Full and equal access and participation for women
and girls in science
Science and gender equality are
both vital for the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals,
including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Over the past decades,
the global community has made a lot of effort in inspiring and engaging women
and girls in science. Yet women and girls continue to be excluded from
participating fully in science.
In order to achieve full and equal
access to and participation in science for women and girls, and further achieve
gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, the United Nations
General Assembly declared 11 February as the International Day of Women and
Girls in Science in 2015.
Women and Girls in
Science: Agents of Change
Recognizing the role of women and girls in science, not only as
beneficiaries, but also as agents of change, including in view of accelerating
progress towards the achievement of SDG 6 (Clean Water
and Sanitation), the 7th
International Day of Women and Girls in Science Assemblywill focus on the following topic: “Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion:
Water Unites Us". #February11 is celebrated globally in different ways,
big and small. Your action will add to the collective voices on Equality in
Science.
Women and girls represent half of the world’s population and, therefore,
also half of its potential. Gender equality, besides being a fundamental human
right, is essential to achieve peaceful societies, with full human potential
and sustainable development.
On the 24th of January 2022, over 22,000 social representatives
from 51 countries attended the online international peace conference
celebrating the Peace Day. The event commemorated a civilian-led peace
agreement made between the Islam and Catholic communities in Mindanao 8 years
ago.
In 2014,
international NGO Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL)
mediated the conflict in Mindanao by proposing a peace agreement by local representatives.
Witnessed by Chairman Man Hee Lee of HWPL, the peace agreement was signed by
Hon.Esmael G. Mangudadatu, then-Governor of Maguindanao, and
Archbishop-Emeritus Fernando Capalla of the Archdiocese of Davao, representing
local leadership. Since then, the province of Maguindanao and the Moro Islamic
Liberation Front (MILF) declared January 24 as “HWPL Peace Day” and have
commemorated it as annual event to reaffirm international cooperation and local
partnership for peacebuilding in Mindanao.
Moreover, peace monuments were built in honour of the peace
agreement in Mindanao. The first and second peace monuments were erected in
2015 and 2016, respectively. In 2021, the third peace monument was unveiled in
Cotabato City. Being the first in Luzon, a peace monument in Dingras, Ilocos
Norte was unveiled last January 24 as part of the 8th Anniversary event of the
HWPL Peace Day celebration. Another monument located in Siniloan Integrated
National High School is set to unveil in February.
The event, under the theme of “Law of Peace in Heaven and on Earth”, aimed to promote interfaith harmony between religions and raise
public support to establish an international law for peace.
Key figures gave congratulatory messages
including Senate President Vicente Sotto III, Senator Panfilo Lacson, Senator
Cynthia Villar, Senator Ronald ‘Bato’ Dela Rosa, Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, and TV News Anchor
Mariz Umali from the Philippines. Keynote
speakers from various fields also presented commitment messages declaring their
plans on promoting peace in their respective sectors including law, education,
youth, women, private business and media.
Prabhu Mahendra Das, Temple President of Sri Sri Radha Madhava
Mandir, said that he decided to participate in the World Alliance of Religions
& Peace (WARP) Office organised by HWPL as
“
a global platform
for religious leaders to talk, share, discuss, learn, and grow together harmoniously
and peacefully.”
For the contribution
to peace in the field of religion, he added, “I firmly believe that all religions should enter into
a partnership through the form of a Memorandum of Understanding.
”
Justice Raoul Victorino (ret), Chairman of Philippine National
Prayer Breakfast (PNPB) and Dean of the College of Law of Philippine Christian
University (PCU), shared how he was inspired by the “revolutionary movement”that HWPL initiated to endorse global
peacebuilding through the draft the “Declaration
of Peace and Cessation of War”(DPCW) by global experts in
international law to advocate peace as a global culture and norm.
He declared, “I will strive to get the support
of the President of the Philippines for the National Solidarity Support of
DPCW. At the same time, I will integrate DPCW [education] in the college of law
by collaborating with the Philippine Association of Law Schools.”
