Peacebuilding Program Seminars

The Role of Parliamentarians for Advancement of the WPS Agenda

Organized by: Sasakawa Peace Foundation and Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security
Supported by: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
 

The year 2025 marks 25 years since the adoption of the United Nation Security Council Resolution 1325 - a historic recognition of the critical role women play in conflict resolution, peacekeeping and post-conflict peacebuilding. However, the realization of the transformative potentials envisioned 25 years ago remains a challenge, as the number of women negotiators, mediators, or signatories to peace processes remain low, exacerbated by the continuing systemic perpetration of serious violence against women across the world.
The Sasakawa Peace Foundation and Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace, and Security (WPS), as an international alliance partner of Japan’s WPS Parliamentarians Network, have been collaborating to enhance parliamentarians’ leadership in advancing the WPS agenda across different contexts. Parliamentarians have a critical role in mainstreaming gender in peace and security issues as they are in the unique position to legislate enforceable measures for the realization of WPS, ensuring necessary budget and resources, exercising oversight and monitoring, and even representing conflict/war affected women and children and communities, among others. Yet, their participation in efforts to support the WPS agenda has been variable, with many parliamentarians either unaware or not involved in national implementation efforts.

A public symposium entitled “The Role of Parliamentarians for Advancement of the WPS Agenda” brings pioneering parliamentarians from Ukraine, the Philippines, and India to share both good and emerging practices, as well as achievements in advancing WPS commitments and mainstreaming gender in their respective countries. This symposium is held at a critical time as the Focal Point Network, which is a gathering of high-level government officials and experts around the world, takes place in Tokyo, co-chaired by the Japanese and Norwegian government. The sharing of perspectives in this symposium is expected to contribute towards a more multi-sectoral collaboration among parliamentarians, governments, and civil society organizations, as well as cooperation at the local, national, and international levels.

Registration

If you would like to participate, please apply from this page by 10:00 on Wednesday, February 5.

*Please note that this is an in-person seminar. It will not be streamed online.

*We accept questions for speakers in advance. If you have questions, please send the questions and the name of speaker to whom you address the questions, to <peacebuilding@spf.or.jp> before 12:00 on Feb 5th.


*After applying, you will receive a temporary registration confirmation email, so please click the registration completion URL in the email to complete your registration. Due to the large number of inquiries due to incomplete registration, we ask that you proceed with the registration procedure to the end.

*If you do not receive the temporary registration confirmation email, the email from spfpr@spf.or.jp may be in your spam folder.

*Personal information received from everyone at the time of application will be used to guide you to seminars, lectures, etc. sponsored or supported by our foundation.
    Contact
    Peacebuilding Program, Sasakawa Peace Foundation
    E-mail: peacebuilding@spf.or.jp
    Tel: +81-3-5157-5181

    For media inquiries:
    E-mail: spfpr@spf.or.jp
    Tel: +81-3-5157-5395

    Description

    16:30-16:35 JST Opening Remarks
    Ms. Maho Nakayama, Director, Peacebuilding Program, the Sasakawa Peace Foundation
    16:35-16:40 JST Opening Remark/Introduction
    Amb. Melanne Verveer, Executive Director, Georgetown Institute of Women, Peace and Security
    16:40-17:55 JST High-Level Panel on “Role of parliamentarians for advancement of WPS agenda”
    Speakers:
    1. Hon. Loren Legarda, Senator, Senate of the Philippines (Video Message)
    2. Hon. Mitsunari Okamoto, Member of the House of Representative
    3. Hon. Olena Khomenko, Member of the Parliament of Ukraine, Committee on National Security, Defence and Intelligence
    4. Hon. Raissa Jajurie, Bangsamoro Transition Authority Member, Minister of Social Service Devepment, the Philippines
    5. Hon. Meenakshi Lekhi, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Culture of India
    Moderater:
    Amb. Melanne Verveer, Executive Director, Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security
    18:00 JST Closing
    *The event program is subject to change.

