ننشر رسالة المرأة المصرية صانعة السلام للعالم باحتفالية القومى للمرأة (2)

Egyptian Women Peace Makers Statement October 2017 Cairo

We are Egyptian women belonging to all categories of Egyptian society, having participated in the "Egyptian Women Peace Makers Initiative - Together against Extremism and Terrorism," through national conferences organized by the National Council for Women in all governorates of the Arab Republic of Egypt, to mark the International Day of Peace, on 21 September 2017, and through the NGO forum that brought together 25 civil society organizations on 24 September 2017, we stand today united as one, to declare our unwavering support to our beloved Egypt in her fierce war against terrorism, with determination that does not falter in the face of a brutal and treacherous terrorism that claims the lives of the sons and daughters and our nation, and resolve that knows no fear, and will not succumb to grief for our righteous martyrs who made the ultimate sacrifice to redeem our homeland, we also declare our support for the efforts of the State's under the leadership of the President of the Republic to mount a true revolution against extremism – one that modernizes religious discourse, and that honours women and enshrines their rights as established in all religions, evoking the sincere and honest patriotic wisdom of Egyptian women, conscious of the grave and serious challenges facing Egypt at this moment of history; considering the keenness of Egyptian women to bring about peace and stability, being the most affected by the consequences of terrorism and shouldering the primary responsibility for safeguarding communal stability and shoring up the pillars of social cohesion; conjuring Egypt’s Constitution of 2014, which emphasizes in its Article 237 the commitment of the state to fighting all types and forms of terrorism, and recalling international agreements, which call on all States on all states to take into account a gender perspective when framing all responses aiming at the prevention of extremism and terrorism; reaffirming the centrality of the role of Egyptian women in the prevention of extremism and terrorism, and in unifying all societal forces to build a national consensus that shuns division and polarization, and achieves security and stability; recognizing that extremism and terrorism in all forms and manifestations constitute the most serious threat to national and international peace and security, and the greatest obstacle to achieving the sustainable development goals 2030; emphasizing that terrorism cannot and should not be associated with any religion, nationality or civilization, and that all acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable regardless of their motivations, wherever and by whomsoever committed; acknowledging that terrorism will not be defeated by law enforcement measures alone but can only be defeated by a sustained comprehensive approach involving the active participation and collaboration of all stakeholders including women; stressing the importance of the role of the media, civil society, religious and educational institutions in any efforts to enhance dialogue and broaden understanding, and in promoting tolerance and coexistence, and in fostering an environment which firmly addresses incitement of violence and terrorism, and effectively counters terrorist narratives;

Starting from those premises, and striving for the elimination of extremism and terrorism in our beloved Egypt, we call upon all stakeholders to invest genuinely in alleviating poverty, especially all forms of women’s poverty – poverty is considered one of the main drivers that provide an enabling environment for sowing the seeds of extremism and terrorism; emphasize that women, as the primary care providers of the Egyptian family, have a critical role in the early detection and reporting of practices that incite extremism and terrorism, and in raising the awareness of children, adolescents and youth about the means by which terrorists recruit supporters and mobilize resources; including hate speech and encouraging violent behaviour; request the prompt enactment and enforcement of legislation to confront traditional detrimental practices, which generate forms of violence against women that impede their progress, and social and economic empowerment, thus hindering their active participation in society and limiting their critical role in the education of young people; stress the importance of quality education and the need to eradicate all forms of illiteracy, beyond reading and writing, whether political, religious, cultural or scientific illiteracy, especially with regard to women – quality education represents the most important investment in human and social capital, and illiteracy represent the principal obstacle to women’s full participation that is essential to guarantee protection against extremism and terrorism; affirm the need to build the capacities of women at national and local levels, to empower them economically and politically, and to raise their awareness of current affairs, to enable them to effectively prevent extremism and counter terrorism; underline the need to provide alternative community-based pathways to ensure women’s equal participation, equality, and non-discrimination, and encourage the establishment of women-led social networks at the local level, in partnership with civil society organizations, to curtail the roots of extremism and terrorism; call for higher representation of women leaders at all levels of decision making in all areas, especially in the areas of promoting peace and security, fighting extremist ideologies and the elimination of terrorism; demand the active engagement of women in the development of plans and policies of the comprehensive National Strategy to fight Extremism and Terrorism that will be articulated by the National Council to confront Extremism and Terrorism; endorse women’s active engagement in introducing comprehensive approaches and innovative solutions that are relevant to the local context to prevent extremism and terrorism; urge women to raise generations that embrace the values of peace, tolerance, acceptance of others, non-discrimination and equal citizenship, in tandem with the review and development of formal educational curricula to instil such values; encourage women to promote the use of technology in a manner that fosters a culture of peace, tolerance, and acceptance in order to counter extremism and terrorism; note the need for greater consultation with women’s organizations in the analysis of the drivers and enablers of extremism and terrorism, and in the design of responses to effectively address them at local, national, and international levels. underscore the pivotal role of the media and cultural institutions in highlighting women’s positive contributions to society, and in raising the awareness of women of all categories and supporting them to carry out their important roles in building and protecting society; highlight the important role of the arts and other creative pursuits in achieving intellectual and cultural advancement and as critical means in the fight against extremism and terrorism, capitalizing on Egypt’s soft power to foster enlightenment and awareness to counter extremist ideologies, violence and terrorism.