President of the Republic of Kosovo, Mrs. Atifete Jahjaga, participated today at a conference on women, peace and security, organised by the Georgetown University, being held in London, United Kingdom.
Madam President held a speech as the first panellist of the pane entitled “The new global agenda for women, peace and security”, jointly panelled with the US Ambassador Ms. Melane Verveer, executive director of the Georgetown institute for women, peace and security, Ms. Monica McWilliams, former high commissioner for human rights in Northern Ireland and Ms. Nancy Pelosi, leader of the democrats in the US Congress.
Speaking about the contribution of women in ending of the war and during the building of a more peaceful, safer and more advanced Kosovo, Madam President presented an overview of the engagements of women in Kosovo during the war period and in its aftermath and their engagement in protection of their families and ensure its existence and survival. She stated that women in Kosovo have always been a part of the continuous resistance and one of the war’s biggest victims, as thousands of women were raped during this period.
Madam President also said that these women managed to secure the survival of their families and with their dedication they helped in building of a democratic Kosovo.
President Jahjaga said that “women are dedicated towards justice, for the purpose of prevention of resurgence of the crimes; they have documented the war crimes which created the basis for international intervention in Kosovo and for indictments and later on of the convictions for the main leaders who planned the genocide”.
“After the war, women in Kosovo became the bridges of cooperation between the communities separated by conflict. They got involved in Public Service, in the political life and had an important impact in the drafting of balanced policies which were acceptable to each community and citizen, regardless of their ethnic origin”, said President Jahjaga.
Madam President also stated that the participation of women in public life is not only a moral right; it is also a political and economic maturity. President Jahjaga said that during the transition period, quota of 30 % for the participation of women in Parliament is a must as this helps the society towards building of the democracy.
Speaking about the role of the women in peace building and security, President Jahjaga said that it is of utmost importance, especially in building of the all-inclusive and balanced policies.
“Peace building is achieved through establishment of democratic institutions, economic development and social stability of the society. The concept of security must be seen beyond the lenses of war and peace; it must be seen as a guarantee of the human rights of each citizen. Safet of women is safety of children, of the family and of the whole society”, said President Jahjaga.
Madam President also said that at the International Women’s Summit, organised last year by the Madam President herself, discussions were held on issues which are presenting as global challenges, which were compiled into a joint platform entitled as Prishtina Principles. This document also approved by the Parliament of Kosovo, calls for a greater political participation, further democratisation of the political parties, economic empowerment of women and property rights.
President Jahjaga ended her presentation while emphasizing that a society cannot become an advanced and developed one unless women are fully equal in that society.
During the discussions, madam President also answered questions addressed to her by the conference participants. She also attended the panel where the keynote speaker was the former US State Secretary, Madeline Albright.
International Georgetown conference on women, peace and security, which is being held in London, is a traditional one and gathers a number of personalities from around the world and discusses the issues important for the strengthening of the role of women in society.