Speech Transcripts

I would like to start by thanking our dear keynote speakers, panelists, and all the participants from Africa and other regions of the world, represented here today. As the president of JICA, I am delighted to hold this side event in collaboration with the ICRC and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom.

While TICAD VI officially begins tomorrow, JICA is hosting or supporting 26 side events. Each event is focused on very important, timely issues. That said, I am particularly excited about today's event, because we will be discussing an especially critical topic that I believe will resonate with us all. This event is titled "Peacebuilding through Promoting Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment."

Armed conflict and violence destroys the lives of many people and causes immense suffering for both men and women. But we also recognize it is often the women who suffer most. It is really a pity that many women and girls become targets of sexual and gender-based violence both during conflict and post-conflict situations. There have been reports of targeted assaults on women and girls by some extremist groups in African countries.

But at the same time, women are the true force behind peacebuilding efforts including in conflict resolution, prevention, and post-conflict recovery and reconstruction processes. I am sure you all remember, as I do, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia and Ms. Leymah Gbowee, the former leader of Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace, were both awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011. They were honored for their leadership to end Liberia's civil war.

But these movements are not led by prominent leaders alone. Often times, it is the mothers, sisters, girls, wives… the everyday women who make the biggest impact. These women work day-by-day to meditate and resolve disputes, thereby preventing conflicts at the community level. For example, women in Somalia formed networks at the grassroots level, advocating and conducting dialogues for peace with community leaders and insurgent groups.

Women's empowerment and participation are crucial for rebuilding societies in post-conflict situations. During conflict and post-conflict situations, women continue to educate children and nurture those who suffer from mental and physical damage. Women also strengthen their communities in ways that men cannot. A post-conflict example is the work conducted by female police officers in Afghanistan who protect and provide guidance to women who have been victimized by sexual violence. These female officers also help investigate these types of crimes in manners that male counterparts cannot replicate. They reduce the number of female victims in the future while enhancing security for the entire community.

It's the power of these everyday women that must be recognized.

After the adoption of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security, I am glad that there is more recognition of the role of women in peace-building efforts. This landmark resolution affirms the crucial roles women have played in the prevention and resolution of armed conflicts. The resolution also mandates each country to formulate its own national action plans (NAPs) and implement them. To date, 63 countries have abided this request, including Japan. In collaboration with civil society, the Japanese government formulated its NAP in 2015, and Prime Minister Abe announced at the UN General Assembly that he will ensure effective implementation of Japan's NAP.

Of course even before this plan was drafted, JICA has long worked to enhance international cooperation to promote gender equality and women's empowerment. We have strived to incorporate these efforts as the foundation in all of our projects in developing nations. For example, JICA has been supporting capacity building of female police officers in Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in collaboration with UN agencies, to support peacebuilding efforts in these countries.

While these efforts may be a promising start, we all recognize that there is much more work to get done. A good place to start is to ensure the national action plans required by the UN Resolution quickly take place. Countries that have not yet formulated their action plans need to do so as quickly as possible, and those who have, need to implement them.

In order to accelerate toward these goals, we would like to discuss today how empowering women and girls contribute to conflict prevention and peacebuilding, and what we can do to promote gender equality and women's and girls' empowerment in Africa's context.

To address these questions, there are two keynote lecturers here today with extensive experience from the DFID and the ICRC. I am also honored to have distinguished contributors from the AU, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo on our panel, who will share their experiences and knowledge about creating opportunities for women under conditions of armed conflict. I hope that we will be able to have a constructive dialogue with them.

It is my goal at TICAD VI to deepen and further develop the relationship between Africa and Japan. In order to do so, I wish to learn more from our keynote speakers, panelists, and the women of Africa – all whom I respect so much.

As I end my remarks, I would like to reiterate that women's engagement in peacebuilding efforts can provide more inclusive and conflict-resilient societies in Africa. Let's now work together to achieve that goal. Thank you.