    Speakers

    Hon. Mitsunari Okamoto
    speaker

    Hon. Mitsunari Okamoto

    Member of the House of Representative

    Profile

    Born in 1965, Mr. Okamoto is elected to the House of Representatives five times, representing Tokyo's 29th district (Adachi and Arakawa wards) and currently serves as the Chairman of the Policy Research Council of Komeito Party.
    After working at Goldman Sachs Securities, he was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2012. His previous government positions include Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs and State Minister of Finance.
    He graduated from Soka University and holds an MBA from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University (USA).

    Hon. Olena Khomenko
    speaker

    Hon. Olena Khomenko

    Member of the Parliament of Ukraine, Committee on National Security, Defence and Intelligence

    Profile

    Ms. Khomenko has been serving as a Member of the Parliament of Ukraine since 2019. She is a member of the Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence, where she chairs the Subcommittee on Defence Procurement, working to transform Ukraine's defense procurement system in alignment with NATO principles.

    Since January 2020, she has been a Member of the Permanent Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and was appointed as Vice-President of PACE in January 2023. As Chair of the PACE Parliamentary Network on the situation of the children of Ukraine, she leads advocacy efforts for the return of deported Ukrainian children. She is also the author of PACE Resolution No. 2529 addressing the situation of Ukrainian children.

    Hon. Loren Legarda
    speaker

    Hon. Loren Legarda

    Senator, Senate of the Philippines

    Profile

    Currently serving as a Senator of the Philippines (2022-present) and the first female Senate President Pro-Tempore (2022-2024). A renowned environmentalist, cultural advocate, and former journalist, she is globally recognized as a leader in climate change action and disaster resilience, named as UN Global Champion for Resilience (2015). Her legislative achievements include the landmark Climate Change Act and Renewable Energy Act, along with significant laws on environmental protection, cultural preservation, and women's rights. She has received numerous accolades including the UNEP Environmental Award and was honored as Chevalier of the French Legion of Honor. She plays a pivotal role in climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction initiatives across the Asia-Pacific region.

    Hon. Raissa Jajurie
    speaker

    Hon. Raissa Jajurie

    Deputy Floor Leader of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority Parliament and Minister of Social Services and Development, BARMM, the Philippines

    Profile

    Member of the Bangsamoro Parliament and Minister of Social Services and Development. A prominent human rights lawyer who played a vital role in the peace process as legal consultant to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Graduate of Political Science from Ateneo de Manila University and Law from the University of the Philippines. Her dedication to human rights and social justice is evident through her work with SALIGAN, an alternative law group, and as founder of Nisa Ul-Haqq fi Bangsamoro (Women for Justice in the Bangsamoro). She served as a member of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (2013-2019), contributing to the drafting of the Bangsamoro Organic Law, and has been serving as a member of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority since 2019.

    Hon. Meenakshi Lekhi
    speaker

    Hon. Meenakshi Lekhi

    Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Culture of India

    Profile

    Mrs. Meenakashi Lekhi is a prominent Indian politician and former Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture. With a legal career that began in 1990, she has practiced in the Supreme Court of India and the Delhi High Court, establishing herself as a formidable advocate for social justice.
    Mrs. Lekhi played a vital role in drafting significant legislation, including the "Women's Reservation Bill" and the "Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Bill", the latter of which successfully passed in Parliament. She has championed media rights, successfully advocating for the revocation of bans on media coverage of court proceedings. Her commitment to women's rights is further exemplified by her involvement in landmark cases, such as advocating for the permanent commissioning of women in the Indian armed forces and representing victims in high-profile cases like the Shanti Mukund Hospital rape case. With extensive experience spanning grassroots advocacy to the apex court and Parliament, Mrs. Meenakashi Lekhi is a strong proponent of women's leadership and equal opportunities for marginalized communities, consistently striving to create a more inclusive society.

    Amb. Melanne Verveer
    MODERATOR

    Amb. Melanne Verveer

    Executive Director, Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security

    Profile

    A lifelong advocate for women's rights and empowerment, Ambassador Verveer served as Assistant to President Clinton and Chief of Staff to First Lady Hillary Clinton, with whom she co-founded Vital Voices Global Partnership. In 2009, President Obama appointed her as the first-ever U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues. In this role, she visited more than 60 countries to advance women's political and economic participation. She currently leads the Georgetown Institute, nurturing the next generation of global leaders.

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