TAGUIG CITY — Government officials, policy makers, members of civil society, and representatives from other key sectors across the Asia-Pacific region converged here on Friday, February 7, in a collective effort to push forward, strengthen and amplify the global Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda.

The Open Governance Partnership: Asia and the Pacific Regional Meeting, held just four months after the International Conference on Women, Peace and Security (ICWPS) was co-organized by the Philippine Government through the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the civil society of the Philippines, aimed to bring together government officials, civil society leaders and policymakers across the Asia-Pacific Region.

The side-event spearheaded by the DBM and UN Women entitled, “The Power of Participation: Advancing the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda through Open Governance,” highlighted the importance of women’s meaningful participation in decision-making, conflict resolution, and governance, most especially in fostering an inclusive and sustainable peace.

In her opening remarks, Budget and Management Secretary Amenah Pangandaman recalled her being the first female and Muslim woman to occupy a position that is stereotypically dominated by males, noting the importance of creating spaces where the women, peace and security agenda is prioritized, providing opportunities to women.

Philippines, a trailblazer in the WPS agenda

The Open Governance Framework in the Philippines serves as a platform to ensure the active engagement of women, particularly in the country’s peace and security efforts.

Using this framework, it is envisioned that more gender-responsive policies will be crafted and implemented so that women can claim their spaces and have a permanent seat at the table.

In a panel discussion, Presidential Peace Adviser Sec. Carlito G. Galvez Jr., emphasized that “peace cannot be built without the meaningful inclusion and participation of women.”

“The principles of open governance and the women, peace and security agenda are not only complementary but necessary in addressing the world’s most pressing issues of gender inequality and women’s participation in governance,” Galvez said.

He cited the efforts of Filipino women that have made the country a pioneer in integrating women’s participation into the country’s peace and development agenda.

“Women were central in all phases of peace agreements,” underscored Galvez, noting that women have played a key role in all aspects of the peace process – starting from the negotiation to the implementation phase.

Among these women peacemakers are Professor Miriam Coronel-Ferrer who is recognized as the first woman and currently the only female negotiator to sign a major peace accord – the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB); Chairperson Maria Veronica “Ka Inca” Tabara who led her group, the Kapatiran, in forging the 2000 Peace Agreement with the Philippine government; Budget and Management Secretary Amenah Pangandaman who co-chairs the intergovernmental Relations Body (IGRB) that harmonizes the peace and development initiatives of the national and regional governments; and Ms. Amina Rasul-Bernardo, President of the Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy who has been a highly-respected advocate of the Bangsamoro peace process.

For her part, Atty. Sha Elijah Dumama-Alba, Minister of the Interior and Local Government in Bangsamoro, highlighted how the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) paved the way in creating a positive environment for women’s increased participation in governance and peacebuilding in the Bangsamoro region.

Dumama-Alba shared that various efforts have been made to ensure that “gender-responsiveness is at all levels of peacebuilding,” wherein women will not be mere bystanders but active participants in their region’s socioeconomic development.

WPS agenda, a global movement

Meanwhile, Timor-Leste Deputy General Secretary Habib Ur Rehman Mayar shared the challenges caused by war and conflict and how these should be addressed through truth-seeking and dialogue.

“Countries in conflict always relapse…One of the legacies that the war and conflict leave behind is the societal, social, and political divide. And if you do not heal those divides, they become manipulators,” he said.

“The need for participation and inclusivity is not just theoretical…it is the need that we [the citizens] have lived in conflict and war for decades,” Mayar added.

He called for the creation of an international framework that promotes a culture of inclusivity that strengthens the role of women, emphasizing that women’s participation should be “meaningful rather than ceremonial.”

At the same panel discussion, Dr. Ella Syafputri Prihatini, Assistant Professor in Political Science and International Relations, shared Indonesia’s journey toward advancing the WPS agenda in the field of governance and how structural barriers have prevented women from entering politics.

Prihatini lamented that it is becoming more difficult for women and young people in Indonesia to participate in politics, as they represent less than 2% of Indonesia’s parliament today.

“The cost of politics is not just looking at how much but also at the pattern and cycle,” she said.

Prihatini called on women to hold each other responsible and accountable to ensure that their government’s policies are gender responsive.

In her presentation, Dr. Jaimee Stuart, Senior Researcher from United Nations University, Macau, explained the interplay between cybersecurity and the WPS agenda.

Stuart pointed out that “emerging technologies are going to keep emerging, new things will come everytime,” which should lead to the creation of new spaces for peacebuilding, and a reminder that we all should actively invest in women’s participation in technology.

Philippines’ Center of Excellence on WPS

The establishment in the Philippines of a Center of Excellence on Women, Peace, and Security has placed the country at the forefront of the implementation of the global WPS agenda.

With Pangandaman at the helm of the Center of Excellence, it will champion the principles of open governance – transparency, accountability, participation and inclusion throughout the country.

To cascade the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (NAPWPS) down to the provincial level, Galvez said the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) is engaging 81 governors as part of the peace agency’s efforts to build a Peace and Development Center in each province that will also house a women’s center.

“Women’s stories are peace stories – they must be amplified and institutionalized,” Galvez emphasized.

With the full support of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., the Philippine government is determined to help fully realize the goals of the UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325, which seek to advance women’s role and meaningful participation in conflict prevention, peacebuilding and post-conflict recovery efforts.###