بســم اللّـه الرّحمـن الرّحيــم
Minister of Defence Uza. Mariya Ahmed Didi, Ambassador of Japan to Maldives, Your Excellency Yanai Keiko, UNDP Resident Representative for Maldives Ms. Akiko Fujii, Director of National Counter Terrorism Centre, Lieutenant Colonel Ibrahim Naeem, Members of Counter Terrorism and Counter Radicalization Committees, esteemed guests present here with us today; both physically and virtually;
Assalaam Alaikum and a very good evening!
I am honoured and delighted to be here on this very special event. Let me begin my remarks by thanking NCTC and UNDP, as well as the Government of Japan for taking initiative the to conduct a study on this important topic, “Women as Peace Builders and Agents of Change in the Maldives”. It is undeniable that this publication will enlighten us more on the role of women in achieving and sustaining peace and security in the country.
The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has displayed how crisis situations can exacerbate the existing inequalities in our society. Fragile healthcare systems, political and economic systems can easily crash. Its aftermath, is mostly on women and children.
Esteemed guests,
Gender inequality, gender-based discrimination and gender-based violence are the results of patriarchy and power imbalance within the system. Gendered prejudices and social norms which discriminate against women define the role and status of women in the societies.
Women, as primary caregivers in the households, often find their capacities confined to domestic spheres. They are left behind and mostly side-lined from peacebuilding discussions and decision making opportunities in community. Even in given opportunities to partake in such discussions, women are stereotyped as ‘vulnerable’ or as a ‘victim’. Mostly, their roles as change makers are undermined and overlooked thus their potential go unrecognized.
At a time where achievements over decades on gender equality are threatened to be reversed, it is imperative to have women play a leading role in the building of peaceful and tolerant communities.
The Maldives is no exception to growing radicalization and violent extremism ideologies. Normalization of extremist and terrorist ideologies within our communities, pose a threat to years of work on empowering women. It also risks the measures established to ensure the human rights of not just women and girls, but the entire population of the country. The statistics has shown that the cases of terrorism are increasing. According to available statistics 188 cases related to religious extremism were reported from the year 2014 to 2019. The 2020 records of Ministry of Gender, Family and Social Services has shown 38 reported cases related to religious extremist ideology.
These are the reasons why it is important to ensure equal representation of women in all areas of public administration. We need to share and learn from lived experiences of women, into the process of negotiation, development of policies and plans. The UN Secretary-General has singled out women as ‘drivers of solutions’ when they are empowered.
It is a proven fact that, involvement of women in formal peace making processes and negotiations, had reduced the risk of violence and rather contributed to achieving sustainable peace.
The tolerance and perseverance towards violence and conflict differ for men and women. When women act as peace makers, they are provided with the opportunity to utilize conflict management methods centred on people’s engagement with violence and promoting conflict transformative approaches.
This is evident from our response to the current pandemic as well. Female leaders like the Minister of Defence, Director General of Public Health, Secretary General of Maldivian Red- Crescent, spokespersons of the Health Emergency Operation Centre, to highlight a few, are of the many strong women who have been leading the recovery efforts in the Maldives.
The Maldives has made much progress in ensuring representation of women in decision making levels. Two female judges are serving in the apex court of the country, the Supreme Court. The President of the Judicial Service Commission is a woman, and we are proud to have a female Deputy Speaker of the Parliament. More recently, two female officers have also been appointed to the National Advisory Board of MNDF. These are the first of many steps to come, on our road to achieving a gender neutralized leadership.
Equal contribution, will pave way for a more harmonious and equitable community. It allows sound decision making, and the formation of solid plans and frameworks.
During a time when we are struggling to recover from the social and economic impacts of COVID-19 pandemic, it is crucial to safeguard the progress Maldives has made on achieving gender equality. Accelerated efforts have to be made at a national level, to remove the socio-economic barriers, and to improve the position of women in our communities. We must empower women, to fulfil their roles as the agents of social change, to create an inclusive and just society.
Before I conclude my remarks, once again, I would like to thank NCTC, UNDP and the Government of Japan for giving me the opportunity to be here and to say a few words on “Women as Peace Builders and Agents of Change in the Maldives”. I believe that the recommendations and findings of the study released today would definitely contribute to our efforts in empowering women and ensuring equal representation at leadership positions in the public administration of the country.
Thank you very much.
09 march 2021