by Miceál O’Hurley
ANTALYA (TÜRKIYE) — Türkiye’s First Lady, Her Excellency Mrs. Emine Erdoğan opened one of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum’s most well-attended sessions, “Women, Peace and Security” during the ADF 2024 which took place between 1-3 March. The third iteration of the ADF brought together leaders from across the globe including heads of state, ministers, diplomats and academics from 79 countries, with more than 4,500 attendees meeting under the theme ‘Advancing Diplomacy in Times of Turmoil’.
Extract of Remarks by Her Excellency Mrs. Erdoğan
Seizing on the theme of this year’s Antalya Diplomacy Forum Her Excellency Mrs. Erdoğan said, “Women have an essential and transformative role in our societies; therefore, we cannot expect any peace process to succeed without them”.
In particular, a peace process cannot be expected to succeed without the inclusion of women, who are a fundamental and transformative part of society. Therefore, we need to make sure that women participate in decision-making positions when we promote diplomacy.” - Her Excellency Mrs. Emine Erdoğan, Remarks to Antalya Diplomacy Forum 2024
Speaking to the latest crisis Palestine, Her Excellency Mrs. Erdoğan said, “We are now at a point where we have exhausted all the words that can be said. The last word that could be said was uttered by Hind Rajab, a 6-year-old Palestinian girl, when she cried for help after being caught in the crossfire. ‘Please save me,’ she said. We could not save her or her family or the medical teams that went to help her at the risk of their life. The possibility of being a part of the genocide was too much for Aaron Bushnell’s dignity. He died shouting the last words that could be said. ‘I will no longer be complicit in genocide,’ he said, because the cruelty was too much for his conscience. He was the same age, in the spring of her life, as Rachel Corrie, who perished under the Israeli demolition vehicles. At this point, when we have run out of words, we have to keep the hope for peace alive and increase our efforts for peace. The world needs fair, courageous and righteous leaders today more than ever. I believe that when brave people who believe in peace join forces, we will break the spiral of violence and achieve peace and a peaceful order with this unity of power.”
On the issue of the plight of women in conflict, Her Excellency continued, “Women who have seen the home they built with great care burn to ashes, who have seen the pain of their beloved children, who have been forced to leave the land where they have taken root, know the value of peace better than anyone else. In this regard, 24 years ago, a global will was put forward and the participation of women in peace processes was guaranteed by the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325. However, unfortunately, we see that women, who are the primary victims of conflict and the main actors in the construction of societies, are not effectively included in mediation and peace processes. However, research shows that when women are involved in the process, the likelihood of reconciliation increases and peace becomes more durable. Women’s nature to cooperate and work together with different groups and their sensitivity to social issues increase the chances of success in peace processes. We must keep in mind that a lasting and sustainable peace is born from a process in which no one is left behind. In particular, a peace process cannot be expected to succeed without the inclusion of women, who are a fundamental and transformative part of society. Therefore, we need to make sure that women participate in decision-making positions when we promote diplomacy.”
Taking care to observe that movements with the goa of peace in Palestine, Ukraine, Syria and Yemen were empowered by women, Her Excellency Mrs. Erdoğan said, “As the spouses of leaders, we and all women at the decision-making level have responsibilities in this sense. In this context, in cooperation with First Lady Olena Zelenska of Ukraine, we are hosting nearly 1,500 Ukrainian war-victim children and their attendants in our country. Among this group, our Crimean Tatar children, who are among us today, will remind us again that love and hope are one language with the songs they will sing. Similarly, we are hosting children who are victims of war, whom we recently brought from Gaza for their treatment. We believe that by not discriminating between the oppressed, we can help humanity, which has been twisted by cruelty, stand tall.”
Mrs. Erdoğan Empanels Esteemed Female Leaders
Her Excellency, First Lady Erdoğan’s emphasis in elevating the importance of women in diplomacy, crisis resolution and peace-building came during the high-level session on “Women, Peace, and Security”. Her Excellency has used her stature of First Lady to pioneer advocacy for the dignity of women and their many contributions.
The panel Her Excellency Mrs. Erdoğan assembled included the Yemeni Nobel Laureate, journalist, politician, and human rights activist Tawakkol Karman; Ivana Živković, the Deputy Resident Representative and Regional Director for Türkiye at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); Bineta Diop, the Special Envoy on Women, Peace, and Security for the African Union Commission; Mrs. Desislava Radeva, the First Lady of Bulgaria; and, Tamara Vučić, the First Lady of Serbia.
Nobel Laureate Tawakkol Karman observed how women have historically been the most affected by the destructive effects of war and conflict, saying, “Women who have experienced wars have also demonstrated leadership in the face of difficulties when conflicts erupt. They have endured unimaginable hardships, displacement, loss of loved ones, sexual violence, and the collapse of essential services”.
