 Welcome back. Our next panel discussion is Women in Leadership and our moderator for this panel is Rear Admiral Louis Del Carpio, Peruvian Navy. The Admiral's Director of the Peruvian Naval at the Director of the Peruvian Naval War College. He graduated from the Peruvian Naval Academy in 1992, and he's qualified in submarines and a graduate of the Naval War Colleges basic staff and command course. And the Navy Command staff college class of 2015. He holds a master's degree in international relations from Salve Regina University, and has served as the commander of several Peruvian submarine forces. Without further ado, let's welcome our panel. Thank you very much for the presentation and also it's a pleasure to be here back in Newport. Thank you for the kindly invitation, Admiral Chatfield and Dr. Sariamin. So we are here together to talk about women in leadership. The Peruvian Navy also make a force in also to provide to the young people the concepts because we were talking about culture, the previous panel we talked about we need to change the culture. The young people are the key factor in that in that way. So the Peruvian Navy organized since 10 years ago. Symposium for young lieutenants. The last year we hosted in Lima, the young woman symposium for young lieutenants we invite two lieutenants from each country from America including including two from Germany and Italy last year. And I had the privilege to have as a speaker Dr. Sariamin and Major General O'Brien. So thank you very much for your support. This year we are here and I had the pleasure to have in this panel wonderful ladies that they achieve the most rank in their own countries, but not also for make a big contribution for their own armed forces, but also to provide security for the entire world. I think that this is the key factor to understand the previous panel also talk about leadership and mentorship is very important to have mentors in our careers. That is the reason that we have master chiefs that maintain the culture inside the ship inside the Navy. Also, we as young officers began to follow path and follow mentors. So we don't have in Peru female admirals, not yet. Our most rank is right now commanders. And that is the reason that every female symposium we we search around the world some leaders to change to exchange experiences in our symposium. So that is the reason that, for example, in the past, we have and me and Nora Tyson. She was in Lima sharing the experiences and all the challenges that she had in the past. So, this year, we are here. And I had the pleasure to present Lieutenant General Nigel Johar from the Pakistan Army, Brigadier General Fatsila from the Royal Malaysian Air Force and Major General Maureen O'Brien Irish Army from the United Nations. So we will start today with the presentation of Lieutenant General Nigel Johar. Thank you very much. I feel honored and privileged to be standing here today and sitting here today in front of such August audience and for this WPS that you have organized and so my gratitude is to the to Madam President to the chair and to all the organizers for having us here. So I have to do justice with the huge topics of my story, my experiences, my impact and my perspective on WPS in a very short time. So I'll try to do that. My story is a story of struggles and hard work. And it was both on the personal and the professional fronts, but it was well rewarded. I was born in a village in a traditional but on use of the family and my problems and struggles started at the very start. When I was trying to convince my affectionate but overprotective father to join what he said was the hardships of medical education and military career. So that is how I started and but with the with time things better but on the personal front I did had hardships and that started with the soon that I lost my hero, my father and the unsung hero of my family, my mother and two sisters in a road traffic accident. And after that, the gap was partially filled by my supporting and caring husband, but later in the years I lost him too. But my work that gave me strength and kept me going. So I worked and worked hard, and that is how I am here. So the the with passion and with consistent hard work I proved myself to cross the unseen barrier and the hurdles of the profession. And I grew in ranks attaining many first female roles, including the first female commanding officer of a military unit in 75 years of establishment of my country. So the when I got posted as the commanding officer one of the man asked me, how are you going to come on he was another commander senior to me, and how are you going to come on and I said the way that you come on. So that is how I started. So, then later on, I am being shot because of the so many things. So, later on, I am I with. Yes, my mentors were men and they supported me and they helped me in my profession also. And then, with the years I in it was in 2020. And I my gratitude is to the whole of the nation that celebrated my promotion to the rank of lieutenant general, and then my appointment as the Senate general of armed forces of the military navy and Air Force. So I'm my gratitude to them my shortest message of my story is, if I can, any woman can. So, talking about my experiences. My experiences the list is long but I will just narrate to short because of the short time as a captain. I was working in cardiology, being a doctor. That was my passion, and I was doing everything putting in pacemakers and geographies whatever it was required, but as a woman, I was not allowed to appear in the exam because that was not allowed for the females. So, with time and with years, although