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Women, Peace and Security

On October 25, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the UN, gave an intervention during the Security Council Open Debate dedicated to the theme of “Women, peace and security.”

In his statement, Archbishop Auza said that when women have the ability to share their gifts, society is transformed for the better. Women’s capacity to listen, welcome and open themselves generously to others, to care for others and to promote familial and fraternal bonds, make the world more tender and livable for everyone, he said. He said that women must have equal participation and full involvement in peace, security and political engagement. He condemned the use of sexual violence against women and girls as a weapon of war and called attention to the activity of Catholic women religious in defending those enduring conflicts and humanitarian emergencies. He said that women and children in humanitarian emergencies must be provided access to basic healthcare, essential obstetric services, sanitary and food security, but insisted that services that promote and provide abortion are totally unacceptable. Humanitarian aid should save lives rather than operate against the right to life, and emergency situations cannot be used as an excuse to discriminate against and end the lives of the youngest members of the human family.   

 

The statement can be found here.