Participants at the event. Source: gatra.com

The two-day event, which opened on November 12, is being held by the ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation in coordination with Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry, the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and the Asia Foundation.

According to the ASEAN Secretary General, women play an indispensable role in peace maintenance and post-conflict recovery. Women’s organisations, especially those have strong grassroots networks, help detect early warning signs of possible conflicts as well as prevent conflicts from escalating.

He recalled that ASEAN adopted a joint statement on promoting women, peace and security in ASEAN in 2017, and launched The ASEAN Women for Peace Registry (AWPR) in 2018.

The ASEAN Women Interfaith Dialogue gathers female experts and scholars from the 10 ASEAN member countries and Australia. They will engage in seven discussions on the goal of women empowerment, enhancing women’s participation and integration, women’s role in community initiatives for a harmonious society, and the role of regional networks’ in promoting the culture of peace./.

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