The President of Malta Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, was the guest of honour at George Mason University in Washington, where she was invited to deliver the Annual Lynch Lecture organised by the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution.
The theme of this year’s Lynch lecture was “Peace beyond the Patriarchy.” During the lecture, President Coleiro Preca shared thoughts and reflections about the importance which must be given to peace-building, particularly from a gender perspective. The President spoke about her belief that issues of gender, and the challenge to safeguard peace are intimately and profoundly connected. This belief has been in fact confirmed by her many encounters with individuals and communities around the world.
“For this reason, a holistic approach to gender and peace, must focus on the relationship between gender and violence,” the President stated.
President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca said that the only pathway “for us to achieve sustainable and meaningful wellbeing, for women and girls, and for gender minorities, but also for men and boys, is by courageously, and openly, confronting the patriarchy.”
“The reality is that patriarchal oppressions are present throughout our societies”
The President said that patriarchal oppressions are prevalent in the ways that our cultural narratives are formed, in the ways that they function, and in the ways that they are disseminated throughout our communities.
“Patriarchy is a truly global challenge, and will require an equally global response and solution. Patriarchy is a cultural system that we are born into, in which we all participate, and which we perpetuate, often unconsciously, to the detriment of so many human beings. Patriarchy, like all forms of oppression, has a way of normalising its abuses. It has a way of making the unacceptable injustices faced by so many women, girls, and gender minorities seem like they are part, of a socially acceptable status quo. Patriarchy, makes us believe, that there are no alternatives to its way of thinking, of acting, and of living. It would have us believe that a deep-rooted change is not possible,” the President stated.
“We must move together in solidarity, regardless of our gender, to address all unjust systems of power”
The President encouraged the students present to heighten their awareness, throughout their studies, and in their careers, to how power circulates, often in very unjust ways, throughout society, whilst also encouraging them to consider, “what other paths we can take, as individuals, and as one human family, on our slow journey towards a more peace-focused, gender inclusive and sustainable world.”
The President said that the one-dimensional vision of masculinity, which is upheld by the patriarchy must be challenged so as to “open our minds to the limitless potential of people of all genders working together,” adding that damaging and distorting attitudes cannot continue to be explicitly or implicitly promoted.
The President said that perspectives that privilege power, coercion and control must be replaced with stronger attributes such as compassion, respectful relationship building, and the ability to nurture humanity. For this vision to be achieved, all forms of dualistic and narrowly gendered thinking must be disrupted.
“Your activism is needed, here and now, before it is too late.”
President Coleiro Preca said that her belief is that the young people of the world must take a more central role, to achieve “this much needed transformation,” and called for them to be “the activists of today, in order to become the effective leaders of tomorrow.”
“The world needs a transformation that promotes solidarity, through an approach which encourages collective cross-cutting activism,” the President said.
The President stated that our global consciousness must be transformed away from destructive and coercive attitudes, towards a perspective that upholds the peaceful and inclusive participation of all people, whoever they may be, and wherever they may come from.
“Inclusive participation is possible when we are not complacent, when we take real action, and when we challenge the far-reaching effects of patriarchal oppression, in our societies.
The President also spoke about the gender pay gap, which exists across our nations, and which continues to restrict women’s access to equitable and equal opportunities for employment.
“We must also address the fact that men often occupy the vast majority of visible roles of influence, within political and economic sectors.”
Quoting a report released by Morgan Stanley Capital International entitled ‘Women on Boards’, The President said that out of the 4218 companies covered by the analysis in the report, women held 15% of all directorships which Norway, Sweden and France reflecting the highest percentages of women as board members, at 40.1%, 33.7% and 33.5% respectively.
The report also indicated that companies with strong female leadership generated a return on equity of 10.1% per year, versus 7.4% for those without.
In the world of politics, according to last year’s indicators by UN Women, the president said that only 22.8% of all national parliamentarians were women, and globally, there are 38 countries in which women account for less than 10% of all parliamentarians.
The President said that the inclusion of women in positions of authority and governance is essential, “if we are serious about valuing the voices of people of all genders,” adding that “in order to end patriarchal oppressions, we also need to find innovative ways to deal with the conflicts which patriarchy produces and promotes, within and across our societies.”
On peace negotiations, the President quoted the facts and worrying indicators which state that between 1992 and 2011, only 9% of peace negotiators were women, despite the UN Security Council’s resolution number 1325, which recognises that war impacts women differently, and that women’s participation is vital to peace talks.
Here, President Coleiro Preca quoted a study by Luarel Stone, conducted in 2015, entitled ‘A Quantitative Analysis of Women’s participation in Peace Processes.”
This study states that when and where women are included in peace processes, there is a 20% increase in the probability of peace agreements lasting at least two years, and a 35% increase in the probability of peace agreements lasting 15 years.
In light of this, the President called for a self-reflective and constructive critical approach, which makes the abuses of patriarchy visible, and which triggers a more substantial, meaningful, and sustainable change, thereby promoting the inclusion of women and gender minorities, at all levels of influence.
In this way President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca said that a sustainable process of healing, within our communities, to address the ongoing effects of patriarchal oppression, will be initiated.
“Real change can only take place with a grass roots approach, using a bottom-up methodology, which listens to people’s genuine concerns, and takes practical steps to change our attitudes and actions,” the President stated.
“Working together to address patriarchal oppressions will lead us to remove barriers and the borders that constrain people, of all gender identities.”
President Coleiro Preca said that working together to address patriarchal oppressions will also “lead us to truly safeguard the dignity of each and every individual,” whilst adding that everyone has the responsibility to make a positive change.
The President encouraged the educators and students present, to find ways of taking practical actions, to address the underlying cultural and social injustices, which are perpetuating violence and abuses within our societies and across our globe.
“As students and educators, you are well placed to promote innovative educational perspectives and bold cultural narratives, which will help to end, once and for all, the discrimination, inequalities, and violence being faced by women, by girls, and by gender minorities.”
On concluding, President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, reiterated her appeal to all those present, to work together, to prioritise a zero-tolerance policy towards all forms of gender violence, and oppression, in order to promote equality and equity.
“In this way, I am confident that we shall be doing our best to create, and to sustain, a global culture of positive peace, respect, and dignity, for the benefit of all humanity,” the President said.