How can the arts play a role in engaging communities in Women, Peace, and Security (WPS)? Civil society, including women artists, women leaders and women-led CSOs play an integral role in spearheading peace efforts in the region. Hosted by The Asia Foundation with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand, this panel brings together regional changemakers from the Philippines, Indonesia, Myanmar, and Timor Leste to demonstrate how creative initiatives such as radio, theatre, and art can effectively engage communities and influence policymakers on peace and security issues.
As the international arena faces unprecedented compound crises, the discussion of peace and development can no longer be separated from gender mainstreaming, and women, peace and security (WPS). Consequently, Japan’s commitment to our guiding principle of human security, which pursues a sustainable, resilient and inclusive society across all sectors including health, has evolved into championing more women into decision-making roles, and underscoring their contributions as active agents for positive changes of the society. The side event of “Human Security towards a Resilient BARMM – Japan’s Approach in Promoting WPS focusing on Health” organized by the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) showcases the human security initiatives of Japan by addressing women’s health needs in relation to better maternal and child health service and nutrition as a way to achieve the peace and prosperity in BARMM, the Philippines, and the world as a whole.
UP WILOCI’s side event seeks to advance the global conversation on the WPS agenda among the justice system actors, academe, and CSO, across regions, emphasizing the critical importance of enhancing women’s access to justice in achieving sustainable peace.
Aside from surfacing diverse methods to promote and protect women’s rights, the side event will explore strategies to engage relevant justice actors and stakeholders to afford women with effective protection within the legal system, not only for redress of grievances or prosecution of transgressions/violations of their rights but also to ensure gender-nuanced policies and procedures are embedded in the key institutions within the justice system.
Our speakers include former Ombudsman and Associate Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales, Dr. Sanam Anderlini, Ms. Lucy Talgieh, and Atty. Sha Elijah Dumama Alba. The event hopes to increase awareness of justice as a key dimension of the WPS agenda, create actionable strategies, and enhance civil society collaboration in ensuring gender inclusiveness in the pursuit of justice.
Peace agreements with women negotiators and signatories are correlated with durable peace, yet the inclusion of gender provisions in peace agreements has yet to be standard practice. Women’s exclusion from negotiation processes perpetuates their socio-political marginalisation and reduces the chances for political reform in favour of good governance and enduring peace.
Contemporary challenges, like climate change, cyber and AI technologies, and the global pushback on human rights, create geo-strategic complexities, threaten the multilateral system, and undercut peace and security. Drawing on their experiences and insights, the side event panelists will discuss the challenges and opportunities for conflict prevention and mediation in the current, evolving global context.
The Philippines has made meaningful strides in advancing the rights and well-being of women, but significant challenges remain in ensuring women's equal representation and leadership within the criminal justice and law enforcement systems.
The #EmpowerHer initiative aims to address this gap by highlighting the importance of gender equality in the justice system, fostering women's leadership on and identifying solutions to existing challenges, and advocating for informed policies and support programs that address the needs of women in the justice system. Since March this year, the program has engaged with more than 300 women government officials, advocacy groups, and law enforcement professionals on the challenges they face in recruitment, retention, and career advancement.
Join this session organized by UNODC and UN Women and hear insights from women judges, prosecutors, police, peacekeepers, and former rebels turned counter-terrorism advocates on how we can make law enforcement and criminal justice systems more gender-responsive.
In line with the new NAP and with its own global
commitments to UNSCR 1325 and related resolutions, the European Union in the Philippines is strengthening its commitment to support the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda in the Philippines, not just in the BARMM, but country-wide, integrating it as a priority in our support to civil society.
The aim of this event is to understand where the European Union stands, as international community, in the support to the implementation of the WPS agenda in the Philippines, what are key lessons learned, what the gaps are and how
we can better address evolving security challenges.
National Action Plans on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) have emerged as an important vehicle to take forward the implementation of the WPS Agenda. While countries have the main responsibility to ensure the effective implementation of their NAPs, partnerships play a crucial role in enhancing their impact and bolstering their success. Building on Egypt’s commitment to the WPS Agenda, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the development of the country’s first NAP on WPS, which is currently being finalized. The Egyptian NAP seeks to strengthen the cooperation between Egypt, African, Arab, Asian, and Islamic countries to maximize synergies and comparative advantages.
Mindful of the above, CCCPA’s side event titled: “Walking the Talk: Harnessing Partnerships in Support of the Effective Implementation of National Action Plans on Women, Peace and Security” will highlight the importance of partnerships in supporting the implementation of WPS NAPs. It will also examine best practices and lessons learned from country experiences, including Egypt, in relation to forging effective bilateral and multilateral partnerships to advance WPS implementation.
UNFPA is the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency. Our mission is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.
UNFPA has been instrumental in supporting women's involvement in peacebuilding through addressing the protection and health needs of women and girls in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). Working with government and civil society partners, UNFPA successfully transformed female ex-soldiers from the Bangsamoro Islamic Women Auxiliary Brigade (BIWAB) into providers of social and gender services in their communities. This side event will showcase UNFPA's collaboration with partners in BARMM, as well as partnerships with international donors, highlighting successful women-led initiatives that contribute to the Women, Peace, and Security agenda. It will share best practices, foster dialogue, and strengthen collaboration to further empower women in post-conflict settings.
