NEW YORK: Pakistan’s permanent representative to United Nations Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi on Friday said that the UN Security Council will focus on protracted conflicts especially Jammu and Kashmir and Palestine to protect women who continue to suffer disproportionately from the violence perpetrated by foreign occupation.
While talking during the Security Council Debate on Women Peace and Security, Lodhi said that “women were soft targets in conflict situations, often exploited by aggressors as a tactic of war”.
“Turmoil, instability and chaos produce disproportionate and lasting consequences for women, particularly young girls,” she said.
She further added that “the Women, Peace and Security Agenda of Security Council provided a powerful tool to ensure feminisation of peace in a post-conflict environment but stressed that this needed to be elevated from the normative to a practical level,” further saying that “equal attention should be given to all pillars of this agenda and the framework is implemented at all levels”.
“National human rights institutions can provide a critical link in the chain of accountability for women’s rights violations,” she added.
Lodhi continued to say that because of structural inequalities and discrimination, women remain excluded from peace negotiations, which further inhibits efforts for an inclusive peace process.
“By ensuring more meaningful participation for women we can bring them to table as true stakeholders who are able to define and protect their interests,” she added.
“Despite clear evidence that active female participation in peace processes significantly enhanced the prospects for peace, women continue to remain on the sidelines. This needs to change,” she added.
Speaking about the commitment of Pakistan’s new government to women’s empowerment, Ambassador Lodhi said that this was among its top priorities.
“My own country’s experience showed that giving women key roles, brings fresh perspectives and builds solid foundations for a vibrant society,” she said.
