UK-Japan WAW! Official Side Event on Women in Peacebuilding
The UK and Japan co-hosted an event on “Women in Peacebuilding” at the British Embassy in Tokyo on 25 March, following the World Assembly for Women (WAW!) and W20 conference.
The event looked in detail at the crucial role of women in peacebuilding, a key theme of WAW!, drawing on the expert views of three distinguished guests: Joanna Roper, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Special Envoy for Gender Equality, who moderated the panel discussion; Hanaa Edwar, Chairperson of the Iraqi Al-Amal Association; and Melanne Verveer, Executive Director of the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security.
The British Ambassador to Tokyo, Paul Madden CMG, opened the event, underlining the UK’s continued commitment to encouraging women’s active engagement in peace processes and conflict resolution.
Introducing the speakers, Ambassador Kansuke Nagaoka, Deputy Assistant Minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, noted that Japan and the UK shared a commitment to furthering women’s proactive role in peace and security.
The panel discussion and Q&A session highlighted the successes of raising awareness about gender issues and demonstrated why women’s empowerment and participation in peacebuilding is such a positive force. But the speakers also reflected on why, nearly 20 years after the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, the goals weren’t always being realised.
Looking at ways to tackle the challenges we still face, the speakers made recommendations for the international community, including on the need to mainstream gender issues across government, and resource it properly, the importance of abiding by the rule of law, and the importance of ensuring post-conflict justice and accountability. Where there was still too much disconnect between grass roots and government level activities, it was critical to engage civil society alongside government. Speakers also focused on the importance of education.
The event was the most recent example of UK-Japan cooperation on the Women, Peace and Security agenda and on gender equality. The UK looks forward to further strengthening cooperation, including during Japan’s Presidency of the G20 in 2019 and looking ahead to the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative conference in the UK in November. Participants at the event included officials from the Japanese Ministry of Defense, Cabinet Office and Japan International Cooperation Agency, Diplomats, members of the W20 Committee, UN agencies, international and civil society organisations, and Japan-based academics.