Philippines

The Philippines submits that any debate in the United Nations concerning women must always be rooted in the solemn declarations in its Charter that reaffirm faith in the equal rights of men and women and in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which recognize that the inherent dignity and the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world. This is the only strategy that removes us from mere sound and fury on so crucial an issue as women.

“The State recognizes the role of women in nation-building, and shall ensure the fundamental equality before the law of women and men”. This spirit continues to permeate the public sphere. The incumbent President is a woman, our second in approximately 25 years. The Supreme Court, during my tenure as Chief Justice, undertook unprecedented moves to ensure that women benefit equally from and participate directly in the judiciary's structures, processes and development programmes and activities. Just last August, the Congress of the Philippines passed a Magna Carta for Women, which mandates the representation and participation of women in policymaking.

We know that, in this time of asymmetric warfare, the use of sexual violence against women and girls as a weapon of war is a source of even more fundamental and pernicious concern. It is a weapon that is intended to humiliate and destroy women, both as individuals and as the heart and soul of social order and the foundation of family and community life. It should then follow that, within the peace and reconstruction processes, women's voices must be indispensable in all phases. Women are often the primary figures in the education and upbringing of our children, and, therefore, the primary carriers of the effects of conflict through the generations. Without their voice of stability and sense of community, children grow up knowing only war as their livelihood. Our present debate must not just be an occasion to celebrate the role of women. It must be a celebration of a shift in the international community's approach to post-conflict situations, from narrow humanitarian and relief activities to more comprehensive efforts towards sustainable peace. This means a greater focus on the concerns and roles of women in bridging the gap between conflict and post-conflict development. For my delegation, gender sensitivity in a post-conflict environment would mean paying due attention to women's access to employment opportunities and productive assets, such as land, capital, education and training and health services. It also means looking at the role of women in ensuring food security in the community, and making conditions at refugee settlements a priority. In short, the rehabilitative approach to post-conflict situations involves a serious consideration of the short- to long-term development needs of the community concerned.

It took a whole nine years after the passage of the landmark resolution 1325 (2000) for the Council to request a study on women's participation and inclusion in peacebuilding in the aftermath of a conflict. My delegation believes that such a report is long overdue and should therefore be given the promptest attention, if the United Nations is to urgently address the situation of the millions of women affected by the ravages of war.