On the topic of Israel’s military operations against Gaza and the Palestinian people Karman said, “The Israeli occupation, the ongoing genocide war against Palestinians, is a sad example of humanity’s degradation. The mechanism of killing and destruction by Israel continues to claim the lives of civilians in Gaza. The Israeli occupation is genocide for the people subjected to death, hunger, and displacement by supporters under the US administration and other Western allies“.
UN Women reports that more than 9,000 women have been confirmed killed since Israel launched attacks in Gaza over 5-months ago. Many more remain missing or un-recovered, buried in the rubble of the swath of buildings destroyed by Israeli Defense Forces. Each day an estimated 63-women are killed in Gaza with reports of the latest casualties succumbing to starvation and dehydration.
UNDP Deputy Resident Representative and Regional Director for Türkiye, Ivana Živković opened by thanking Her Excellency Mrs. Erdoğan and Türkiye, stating that the agenda of women’s security is supported by the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325. According to Živković, “Supporting displaced, refugee women and girls is at the heart of our work in crisis settings like Gaza, Ukraine, and others”.
“If we do not ensure equality, neither peace nor development can be sustainable. If half of our society is left behind in realising their dreams, rights, and contributions, we cannot achieve the Sustainable Development Goals or fulfil our commitments on women, peace, and security,” added Živković.
Panelist Bineta Diop praised Her Excellency Mrs. Erdoğan for consistently raising the issues of “Women, Peace and Security” at the ADF. Diop, who has been the African Union Commission’s Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security since 2014 is a Senegalese women’s rights activist. She was the founder of Femmes Africa Solidarité, a non-profit organization which promotes women’s rights in Africa.
For Diop, ensuring women’s voices are heard and respected is critical to overcoming global challenges and addressing emerging and existing conflict. “It is imperative that we recognise the role played by South African women who were instrumental in taking Israel to the International Criminal Court, and the women who spearheaded this effort”.
Bulgaria’s First Lady Mrs. Desislava Radeva joined the other panelists in expressing their gratitude and respect for Her Excellency Mrs. Erdoğan’s initiative in organising the panel. Her Excellency Mrs. Radeva, who studied Finance and Credit at the University of National and World Economy as well as the University of Forestry, Sofia has extensive experience in the public and private sectors. Beginning with her service in the Ministry of Agriculture she later entered the public sector including stints managing television production, administering public relations for the Bulgarian Music Company and later serving as Assistant to the General manager of Heineken. She spearheaded efforts to found the ‘Living Water of Bulgaria’ foundation which undertakes public interest initiatives. She joined her fellow panelists in underscoring the disproportionate impact conflict has on women.
Calling on the international community to become more effective in inclusiveness efforts in peacebuilding and protection process, Her Excellency Mrs. Radeva said, “Recognising the importance of women and supporting their active participation in peace processes is crucial”.
Serbia’s First Lady, Mrs. Tamara Vučić spoke with equal passion and eloquence on the issue of women being central to peace and security. A graduate of the Faculty of Philology, University of Belgrade, Her Excellency Mrs. Vučić was a noted television journalist before electing to study diplomacy, entering service in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia beginning in 2010. She is a graduate of the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Her Excellency Mrs. Vučić was no less exuberant in conveying her gratitude to Türkiye’s First Lady for convening the panel. Indicating her belief that inherent problems with archaic approaches to problem solving created cyclical repetition of problems she asserted that abandoning tired mindsets and approaches is necessary for modern problem solving, stating, “The world cannot be changed while only relying on old foundations and principles. I believe that women play a leading role in rebuilding societies and elevating common values”.
ADF Panel – Women in Diplomacy
ADF 2024 also highlighted the issue of ‘Women in Diplomacy’ convening a high-level panel of female Turkish Ambassadors discussing the indispensable roles they play in bi-lateral and multi-lateral decision-making. Highlighting their gender-influenced understanding of public diplomacy the panelists discussed how scholarship and recruitment of females in the field of diplomacy can be elevated to new heights for greater outcomes.
The ‘Women in Diplomacy‘ panel was moderated by Professor Dr. Şebnem Akçapar, Professor of Social Sciences, University of Ankara. Dr. Akçapar was joined by Her Excellency Ambassador Hayriye Kumaşcıoğlu; Her Excellency Ambassador K. Nilvana Darama Yıldırımgeç; and, Her Excellency Ambassador Elif Çomoğlu Ülgen, all senior diplomats serving in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye. A full video recording of the panel, ‘Women in Diplomacy‘ is found below:
Diplomacy, long dominated by males, was eventually declared in 2022 by the United Nations to enjoy the 24th of June each year as the “International Day of Women in Diplomacy”. United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/RES/76/269 sought to recognise “Women in Diplomacy as important agents to further Socio-Economic Equitable and Inclusive Sustainable Development, The celebration gives the opportunity for Youth to engage with women diplomats as role models. Every year on June 24th to mark the International Day of Women in Diplomacy, the International community honours the invaluable contributions of women diplomats. Their expertise, resilience, and vision inspire us to work towards a more inclusive and equitable society. We believe women diplomats should be at the frontline of efforts to advance cooperation and inclusive transboundary water governance”.
