NEW YORK CITY (ALETIHAD) - Her Excellency Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of State, delivered the UAE statement at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Open Debate on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS), urging the international community to continue its commitment to increasing women's participation in international peace and security. "Globally, the number of women and girls living in conflict-affected regions reached 614 million last year. That is 50% higher than in 2017,"
Her Excellency said at the start of her address, stressing that women are important in conflict prevention and resolution, as they are agents of peace "whose potential for action must be leveraged".
Al Kaabi shared the three key points the UAE wanted to focus on: boosting women's participation at the national level; increasing their participation at the multinational level; and boosting women's participation across the spectrum, not just within the political parameters.
Discussing the importance of boosting women's "full, equal, and meaningful" participation at the national level, Her Excellency noted that this not only provides important voices and perspectives, but also ensures that the process "takes root within the community it is attempting to assist." "We also support the adoption of appropriate and targeted measures, such as quotas for political and leadership positions, or employment and education opportunities, with the objective to improve the position of women and advance their equality," she added.
She pointed out that in the UAE, the gender party quota for the Federal National Council has ensured that women are not only benefitting from the country's development, but they're also actively driving that development. Discussing the second point, she highlighted that international and regional institutions need to be shaped by women's perspectives, including the UNSC.
She noted that mainstreaming the WPS agenda is crucial for promoting women's and girls' perspectives and better understanding the plight of women in conflict, as well as their contribution to preventing and resolving it. "Hearing directly from women civil society leaders provides key insights into efforts on the ground. This is an important and shared message that we stress today alongside our fellow signatories to the Shared Commitments for WPS," Her Excellency added.
Regarding the third point, she expressed that women's economic participation is of great importance in post-war scenarios, where economies are often depleted, as they can help in the pursuit of improving the livelihoods of women, their autonomy and self-sufficiency, and leverage their capacity to help rebuild communities. Her Excellency stressed that in Gaza, the UN has reported a "grim figure of 1,100 new female-headed households due to civilian casualties, with almost 4,000 children having lost their fathers".
"Gaza will depend on these women not only to rebuild, but to be the sole bearers of responsibility and care for those who survive the bombardment," she underlined.
Al Kaabi referred to successful examples where women and their allies had created space for their participation, despite all odds, like in Bosnia, Liberia, and Colombia, adding that there is "no doubt in the years to come we will refer to the women of Palestine in the same breath".
She urged all member states to carry forward the commitment to increasing women's participation in international peace and security. "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," Her Excellency Said at the end of her remarks, quoting Malala Yousafzai, Pakistani education activist.