Deputy Secretary-General’s Message at the International Conference on Women, Peace and Security

Below is Deputy Secretary-General Amina J Mohammed’s message delivered at the International Conference on Women, Peace and Security, in Manila, Philippines. 

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am honoured to address this distinguished gathering in the beautiful city of Manila for this pivotal International Conference on Women, Peace, and Security. I thank the government of the Philippines, UN Women, and the ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation, and the Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy for organizing this event.

Let me take a few moments to express my deepest condolences for the victims of the recent tropical storm that hit the Philippines and a speedy recovery for everyone affected. As we prepare for the next storm, it is now clear that climate change is real with more frequent and intense events.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

We are at a critical juncture in our shared pursuit of peace, security and sustainable development. The world is facing unprecedented challenges, and though we may not know how to tackle them all, there is one thing we know for certain: it is imperative that women are at the core of our solutions.

Peace and security decision-making is overwhelmingly dominated by men today. 

And ending impunity for atrocities against women and girls is still but a distant goal.

The past year has been especially difficult. 

From Gaza to Sudan, from Lebanon to Ukraine, the toll on women and girls in conflict zones is devastating. Thousands have been killed, injured, and displaced as they endure extreme suffering.

In Afghanistan, the stark regression of women's rights underscores the profound impact of their exclusion from governance and society at large.

Current pushback on gender equality and women’s empowerment is real and in too many spaces. The weaponization of misogyny for political gain exacts a cost that will reverberate for generations—resulting in more conflicts, prolonged conflicts, and more destructive conflicts.

Just days ago, I had the honor of speaking at the United Nations Security Council in New York during the annual debate on Women, Peace and Security, where over 100 speakers joined in reiterating their calls for women’s increased participation and for stronger measures to protect them from all forms of violence. Yet, the true measure of our efforts unfolds in places far from the halls of the United Nations, in the lived realities of women in conflict zones across the world.   

The Philippines offers profound insights as the first Asian nation to adopt a National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security. And as you adapt and expand the Plan to meet the moment and the evolving challenges that come with it, you are demonstrating commendable leadership.

This leadership is not a step in a new direction for the Philippines, in fact it is set against the backdrop of a dedicated and rich history of women's leadership at local and national levels, including the election of multiple women as presidents. I ask you to take a moment to consider how remarkable an achievement that is in a world where more than 100 countries have yet to see a woman in their highest office.

Likewise, the Philippines' appointment of the world's first woman chief negotiator for a major peace agreement stands as a testament to the transformative power of inclusive peace processes: achieving a peace agreement in which half of its articles mentioned mechanisms to engage with women in governance and development, protect them against violence, setting an example by ensuring that one third of the people at the peace table were women, which is the minimum target we have set at the United Nations for all peace processes.

Yet despite these advancements, the global landscape has not caught up.  In 2023, women constituted less than 10 percent of participants in peace negotiations globally. Let’s call this what it is: a significant barrier to achieving lasting peace and equity in the world.

Where peace is in short supply, there is an outsize impact on the lives of women and girls the world over. Globally, over 170 conflicts were recorded last year impacting 612 million women and girls - a staggering 50 percent increase from a decade ago.

The implications are dire: the proportion of women killed in armed conflicts has doubled; conflict-related sexual violence has risen by 50 percent, and the number of women and girls forcibly displaced due to persecution, conflict, and violence has surged by 70 percent since 2018. Meanwhile, every day, 500 women die from pregnancy and birth complications.

As military spending continues to increase, funding for gender equality continues to go down, with dire implications, not just for women and girls, but for everyone across our societies.    

Now is the time to reinforce the urgency of our mission. We must pivot our focus from military investments to empowering women peacebuilders, expanding spaces for civil society, and bolstering the roles of women human rights defenders. Our collective action and cooperation must foster a more inclusive, equitable world.  

Our UN family, whether in peacekeeping or humanitarian operations, or working to find political solutions, advance sustainable development, or protect human rights, will continue to fight for gender equality, peace and security.

Last week, the Secretary-General launched a Common Pledge calling on governments, regional organizations, mediation actors to commit to join the United Nations in taking concrete steps on women’s participation in all peace processes they are involved in – from appointing women as lead mediators, to ensuring conflict parties advocate for concrete targets and measures that promotes women’s participation. We are deeply thankful for the Philippine’s support to this Common Pledge.

The UN family is also actively working with governments, civil society, academia, and various other stakeholders to advance women’s inclusion in leadership and decision-making through training, advocacy, policy and fundraising to promote gender equality.

Over the next few days, let us channel our discussions into concrete actions that lead to the full, equal and meaningful participation of women in peace processes, and let us build a world that is not just peaceful for all but for future generations to come.

Let me end with a quote by a woman who has dedicated her life to advancing the cause of women and girls the world over - Malala Yousafzai - who said; “There are two powers in the world; one is the sword and the other is the pen. There is a third power stronger than both, that of women”. 

To all of you here today, thank you for embodying the spirit of these words. And for your dedicated partnership and commitment to the Women, Peace and Security.

Let’s get to work.