Two Indonesian women peace activists have won the 2013 N-Peace Awards for their efforts to promote women's equality and protection of women against discrimination.
“The N-Peace Awards for Indonesia this year is awarded to Bapak Suprayoga Hadi and Ibu Valentina Sagala,” United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Communication Associate, Tina Kardjono, in a press statement made available to The Jakarta Post on Monday.
Suprayoga Hadi is praised for his continuous support for women and women's civil society organizations in two roles that he now holds: Deputy Minister for the Development of Special Regions at the Ministry for the Development of Disadvantaged Regions and National Project Director for Peace through Development in Disadvantaged Areas.
“Suprayoga Hadi has been working steadily to advance the inclusion of women in peace and security issues,” N-Peace Awards said in its official website.
Meanwhile, Valentina Sagala who founded Yayasan Institute Perempuan (Women's Institute Foundation) is praised for her efforts to push for reforms to laws that “dehumanize women, and even create and perpetuate violence against women”.
The N-Peace Awards recognizes and profiles leaders for women's rights and peace builders who create change at the grassroots to national levels in Asia.
The Awards are coordinated by the N-Peace Network across Afghanistan, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Timor Leste and the Philippines.
The Awards shines a spotlight on women who demonstrate leadership in building peace and empowering their communities. The Awards' special categories are presented to the efforts of young women leaders as the next generation for peace champions, and male advocates of women's equality.
The N-Peace initiative and the Awards campaign are managed by UNDP Asia Pacific Regional Center (APRC). (ebf).