Also, representing the
Philippines education sector, Commissioner Ronald Adamat of the Commissioner on
Higher Education (CHED) shared, “The
CHED Commission en Banc has issued an endorsement to President Duterte, urging
him to declare January 24 as ‘National Peace Day’, that will
provide for simultaneous celebration and observance of peace through peace
activities, events, and ceremonies by all instrumentalities and agencies of
government, including the private sector. This shall also be celebrated and
observed in the education sector.”
“Our purpose is to
bring all people in the world together to create a world of peace and leave it
as a lasting legacy for future generations. To make this world a peaceful place
without wars, let us become messengers of peace. Let us remind people around
the world of that emotion—a longing
for peace—and the Peace Day so they can remember all of this forever,”
Mali National Summit
for Peace takes a step towards conflict resolution
On December 18th of last
year, the “National Summit for Peace of the We Are One (WAO) Project” was held
under the theme of the “Establishment of Peace through the We Are One Project”
with more than 80 organizations across Mali in attendance.
During this online event, HWPL informed the collaborators
of the WAO Project who attended about the necessity of this project for the
realization of peace. They also announced the project’s current status and
future plans.
In his speech regarding the WAO Project, Mr. Aliou Maiga, a
reporter from the Association of Students for the Fight Against Racism and
Ethnocentrism who attended the event, said,
He stressed,
“
I am
convinced that the WAO Project will allow a great synergy of action in favor of
peace and social cohesion, and contribute significantly to the construction of
a Mali without conflict.” He also added, “It is our duty today as Malians to
support the WAO Project to rebuild this country and achieve lasting peace.
”
Mr.
Mamadou Kone, the president of a non-profit organization, emphasized that this
project presents a solution to completely resolve the issues that Mali faces,
and expressed that “the project [can be] considered as a doctor.” He also
stressed the importance of the project, which “will help civil society
organizations and governmental authorities work in the same direction for
social cohesion,” and urged for greater participation from citizens.
Additionally, the “Dialogue for Peace and Social Cohesion
Network” (hereinafter referred to as Dialogue for Peace and Social Cohesion)
was launched as part of the We Are One (WAO) Project in the northern, central,
and southern regions of Mali from March to September last year. The
representatives from civic organizations who participated in the dialogue
network discussed the underlying causes and solutions for numerous topics according
to region: “Rebellion and Terrorism” for the northern region, “Ethnic Conflict”
for the central region, and “Lack of Accountability and Collaborative
Governance between the Government and Civil Society” for the southern region.
As diverse the problems
were from region to region, the solutions were also presented in various ways.
Among these, there was a consensus that the government should also discuss and
come up with solutions to resolve the root of the nation’s internal disputes
and issues. In addition, since making the ongoing dialogue network a regular
meeting with the government and its citizens through national policy would
prove more effective in the realization of peace, a decision was made to submit
this to the government in writing.
The Dialogue for Peace and Social Cohesion Network was written
as a government policy proposal and submitted to the Mali Ministry of
Reconciliation in September last year. According to the Ministry of
Reconciliation, the government has given positive consideration to its
acceptance. The submitted content is of great significance in that several
civic groups are already participating in the activities, and it contains the
unanimous voice of citizens across the nation of Mali rather than the voice of
citizens from a few regions.
Moving forward, HWPL and collaborators of the WAOProject plan to invite a wider range of
citizen groups, such as women, youth, religious, educational, and media
organizations, to future meetings of the Dialogue for Peace and Social Cohesion
Network.
In
addition,the
Dialogue for Peace and Social Cohesion will be operated by dividing the three
regions (northern, central, and southern) into nine. With the participation of
many citizens, it is anticipated that Mali will swiftly achieve sustainable
peace.
Female genital mutilation (FGM) comprises all procedures that involve
altering or injuring the female genitalia for non-medical reasons and is
recognized internationally as a violation of the human rights, the
health and the integrity of girls and women.
