Closing remarks from Denise Antonio, UNDP Deputy Country Representative



Honourable Ministers present,



Honourable Members of Parliament,



Government Officials Present,



Representatives of the Security Sector,



Representatives from Civil Society and the Academia,



Private Sector,



Development Practitioners,



UN Colleagues,



And Ladies and Gentlemen



I stand here as a woman whose father taught her to do the right things that must be done and whose husband also empowered her to do the right things she wants to do.



On behalf of UNDP and UN Women, allow me to thank you all for taking the time off your busy schedules to participate in this very important dialogue. Peace and Security remains a key enabler for sustainable and inclusive development and the full participation of women in this process is imperative.



More specifically, I would like to thank the Government of Zimbabwe for laying a solid foundation for enhanced women participation in key democratic processes including peace building. The participation of the Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development, the ONHRI, Women’s Caucus, G20 and the broader Women’s Coalition is testament to that. The constitutional provision for the establishment of the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) is also a recognition by the Government and people of Zimbabwe of the importance of peace as an enabler for sustainable development.



I would also like to appreciate UN Women for laying the foundation for this dialogue – through a very comprehensive study. I hope that the research whose findings were presented today has stimulated some critical thinking around the role of Women in mediation and conflict transformation (and broader society) – while also shedding some light into the challenges that women face in effectively playing this role.



You will all agree with me that the discussants did a great job in further unpacking the issues around women participation in peace building, mediation and conflict transformation. Their rich understanding of the practice of peace and mediation showed through and I do hope that we can build on their interventions to jointly seek a common ground on how best to create a conducive environment for women to contribute meaningfully to this vital calling.



This dialogue ladies and gentlemen would never have been possible without the active participation of each and every one of you. We have shared the table with very knowledgeable individuals representing diverse interests and groups. All of us represented here today through our institutions and mainly as individuals will be critical in carrying forward the recommendations emerging from this dialogue session. It is therefore my hope that this is not the last, but rather the beginning of richer conversations at different levels on how best to enhance the role of women in peacebuilding, mediation and conflict transformation.



Ladies and gentlemen



I hope that this Brown Bag Seminar has proven to be an insightful exercise, towards helping us better understand and unpack the challenges faced by women when it comes to participating in Peacebuilding and Conflict Transformation.



While we recognize that the focus of today’s discussion was principally at the national level, this has raised additional questions that we would be glad to explore through follow-up discussions. Key amongst them is the role and contribution of women to sustainable peace at community level, which remains largely undocumented. I therefore think strengthening research and practice linkages for policy work by drawing from community level experiences will further enrich follow up dialogues.



As the UN, we will continue to support providing a space for showcasing initiatives that demonstrate the role of women in mediation and conflict transformation efforts. As we work towards, the International Day of Peace (21st September) we should consider documenting various community and national initiatives that can be showcased to serve as an inspiration and motivation for other women aspiring to promote peace within their contexts.



Ladies and gentlemen



You all will recall that in 2011 for the very first time – the Nobel Peace Prize was presented to 3 women champions of Peace, Justice and democracy: President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia, her compatriot Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkul Karman of Yemen.



I would like to conclude by echoing the sentiments of the UN Women Executive Director – Ms Michelle Bachelet who during her October 28th, 2011 address to the Security Council – intimated that, - ‘For each of the three Nobel Peace prize winners this year, there are thousands of women around the world, who persist in their pursuit of peace in spite of massive obstacles’.



While noting the progress that has been made globally and most importantly in Zimbabwe, I would like to stress that much more can be and must be done to fully engage women in conflict resolution and mediation. Women’s full participation in peace-making, peace-building, mediation and conflict transformation is fundamental to building global peace and security.



I THANK YOU!

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