KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 10 (Bernama) — The 2025 ASEAN Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Summit has reaffirmed the region’s commitment to expanding opportunities for women in decision-making roles, while preparing the next generation of young women with the skills and confidence to lead.
Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, the Prime Minister’s wife, said that the two-day summit also aimed to ensure that ASEAN’s approach to security takes into account the needs of women, families, and communities.
“For Malaysia, the summit has not only been an opportunity to share, but also to learn.
“The launch of our National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (NAP WPS) demonstrates our serious commitment, but we recognise that plans alone are not enough.
“Implementation requires partnerships, accountability, monitoring, and the active involvement of stakeholders at all levels, across ministries and agencies. I firmly believe that we are not working on this alone,” she said in her speech at the summit’s closing ceremony, here, today.
Also present was Minister of Women, Family and Community Development, Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.
Meanwhile, Dr Wan Azizah condemned the systematic destruction of educational infrastructure, and the use of hunger as a weapon, stressing that support for the people of Palestine must remain resolute.
“There, the very foundations of society are being systematically destroyed. We are witnessing scholasticide, the deliberate targeting of schools and universities, robbing an entire generation of their right to education and a future.
“Hospitals, which should be sanctuaries of healing, have become targets of devastation. Hunger is not merely a tragic byproduct of conflict; it is being used as a weapon.
“We must demand an end to these atrocities, and commit to building a world where Palestinian children can also experience peace and security,” she said.
She added that the Women, Peace and Security agenda is not limited to discussions of conflict alone, but encompasses dignity, safety, and human resilience.
It also addresses the challenges women face during peacetime, in disaster recovery, public health crises, and amid the increasing risks posed by climate change.
Dr Wan Azizah stressed that a woman’s ability to contribute to national security is closely linked to the support she receives at home.
She said that a husband who supports his wife’s ambition to mediate a community dispute is building peace, and a society which provides affordable childcare is investing in its own security.
“By fostering an environment of mutual respect and shared duties at home, we are cultivating the next generation of leaders who can build a more just and equitable world,” she added.
— BERNAMA
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