NEW YORK: Pakistan’s Counsellor to the United Nations, Saima Saleem, has called on the international community to pay urgent attention to the suffering of women in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and Palestine.
She was speaking at an open debate of the UN Security Council on “Women, Peace and Security,” she urged global actors to ensure women’s full participation in peace processes and decision-making at all levels.
The debate indicated the 25th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, which recognizes the vital role of women in conflict resolution and peacebuilding.
Furthermore, Saleem focused on the fact that the inclusion of women in peace negotiations and mediation processes is not only a moral imperative but also a proven strategy for lasting peace. “Studies show that peace agreements involving women are more durable and effective,” she noted.
She urged the UN to set mandatory benchmarks for women’s participation in all mediation processes to ensure that women’s voices are fully represented in global policymaking.
Moreover, the Pakistani representative called on the international community to uphold international law by protecting women in conflict zones, holding accountable those who use sexual violence as a weapon of war, and providing sustainable financial support to women’s organizations working in crisis situations. “These women are often the first to respond and the last to leave,” she said.
In this sense, expressing concern, Saleem noted that the UN Secretary-General’s recent report made no mention of the plight of Kashmiri women in IIOJK, despite extensive documentation of human rights violations and sexual violence by Indian forces. Excluding Kashmiri women from the Women, Peace, and Security agenda, she warned, undermines its credibility and universality.
Meanwhile, turning to Palestine, she described the situation of Palestinian women as one of the “most tragic humanitarian crises of our time.” She cited figures showing that seven out of every ten people killed during last year’s conflict in Gaza were women.
Many pregnant women, she added, gave birth amid bombardments and without medical care acts she characterized as deliberate crimes requiring justice.
Also Read: Students and civil society stand united in Kalat after Khuzdar attack
Saleem also mentioned alarming trends, noting a 90 percent rise in conflict-related sexual violence and a fourfold increase in the killing of women and children over the past two years. “These figures show that progress has stalled.