Girls who undergo female genital mutilation face short-term complications
such as severe pain, shock, excessive bleeding, infections, and difficulty in
passing urine, as well as long-term consequences for their sexual and
reproductive health and mental health.
Although primarily concentrated in 30 countries in Africa and the Middle
East, female genital mutilation is a universal problem and is also practiced in
some countries in Asia and Latin America. Female genital mutilation continues
to persist amongst immigrant populations living in Western Europe, North
America, Australia and New Zealand.
In 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic
has negatively and disproportionately affected girls and women, resulting in a
shadow pandemic disrupting SDG target 5.3 on
the elimination of all harmful practices including, female genital
mutilation. UNFPA estimates
additional 2 million girls projected to be at risk of undergoing female genital
mutilation by 2030. In response to this disruption, the United Nations, through
its UNFPA-UNICEF
joint programme, has been adapting interventions that ensure the
integration of female genital mutilation in humanitarian and post-crisis
response.
To promote the elimination of
female genital mutilation, coordinated and systematic efforts are needed, and
they must engage whole communities and focus on human rights,gender equality, sexual education and attention to
the needs of women and girls who suffer from its consequences.
In 2013, HWPL declared through the
Declaration of World Peace that, to end wars and bring peace to the global
community, a new international legal instrument was needed.
At the 2014 World Peace Summit, legal and
political leaders from around the world signed an agreement with HWPL to work
together on drafting such a document.
In just a year and a half, on 14 March
2016, the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW) was proclaimed, and
HWPL is actively committed to the introduction of the DPCW into international
law.
Heavenly Culture, World
Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL)is an international peace NGO
founded for global peace and cessation of war.
HWPL is a non-governmental organization
registered with the Seoul Metropolitan Government of the Republic of Korea. It
is associated with the UN Department of Global Communications (DGC) and in
Special Consultative Status with the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
In keeping with the spirit of the Declaration of World Peace, that HWPL aims to
achieve world peace through the heavenly culture and restore the global
community with light, we are carrying out peace activities all across the
world.
With our partner group, the
International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG), and our affiliate group, the
International Peace Youth Group (IPYG), HWPL is leading an international peace
movement with leaders in all walks of life without being limited by national,
cultural, or ideological boundaries. Moreover, we seek to contribute to the UN
Sustainable Development Goals by spreading a culture of peace through various
means such as forums, education, volunteer work, and campaigns.
HWPL’s peace activities will continue until
sustainable peace is assured for future generations.
There is deep concern
regarding acts that advocate religious hatred and, thereby, undermine the
spirit of tolerance and respect for diversity, especially at a time when the
world confronts the unprecedented crisis caused by
the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, which requires a
global response based on unity, solidarity and renewed multilateral
cooperation.
And in these times we need — perhaps more than ever before — to recognize
the valuable contribution of people of all religions, or beliefs, to humanity
and the contribution that dialogue among all religious groups can make towards
an improved awareness and understanding of the common values shared by all
humankind.
We also need to
underline the importance of raising awareness about different cultures and
religions, or beliefs, and the promotion of tolerance, which involves
societal acceptance and respect for religious and cultural diversity, including
with regard to religious expression. Education, in particular at school, should
contribute in a meaningful way to promoting tolerance and the elimination of
discrimination based on religion or belief.
Furthermore, we must acknowledge that tolerance, pluralistic
tradition, mutual respect and the diversity of
religions and beliefs promote human fraternity. Thus, it is imperative that we
encourage activities aimed at promoting interreligious
and intercultural dialogue in order to enhance peace
and social stability, respect for diversity and mutual
respect and to create, at the global level, and also at the regional, national
and local levels, an environment conducive to peace and mutual understanding.
Within that frame, the General-Assembly took note of all
international, regional, national and local
initiatives, as appropriate, as well as efforts
by religious leaders, to promote interreligious and intercultural
dialogue, and in this regard took note also of the meeting between Pope Francis
and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad al-Tayyib, on 4 February 2019 in Abu
Dhabi, which resulted in the signing of the document entitled “Human fraternity
for world peace and living together”.
