Bangsamoro women at the helm of peacebuilding in BARMMLETTERS

Throughout the history of the Bangsamoro, the harsh realities of poverty, underdevelopment, and violence amid armed conflict have disproportionately impacted its women. For years, societal narratives have highlighted how Bangsamoro women have been negatively affected by violent conflicts while glossing over the critical role they’ve played as agents of change for peace and development in their respective communities.

During the transition period, we witnessed the transformation of these narratives, underpinned by women’s significant contributions in the implementation of the peace agreement, both in the political transition and normalization tracks. We witnessed more women becoming empowered in peacebuilding and governance in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). We also heard stories of hope, agency, and resilience among Bangsamoro women in the face of multiple risks and vulnerabilities arising from natural disasters, armed conflict, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Since it is the women who experience more concretely the impact of conflict, it is necessary that they are onboard and participating meaningfully in conflict resolution and the peace processes to ensure a gender-sensitive and gender-responsive process and outcome.

In the BARMM, women constitute 51 percent of the total population. Thus, there can be no genuine peace without their meaningful inclusion and participation in building the Bangsamoro. The history of the Bangsamoro peace process is full of stories of women taking on crucial roles as advocates, facilitators, mediators, and peacebuilders. For instance, in 2018, thousands of Bangsamoro women, some of whom walked barefoot under the heat of the sun, lobbied and rallied for the passage and ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL). They wanted peace, and actively claimed their positions as participants of peace and nation-building.

The eventual passage of the BOL, which paved the way for the establishment of the BARMM, created a positive environment for women’s participation and leadership in the region. Several provisions in the BOL sought to recognize their important role with the inclusion of reserved seats for women, youth, and indigenous communities in the Bangsamoro Parliament; the appointment of at least one woman to the Bangsamoro Cabinet, and the consideration of women’s needs in rehabilitation and development programs. The BOL also pushed for gender-responsiveness in all aspects of security and peacebuilding and ensured women’s meaningful participation in decision-making at all levels of governance. More concretely, the BOL also provided for the establishment of the Bangsamoro Women Commission.

Truly, the Bangsamoro region has come a long way in understanding the importance of gender-sensitive and gender-responsive approaches to peacebuilding and development. Still, much remains to be done for both Bangsamoro women and men for them to equally benefit from the gains of the peace process. It is every Bangsamoro woman’s right to be actively included and involved, especially in this period of transition where peace and development efforts are geared toward rebuilding communities, addressing injustices, and regaining trust and social cohesion.

DR. SELVA RAMACHANDRAN,
resident representative,
UNDP Philippines;
MP HADJA BAINON G. KARON,
chair,
Bangsamoro Women Commission