Statement of Holy See

In order to harness the special capacities of women in peace and security, however, an international effort should be made to enable them to succeed, something that will be difficult to achieve if women still represent a disproportionate number of the world’s disadvantaged. The lack of access for women and girls to education, particularly quality education, must be addressed. Sad to say, as Pope Francis pointed out in his 25 September 2015 address to the General Assembly (see A/70/PV.3), not everywhere are girls and women given full access to education. Most of the time that results in their being condemned to a second-class role within society and in their being given no possibility of being heard. Education is the great enabler for women, making it possible for them to be able to contribute fully to the promotion and consolidation of peace and harmony, not only in the family but also in local communities and in the entire world. The Catholic Church has long placed great emphasis on the absolute necessity of giving young women and girls access to education. Today young women and girls constitute the majority of students in many of the more than 100,000 schools that the Catholic Church maintains worldwide, from kindergartens to universities, especially in regions where women and girls still suffer discrimination. They learn the skills needed to become well-trained educators and professionals, which will help them to contribute to a secure and safe society. The priority of ensuring a quality education for girls and women is essential if we hope that they will transmit to boys and men the necessary values to desist from violence and conflict. The role and influence of mothers are vital in the education of children and youth in the values of peace, mutual respect, reconciliation and healing. The peacemaking role of the mother in the family is of the essence, not merely for a peaceful and secure home but also for a peaceful and inclusive safe society. Setting up women to succeed in using their talents for making, maintaining and building peace also requires combating poverty and ensuring access to other fundamental resources. In both urban and rural areas, it is far more common for women to lack access to basic services, including health care and social protections. In vast areas of the world, the lack of a consistent and nutritious food programme, clean water and sanitation services, as well as the lack of employment opportunities and decent pay, continue to undermine women’s ability to play their role in the life of their families and society as a whole.