‘Uphold women as agents of change’

FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo on Monday called on global leaders to uphold women as “agents of change” and leaders in shaping conditions for lasting peace.

Manalo made the appeal at the opening of the International Conference on Women, Peace and Security (ICWPS), a three-day forum hosted by the Philippines.

“The Filipino nation has long recognized women and men as equal partners in nation-building. Philippine pre-colonial societies were gender-equal,” he said.

About 700 representatives from 84 countries across six regions were attending the ICWPS.

“To the Philippines, women in peace and security is not a new idea, but an affirmative extension of long-held values of our people,” Manalo said in his opening statement.

He said a 2023 United Nations report showed that, on average, women comprised only 9.6 percent of negotiators, 13.7 percent of mediators, and 26.6 percent of signatories to peace agreements globally.

“These figures are far too low. We must do more. It is possible. And necessary, in light of evidence that when women are involved in peace processes, agreements are more likely to be reached, implemented, and sustained,” Manalo said.

Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said, “The most remarkable thing about this event is that all of us here are helping to write this important chapter in humanity’s history.”

“We will also be having a ceremonial signing for the creation of the Philippines’ Center of Excellence on Women, Peace and Security. This Center of Excellence, only the third to be established in the world, will be done in partnership with the US State Department,” he said.

“Once established, this center will be among the major achievements of the Marcos Jr. administration, which has expressed its unwavering support and steadfast commitment to the comprehensive Philippine peace process,” Galvez said.

Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman underscored the Philippine government’s commitment to fostering inclusivity, empowerment, and resilience for women in times of crisis.

She cited the significant strides the country has made in advancing the WPS Agenda, especially through the efforts of the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Philippine Commission on Women, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity, as well as the Department of Budget and Management.

“We have the ‘Women’s Budget’ or the Gender and Development Budget in the General Appropriations Act, a policy directing all government agencies to allocate a minimum of five percent of their total annual budgets for gender programs, projects, and activities that align with the WPS Agenda,” she said.