At two international events the Suzanne Mubarak Women's International Peace Movement reiterated calls to encourage the active participation of women in promoting peace, reports Dina Ezzat This week in Athens, and over the weekend in Cairo, the Suzanne Mubarak Women's International Peace Movement (SMWIPM) continued its efforts to focus international attention on the twin evils of discrimination and violence against women. "Stop Human Trafficking Now" and "Towards Peace and Prosperity: Women, Engines of Change" were both organised following initiatives from the SMWIPM which is working to raise awareness of the significant role women can play in promoting the culture of peace. States and societies, says SMWIPM, must join forces in the long battle against discrimination which harms not only the rights and interests of women but prevents humanity from attaining its true potential. Chaired by Mrs Suzanne Mubarak and attended by representatives -- mostly women -- from national, regional and international organisations, the two events reflect growing regional and global concern over the limited number of women occupying decision-making positions. Both events underlined that the absence of women from the decision-making process harms the chances for stability, and in so doing compromises both peace and prosperity. The message of both gatherings was crystal clear -- women continue to face discrimination. While they could work as engines of peace they are most often treated -- by their societies and political systems -- as sex and labour objects. Women, as the participants in the Athens event stressed, are the main victims of human trafficking. And they are, as the Cairo gathering noted, systematically manoeuvred away from leadership positions in a coercive manner that undermines not just women's rights but the right of their societies to thrive. Discrimination against women, said participants, is common across societies, defying the concept of the clash of civilisations since all cultures discriminate against women, albeit at different levels. The discussions inevitably raised the issue of violence against women in its many overt and covert forms, and the consequences of that violence not just on the political front but on the day to day lives of many women around the world. The urgent need to change not just policies but attitudes and to introduce legislation to protect the rights of women and facilitate their involvement in the making of decisions that directly impact on their lives was stressed in speech after speech and further amplified in sideline discussions. But as many participants noted commitment counts more than rhetoric. Nor did anyone exaggerate the ability of such gatherings to induce direct and immediate change. Change will be incremental, a gradual response to growing pressure. In a practical step during the Cairo conference Mrs Mubarak announced that SMWIPM will establish the region's first peace studies institute, to be based at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. It will be inaugurated in mid- February, and will serve as a centre for a wide range of studies of the concepts of peace, both between nations and within societies. The high profile of Mrs Mubarak is expected to generate international attention on the work of the institute which will receive further publicity as she attends next week's World Economic Forum in Davos.
