NightingaleSea

A Force for Lasting Peace: Women’s Leadership Transforming Asia’s Peace and Security Landscape

“She didn’t just survive the war. She rebuilt the meaning of peace.”


For over thirty years, the peace and security landscape across Asia and ASEAN has been quietly, powerfully rewritten—not by generals or diplomats alone, but by women. From the rice fields of Cambodia to the negotiation tables of Mindanao, women have stepped out of the margins and into the heart of peace-building.

Traditionally, peace-making was dominated by male political and military leaders. Yet, a powerful new narrative has emerged—one where women have moved from the margins of conflict to become indispensable leaders, negotiators, and community builders.


Their leadership is not symbolic—it is strategic, resilient, and transformative.



Redefining Peace from the Ground Up


Peace doesn’t begin with treaties. It begins with trust.


The foundation of this movement was laid by women who, in the aftermath of devastating conflicts, took it upon themselves to rebuild shattered societies.


In Cambodia, following the horrific Khmer Rouge regime, women led post-conflict recovery efforts. They established vital community networks, supported widows and orphans, and initiated local reconciliation in a society torn apart by violence and trauma. Their work was essential in restoring social trust and normalcy, demonstrating that peace-building is not only a top-down process but a bottom-up, community-driven one. These quiet yet persistent efforts provided a model of resilience and hope.


Similarly, in Timor-Leste, women played central roles in resisting Indonesian occupation. They served as clandestine couriers, provided crucial logistical support to fighters, and kept communities united during the long struggle.

After independence, leaders like Maria Domingas Fernandes Alves—a former resistance fighter—became powerful advocates for women’s rights and political representation. Her work underscored that the struggle for peace is inseparable from the fight for gender equality [UNSDG.un.org].


These examples reveal that women were not passive victims of war but active agents shaping their nations’ destinies long before formal recognition.



Breaking Barriers in Formal Peace Processes: The Mindanao model


In the Philippines, the decades-long conflict in Mindanao found its turning point not through force, but through inclusion.


For decades, armed conflict in Mindanao between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) devastated the southern region. The peace process struggled until 2012, when Miriam Coronel-Ferrer was appointed head of the government’s negotiating panel. She became the first woman worldwide to lead a government peace panel and sign a major peace agreement.


Under her leadership, alongside other women negotiators like Yasmin Busran-Lao, the talks adopted a human-centered perspective. The resulting 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro included strong provisions on women’s rights, gender justice, and gender-responsive security sector reform—expanding the agenda beyond military and political concerns to address land rights and transitional justice [UN Women: Mindanao Peace Process].


Women’s civil society groups, such as the Mindanao Commission on Women (MCW), played a critical role by mobilizing support for peace and ensuring women’s voices were heard. They organized peace circles uniting Muslim, Christian, and indigenous women and nominated women for key peace process roles, bridging formal negotiations with grassroots realities.


This multi-layered approach—combining top-down leadership with bottom-up mobilization—proved highly effective and offers a replicable model for peace-making.



Regional and Global Frameworks Supporting Women’s Leadership


At the global level, the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325) in 2000 was a landmark, establishing a normative framework for women’s participation in peace and security.

In Asia, UNSCR 1325 has empowered women’s organizations to advocate for rights and hold governments accountable. It has also spurred regional bodies like ASEAN to take concrete steps.


In 2017, ASEAN adopted a Joint Statement on Promoting Women, Peace and Security, followed in 2022 by a Regional Plan of Action on Women, Peace and Security (RPA WPS) [ASEAN.org]. These initiatives demonstrate formal regional commitments to integrating gender perspectives into security policies and peace efforts.


The ASEAN Women for Peace Registry further aims to build a pool of female experts to support gender-sensitive peace-making, reflecting a growing regional capacity and commitment.


Beyond official frameworks, women’s movements have been crucial in seeking justice for historical abuses. The decades-long “Comfort Women” movement in Japan, led by survivors of military sexual slavery during World War II, exemplifies women’s activism confronting historical injustices.

Their tireless advocacy for recognition, apology, and compensation highlights the importance of addressing past trauma as a foundation for genuine reconciliation [Harvard Law School Journal of Human Rights].



The Path Forward: Overcoming Barriers and Embracing New Challenges


Despite these achievements, women still face significant barriers to full participation in peace-making. Patriarchal structures dominate political and security institutions, and militarized definitions of security often exclude the human-centered approaches women champion.


A UN study found that from 1992 to 2019, women made up only 6% of mediators and 13% of negotiators globally—a stark reminder that inclusion policies often lag in implementation [Council on Foreign Relations].


Challenges are compounded by new forms of conflict—violent extremism, disinformation, and climate-related disasters—that disproportionately affect women.

Women’s roles in peace-making must evolve to meet these threats, including leadership in countering violent extremism, promoting digital literacy to combat misinformation, and spearheading community resilience against climate crises.

The future of peace in Asia depends on a collective commitment not just to include women but to empower them as leaders and innovators in all aspects of peace and security.


The groundwork laid by these women and their advocates has created irreversible momentum toward a world where peace is defined not merely by the absence of war but by the full and equal participation of all citizens.

Peace is not the absence of war—it is the presence of justice, memory, and shared leadership. Women across Asia have shown us what that looks like. Now it’s our turn to amplify, to advocate, and to act.


References and Further Reading

, , , , ,

Leave a comment