IMAN Research
“Women’s participation in conflict prevention and resolution can improve outcomes before, during, and after conflict.”
– Altaf Deviyati, IMAN Research and WASL
The She Builds Peace campaign was launched in Malaysia in March 2020 by IMAN Research with support from Microsoft Malaysia and the High Commission of Canada. The launch brought together over 80 participants from the government, technology sector, civil society members, and the media for a conference on peace, gender equality, and women’s rights.
HE Julia G Bentley, the Canadian High Commissioner to Malaysia, inaugurated the launch and spoke about Canada’s commitment to advancing gender equality, empowering women and girls, and promoting and protecting their human rights. This, she continued, contributes to long-term sustainable economic growth; social progress; sustainable development; and national, political, social, cultural, and economic development.
Altaf Deviyati, representing IMAN Research, spoke on the critical need for women to be part of peacebuilding and community resilience. Meanwhile Dr. Jasmine Begum highlighted the efforts at Microsoft to drive inclusion and women’s empowerment and the potential for tech innovation to enable and advance equality.
The event included a panel on refugees’ and human rights, religious dialogue, and youth in peacebuilding and changemaking. The launch featured civil society members, including those active in refugee rights and faith-based NGOs, and youth involved in increasing awareness around feminism and children with autism. The conference also saw the debut and launch of the Women in Security and Foreign Affairs (WISEA) Network founded by Tengku Nor Qistina and Farilina Said of the Institute of International and Strategic Studies Malaysia.
“Peacebuilding does not start when there is conflict but needs to be outlined as part of a national development plan. It is about addressing economic, social and political root causes of violence and fosters reconciliation to prevent structural and direct violence.”
– Altaf Deviyati, IMAN Research and WASL
“As advocates of digital peace, we believe that women have a critical role to play as we work towards improving trust and security in cyberspace, especially as technology furthers participation in the digital economy.”
– Dr Jasmine Begum, Microsoft ASEAN