The USIP Side Event will highlight findings from a ten-year research project on the role of religious women in peacebuilding in conflict-ridden countries. The session will explore the unique ways these women have engaged religion to prevent, mitigate, and resolve deadly conflicts. After the research presentation, religious women from MENA featured in the study will share their firsthand experiences, offering personal insights into the challenges and successes they have encountered. This will set the stage for an engaging group discussion that will follow.
One day the bombs in Gaza and Lebanon, Tel Aviv and Beirut will stop. Regardless of who 'wins the war' or whether there is a stalemate, the peace will only come through dialogue and compromise and it will have to be built within and across communities. It will not just be a political-security solution, but to be sustainable it will need to be societal and inclusive. But the track record in the Middle East, has been problematic. Even when processes have been inclusive of women and youth such as the run up to the Oslo accords of 1994, political forces have turned them highly exclusive and exclusionary, and ultimately failed.
This event will draw on experiences from members of the Women’s Alliance for Security Leadership (WASL), a global network of women-led peacebuilding organizations spearheaded by the International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN), to explore innovative and effective models for inclusive peacemaking, drawing on experiences across Asia and the Middle East. The aim is to bring awareness and understanding of the 'how-to' of inclusive peace processes and imagine a "Peoples' peace process" uninationally in Palestine and Israel and between the two nations for a future anchored in peace and justice.
This panel discussion seeks to provide a crucial platform for examining the multifaceted roles of women in the Bangsamoro peace process. Indeed, from the peace negotiations to the implementation of the peace agreements, women in the Bangsamoro have taken on critical roles in conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and governance. It highlights the indispensable contributions of women in shaping the regional peace and development context and underscores the need to ensure the meaningful participation and leadership of women in conflict-resolution, peacebuilding and political processes. Drawing on foundational principles of UNSCR 1325, insights to strengthen collaboration and convergence in the implementation of the WPS agenda will also be discussed. With support from OPAPRU, UNDP and British Embassy Manila, the panel provides spaces for Bangsamoro women leaders to share their stories of advocacy to ensure that women’s achievements are not only maintained but also expanded, towards a more inclusive and peaceful BARMM for future generations.
Our security sector has been promoting Gender Sensitivity and Mainstreaming in the past years through the GAD offices. Their efforts gained positive results through some policies and concrete actions. However, much has yet to be done especially in pushing for a leadership and meaningful role of the women especially in security operations which is significant in the promotion and career advancing. In this session Sulong Peace Incorporated, together with the GAD offices from the security sector, will present the initial results of the research conducted on the Women Navy and Coast Guard role in the Maritime Security- their initiatives and challenges, and participants from the GAD Army and Airforce will also share their initiatives and challenges, and the formulation of significant recommendations and steps to be done to realize these recommendations using the 4 pillars of WPS.
This event will examine the critical role of localization in advancing the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda. It will highlight how the process of localization ensures that global WPS policies are meaningfully translated into local action, empowering communities to integrate gender perspectives into peacebuilding, conflict prevention, and security efforts.
By drawing from successful examples of GNWP’s localization initiatives in the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, and Bangladesh, the event will demonstrate how local women’s leadership has shaped the implementation of the WPS agenda. The event will also provide an opportunity to reflect on the challenges faced in localization efforts and share strategies that have proven effective in overcoming these obstacles.
Discussions will also emphasize how lessons learned at the local level can inform global WPS frameworks and policies. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of how localization can drive the successful implementation of the WPS agenda and amplify the voices of women in peace and security processes worldwide.
OPAPRU, ATC-PMC, and the DILG agree that women play important roles in preventing and transforming violent extremists. There have been accounts from Former Violent Extremists (FVEs) who surrendered due to their mother’s plea. This is not surprising as Filipinos are family oriented and obey their parents. Therefore, more mothers, wives, daughters, and aunts should have a more active role in peacebuilding. OPAPRU has been working with female FVEs who are peacebuilding champions as they converse with FVEs in rebuilding and transforming their lives, thus preventing recidivism. FVEs are seen as credible voices as they are familiar with the movement and ideology, and because they signify redemption, and potentially contribute to a reinforcement of mainstream values by rejecting extremism and the use of illegal violence. The panel will feature experts in Preventing and Transforming Violent Extremists (PTVE), and offer their perspectives, share experiences, and discuss strategies on peacebuilding, and PTVEs.
The role of youth in promoting peace and security, particularly in Southeast Asia, is vital yet often underestimated. Despite facing challenges such as limited opportunities, intergenerational gaps, economic difficulties, and shrinking civic spaces, young people continue to innovate and lead peacebuilding initiatives. This panel features young women leaders from diverse sectors, representing communities impacted by conflict, climate-induced disasters, and gender-based violence. Their stories highlight innovative approaches to some of the most pressing issues of our time. The panel aims to engage participants in a discussion on youth resilience and leadership, share insights into the challenges they face, and explore how their efforts are driving positive change within their communities and beyond.
