2026.7.30 IGS International Symposium
Women’s Political Leadership and Peace Diplomacy
Against the backdrop of ongoing armed conflicts and rising political tensions around the world, international attention to the role of women in peacebuilding has grown significantly. The Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda, initiated by UN Security Council Resolution 1325 in 2000, has established the participation and protection of women in conflict and peace processes as a key priority for the international community. The importance of women having a seat at the peace negotiation table and participating in decision-making — including in diplomacy — has been repeatedly emphasized.
However, women’s political participation should not be confined to times of conflict or post-conflict transitions. For democracy to function genuinely, it is essential that diverse voices are equally reflected in all policy and decision-making processes during peacetime — and it is precisely this kind of inclusive political participation that forms the foundation of democracy. Only when women are meaningfully engaged in everyday political and diplomatic spaces, and are empowered to exercise leadership, can the basis for sustainable peace diplomacy be truly established. This symposium brings together speakers active on the international stage to explore, from multiple perspectives, the relationship between women’s political leadership and peace diplomacy.
Date: Thursday, July 30, 2026, 16:30–18:00 (JST)
Venue: Ochanomizu University, Common Lecture Building, Room 201
Language: Japanese and English (simultaneous interpretation provided)
Admission: Free
Reception: A light reception will be held on campus following the symposium
Please register from the link below: here
[MODERATOR]
Ki-young, Shin (IGS, Ochanomizu University / Co-President, Academy for Gender Parity)
[Speakers]
Binaifer Nowrojee (President, Open Society Foundations)
Makiyama Hiroe (Member of the House of Councillors, Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan)
Melba Pría (Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Mexican States to Japan)
Miura Mari (Professor, Faculty of Law, Sophia University / Co-President, Academy for Gender Parity)
Organizer: Institute for Gender Studies, Ochanomizu University