I could not become a cardiologist by, but my voice and my work continued for other females. And now we have females in all the specialties about more than 30 specialties in my military. So, another small, I'm trying to be brief, another small experience but it'll funny when I was, there was a firing competition for the leaders. So being in a leadership position I also wanted to go to that competition. So I went to the competition and they were surprised that a doctor is coming for the competition of firing, and there there was a huge slogan and the slogan read, let the best man win. So I was really offended, but then I won and they removed the slogan. The list of impacts if I talk off is exhaustive, but yes, the women leaders and the women in the leaders, they do make an impression and they are role models and they do make a difference. So after me, more women are coming and are inducted in the military, more are part of different arms, more are included in foreign assignments and in UN missions, more are appointed at the leadership positions. There are many more now in the commanding positions and my pride for women have been promoted as major generals and are working wonders. So on the civilian side also if I'm be brief, the impact is huge. If I talk of my area and my village from where I belong, the women education has increased significantly with many in higher education and with even an establishment of NIGAR nursing college in my area. As part of national organization like PMDC, CPSP, NCOC, NIH and many others, my voice is a woman voice in policy making for the woman. So I summarize and I tell the young ladies that hard work works, but don't blame men, engage men, for it is not about the gender rival ship, it is about the gender partnership and global partnership to accomplish global peace and security. So ending the story, I will now go to my perspectives on a women peace and security in Pakistan. Yes, like the chair, Syriah Yameen yesterday said that sustainable peace and security is only possible when there is no discrimination on the basis of gender and I totally agree. Pakistan is the world's fifth most populous country of the world and in our huge population with diverse socioeconomic and cultural composition of the society, there are certainly many challenges and with no one size fit all solution. However, I want to make one thing clear, and the clear is the state policy on this subject. The state policy is very clear that the rights of women are the rights of citizens of Pakistan and are part of our constitution. So in recent years, the focus of the government is much more on this, and irrespective of the government in the power, there is remarkable development in pro women legislation and policy, and I'll just name few, like domestic violence against women act, protection against harassment of women at workplace act, criminal law act for women, national policy for development and empowerment of women, national gender policy framework 2022. The government of Pakistan recently in its national security policy in the January of 2226 has recognized gender security as the key pillar on national security. And talking of the women generally, yes, we have progressed and we have a lot to celebrate being one of the sixth largest and the longest contributor, including women force to the United Nations peacekeeping force with the largest number of women in armed forces in the Muslim countries, having two time female head of the state prime minister, having so many notable women in ministries and ambassadors, including one to the United States, having a judge of the Supreme Court, and so many more. The good changes visible with more women in medicine, with women in engineering law and everywhere, and I'm thankful to the government focus and also to the assistance by this country and by other countries and the civil society and the national and international organizations for helping us do this. However, the gender inequality persists, like most of the countries and the countries that claim gender parity, even they do not have gender parity at the leadership positions. There's a list of challenges and opportunities, but I will talk of very few in my country. The number one, as we were talking since yesterday, like Captain Almonte, Syrah, and everybody was saying that are the cultural barriers. So the cultural barriers needs to be changed in, especially in the vulnerable and marginalized groups of society. They have to be dispelled rationally, and the answer is education and awareness. They are the fundamental prerequisites for change, and the efforts are sustained required, because it is not going to happen overnight. The understanding that with technology, innovation, science, globalization and digitalization, the idea of superiority is less of physical strength and more of mental strength, and the women have immense. Terrorism and security environment is another challenge for more than decades to my country. Fortunately, Pakistan has succeeded in controlling it to a very low level. However, it has pushed the country into economic, further economic instability. Climate change and environmental disasters like flood of 2020-22 in Pakistan has added to the economic crunch and security problems. Pakistan has been ranked as one of the top 10 countries most effective by the climate change in the past 20 years with the women being affected the most. The answer is assisting and supporting the government in providing the youth's education, training, skills and employment. Pakistan has a huge bulk of youth. Around 60% of the population is less than 30 years of age in mostly living in the marginalized areas. These