Many National Action Plans on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) have scope to enhance the inclusion of women from marginalized groups, including those from the Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, and youth sectors, in conflict prevention, resolution, and reconstruction. This is important to address gendered inequalities and discrimination that feed conflict and to ensure that the more vulnerable segments of society enjoy the dividends of peace and development.
The Leave No One Behind approach offers an opportunity to place inclusion and intersectionality at the heart of the WPS Agenda. It demands that we ask the questions, which women are prioritized, and which women are left behind? Join UN Women, UNDP, and the Government of Canada in this incisive and uplifting conversation with a youth, peace and security advocate from Canada, a disability rights defender from New Zealand, and an Indigenous People’s rights champion from Bangsamoro, Philippines.
This side event builds on the discussions from “ the “Together for Women Peacemakers: Multi-stakeholder Partnership on WPS” Special Forum planned during the conference. It will focus on facilitating dialogue and exchange among ASEAN and Arab Region highlighting stories of impact, challenges and opportunities for women in decision making processes, particularly in conflict prevention and peacebuilding. The event aims to promote cross regional collaboration on WPS initiative and create an entry point to for KAICIID-ASEAN Dialogue on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda.
At the “Building Peace, Shaping Futures” side event during the International Conference on Women, Peace and Security, MSU will highlight its peacebuilding initiatives. The event will showcase MSU’s Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) efforts across its campuses in Mindanao, Sulu, and Palawan (MINSUPALA), including the pioneering Diploma Program in Women, Peace, and Security - the first of its kind in the Philippines and Southeast Asia. This program equips women with essential skills to lead in peacebuilding. Through an interactive Marketplace of Ideas, participants will explore MSU’s diverse WPS initiatives, emphasizing women’s leadership and participation in peace efforts. The event will demonstrate how the academe fosters and amplifies women’s leadership and active roles in sustaining peace.
On behalf of the National Steering Committee on Women, Peace and Security (NSCWPS), OPAPRU, in collaboration with UN Women, will launch the Indicator Handbook, a companion document to the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) Framework and Plan of the National Action Plan on WPS during the International Conference on WPS in Manila. This pivotal moment will showcase the Philippine Government's unwavering commitment to a gender-responsive Comprehensive Peace Process. This represents the country's vision of centering the voices and lived experiences of women in all their diverse and intersecting identities in shaping an evidence-informed inclusive, just, and sustainable peace and security landscape.
The University of the Philippines National College of Public Administration and Governance (UP NCPAG) and the Philippine Center for Islam and Development (PCID), in partnership with the UP Center for Women and Gender Studies, present the forum “Courage and Conviction: Women Leadership and Moral Governance for Peace, Security, and Development.” This event will examine women's essential role in advancing moral governance as an anchor for peace, security, and development.
Bringing together diverse perspectives, the forum will feature distinguished speakers, including Hon. Yuyun Wahuningrum from the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights, Hon. Huma Chughtai, a Member of Parliament from Pakistan, and Dr. Socorro Reyes from Dela Salle University - Manila. Their insights will highlight how women promote integrity and influence ethical decision-making. Additionally, Marie Aubrey J. Villaceran, Ph.D., Director of the UP Center for Women’s and Gender Studies will serve as the reactor, enhancing the discussion with her expertise.
The forum will be moderated by veteran journalist and women empowerment advocate, Ms. Jamela Alindogan.
This event will bring together women’s rights advocates and faith leaders to share perspectives and approaches in effectively addressing the challenges of women’s engagement in the area of peace and security. Despite evidence that women’s involvement leads to sustainable and enduring peace, they remain underrepresented in state and security structures with peripheral and often limited participation in policy development and program implementation. This forum will explore strategies to enhance women’s participation and integrate gender perspectives in peacebuilding.
Join us for a dynamic panel discussion that brings together girls, educators, and thought leaders who will share insights on empowering communities in Southern Philippines. Hosted by Equal Access International (EAI), panelists will present real-world experiences focused on the integration of Preventing Violent Extremism through Education in high schools, successful youth-driven peace projects and innovative communication approaches. Global experts will offer reflections and deeper analysis on the role of gender-sensitive approaches in preventing violent extremism and fostering community resilience.
This event will provide a holistic view of how women peacebuilders and educators are making a tangible impact on the ground, transforming at-risk communities and engaging vulnerable youth in pro-social, nonviolent pathways. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to gain insights, ask questions, and connect with experts in the field of peace education and countering violent extremism.
The Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda emphasizes the essential role women play in conflict prevention, peace negotiations, and post-conflict reconstruction. Across the globe, women’s participatory role in decision-making processes, conflict resolution, and governance has proven essential in creating more inclusive and sustainable peace outcomes. Open governance ensures that all stakeholders, especially women, have access to information, can participate in decision-making processes, and hold governments accountable for their commitments to peace and security. The integration of the WPS agenda within the principles of open governance offers a transformative approach to achieving lasting peace, where women's roles are not only recognized but actively supported.
In the Philippines, the open governance framework presents a powerful mechanism to advance the WPS agenda; providing a platform for women to meaningfully contribute to peace and security processes, ensuring that their voices are heard and that policies are gender responsive.
