywords: women empowerment, Philippine peace process,
[The Role of Women in Peacebuilding: The Case of the Philippines]
