AIU-ASEAN IPR research presented at the Regional Symposium in Jakarta 5-8 May 2025, Jakarta, Indonesia
ALOR SETAR, 27 May 2025 — Groundbreaking research highlighting the integral yet underutilised role of Malaysian women in peacebuilding was presented at the Regional Symposium, “Her Stories, Our Peace: Women’s Journey in ASEAN Peace Processes,” held from 5-8 May 2025. The findings from the Malaysian contingent, part of a broader ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation (ASEAN-IPR) initiative, stressed that women serve as crucial community mediators in numerous formal and informal capacities. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ayesah Uy Abubakar, lead researcher for the Malaysian team, detailed women’s multifaceted contributions. These include protecting victims of conflict, monitoring peace and conflict situations, advocating for social issues affecting women and children, practising peace and social cohesion through education, facilitating dialogue, and providing humanitarian aid. Round table discussions conducted across Malaysia in Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Penang, and Kuala Lumpur revealed that the valuable contributions of these grassroots women mediators remain largely untapped by governmental bodies. The research underscores the urgent need for official recognition and comprehensive training to empower women to fulfil their agency in peace processes, particularly in fostering cohesion within diverse communities.
The symposium, a key output of ASEAN-IPR research, focused on critical themes such as gender-based violence and human security, conflict transformation and peacebuilding, and peacekeeping and peace monitoring. The collective research presented demonstrated women’s rich and varied experiences in relation to the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda. Contributing to the discussion on gender-based violence, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lucy Sebli Seidelson from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, a member of the Malaysian research team, emphasised the significant potential within indigenous populations in Sabah and Sarawak. She noted that existing traditional institutions and native courts offer substantial opportunities for the greater involvement of women in mediation processes.
The Malaysian delegation also included esteemed peacebuilders Ms. Jessica Basat (Head of Office, Department of National Unity and Integration, Labuan Federal Territory) and Ms. K. Thamarai Kuriaya (Head, Federal Department for Village Development and Security, Penang State). During dedicated workshops and discussions, Ms. Basat and Ms. Kuriaya shared their extensive experience in leadership and grassroots community mediation. They reiterated that official recognition of women as community mediators would significantly motivate more women to volunteer, thereby enhancing conflict prevention and bolstering peacebuilding initiatives.
The ASEAN-IPR Regional Symposium was officially opened by H.E. Andreas Kravik, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Norway, which is a partner and donor for the project. The Malaysian delegation also had the distinct honour of meeting with H.E. Sarah Al-Bakri Devadason, Permanent Representative of Malaysia to ASEAN and Chair of the ASEAN-IPR Governing Council, on the sidelines of the event.
The Malaysia country research was a collaborative effort involving a distinguished team: Dato Prof. Dr. Azizan Baharuddin (Universiti Malaya), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Suraya Sintang (Universiti Malaysia Sabah), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lucy Sebli Seidelson (Universiti Malaysia Sarawak), Dr. Zaireeni Azmi (Universiti Sains Malaysia), and Dr. Noorul Hafidzah Zawawi (Albukhary International University).
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