Speakers at two separate seminars maintained that a greater role for women in societal development will help promote long-term peace and stability as they can prove to be the best agents of change with huge potential to build peaceful and prosperous societies. The event titled ‘Dukhtaran-e-Pakistan as Agents of Peace’ was held at the Fatima Jinnah Women University Rawalpindi. Federal Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Dr Fahmida Mirza was chief guest on the occasion. In her welcome address, Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Samina Amin Qadir said majority of women do not have a voice in any local or national decision making processes which causes formal peacebuilding activities and policies to suffer from insufficient understanding by diverse communities. Not including women in decisions making processes towards peace often means that female concerns are not addressed, she said, adding that women as mothers, wives, sisters and daughters in family settings and as professionals in workplaces shape the values of community members and are a potential bearer of peaceful messages. Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) Chairman Dr Qibla Ayaz said the role and contribution of women to the culture of peace is not only important because they represent almost half of the world population but also because they are one of the key drivers of change of mindsets and the cultures. The women are the influencers and change-makers in a society as well as an integral part of a sustainable nation-building exercise, he said, adding that it is time for the women to come out of the shadows at the podium of peace. Federal Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Dr Fahmida Mirza said the basic objective of the activity is to empower women with a hope that empowering them will change the dynamics of their homes and communities and eventually lead to the promotion of peace and tolerance in the society. “Big changes will happen if we can ensure that women play a key role in the design and implementation of peacebuilding activities and give them a confidence to do so,” she maintained. The event, organized as part of the Paigham-e-Pakistan initiative of the government of Pakistan, was coordinated by Assistant Professor Islamic Studies Dr Shahzadi Pakeeza and Assistant Professor Islamic Studies Dr Syed Aftab Alam. Dr Sobia Masood from National Institute of Psychology, QAU, Dr Iffat Rohail of Foundation University, Nimra Ishfaq from National Institute of Psychology, QAU, and Dr Farkhanda Zia, VP IIUI Female Campus also spoke on the occasion. The second seminar of the series was held at Al Khadeeja Girls Degree College Mianwali. The event titled ‘Dukhtaraan-e-Pakistan as Envoys of Peace’ was organized in collaboration with the International Islamic University Islamabad. Punjab Minister for Women Development Dr Ashifa Riaz Fatyana was chief guest on the occasion. Dr Sobia Masood from National Institute of Psychology and IIUI Female Campus VP Dr Farkhanda Zia also spoke on the occasion. A large number of women hailing from different sections of society, students, teachers and civil society members participated in the event. Addressing on the occasion, the speakers said women play a crucial role in peace processes to end hostilities and sustain peace, adding that research demonstrates that where women are influential in peace processes, conflicts end sooner and peace is longer lasting. They said supporting social inclusion and financial independence of women may go a long way towards giving them a voice and the power to negotiate when it comes to making decisions within families and communities in order to build a balanced and violence-free society. They said the narratives of extremism, hate and terrorism can’t be defeated nor can peace and stability be promoted without adhering to an inclusive approach, for which the Paigham-e-Pakistan initiative of the government of Pakistan can prove to be a leading light and the way forward. Published in Daily Times, February 15th 2019.