measures will convert them into strength to positively contribute in peace, security and development. The women will also need more relief measures, soft skills and training to engage in economic activities to be the future micro entrepreneurs and financially empowered. Last but not the least, I will talk about regional stability. This is a huge stability, but a must. Peace, security and economic progress of our country is not possible in an unstable region. For example, we were talking about the situation in Afghanistan. Yes, it has resulted in an influx of refugees and Pakistan hosts about 1.5 million Afghan refugees making it the world's third largest host country of refugees. Of course, they again place a crunch on all kind of resources including economy. Pakistan and other countries of South Asia including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, women are more or less facing similar challenges and it would be unrealistic to ignore the neighboring countries. I, a woman, ask for regional peace. We need to join hands regionally and internationally with the policy focus on women's role and decision making in health, education, economics, politics for peace and security. I would conclude it is about gender parity with gender partnership and global partnership for sustained peace and security. And I'm hopeful that such conferences and new initiatives will lead to positive outcomes on the world's women, peace and security. So once again, my gratitude to the organizer, to the Sahara, to Madam President, to all of you for listening to me. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. We will continue with a road to leadership in the Malaysian Defence Force. I introduce Brigadier General Fatsilat from the Royal Malaysian Air Force. Thank you, sir. Bismillahirrahmanirrahim. Assalamu alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh and a very good morning all. It's indeed an honor to be here. Thank you, ma'am and Dr. Sahara for inviting. Okay, for mine is more on my journey, because when I was first given the topic, I think back on my tool of duty, I wonder whether I seized any opportunity or did I have to overcome lots of obstacles to be where I am today. The First Lady pilot program was a case to prove that it would be successful and fruitful, and it has come a long way. Malaysia is a modern country now, but it's still a very conservative country. In fact, in some aspect, it became more conservative than before. 40 years ago, girls in high school were to take home sign where the boys got to do commerce after the third year classes are divided into arts and sign stream. Guess where most of the girls were. We girls were always told, we reminded, no matter how high we study, we still have to enter the kitchen. Their famous ambition then was to be a teacher. Therefore, after my high school exam, when I got an offer to do Tesla in the US, I was very excited because not only I get to be a teacher, but I got to go to the United States. But suddenly there was another offer to do engineering under the armed forces scholarship. My father was insistent for me to do engineering over the English. I was scared and under confident, but I follow my father's wish to see his daughter become an engineer. When I went to the United States in 1982, I knew all the female engineering students in the uni. There was not even 10 of us. Imagine that was in the United States 40 years ago. Doesn't matter it's in New Jersey, but still. Upon completion my studies, I was offered to do masters, but my mom told me to come back because she was worried if I have masters, no one would marry me. So I came back and joined the military. I wanted to join the Navy, but there was no lady intake at that time. Then the Air Force offered me the chance to be the first female pilot. Without thinking twice, I straight away said yes, didn't know anything about pilot at that time. But thanks to Top Gun, I knew I made the right decision. At the time when I joined the Air Force, there was already graduate officers, but specialized like the doctors and engineers. My batch was the first general duty graduate doing flying course. So not only was I a female, but I was also a graduate and trying to be the first Air Force pilot officer. I had three new things happening at the same time. It was hard. There were a lot of resentment and challenges, but it was a paradigm shift for the Air Force then and after 35 years, I think it works out well. All my colleagues opted to live upon contracted time, but I choose to stay on in the service and see all the opportunity that was given. Being the first batch lady pilot, lots of restrictions were put on me. I cannot get married until I'm operational. I cannot have children until I'm aircraft captain and so on. At that time, maternity leave was only 42 days. So by the time I'm fully operational flying, my son was only three months. My new in my country culturally confinement is 100 days. So and back then maternity leave is only three times. So that's why I only have three children. It has been a long journey. I still remember when I became the best student for my staff college course. The CDF then asked my chief, were there no guys for the course? Imagine I was happy and proud to win the award, but at the same time heard and said, but after 30 years, no one cares, but the record is still there. Both of my one year courses in Australia and Canada, I went alone without my family. For Australia at that time my youngest was only one year old, and my second son was recovering from a major operation. But I choose to go. So I commit myself and I'm proud to say that I did well. I miss them, but I know I had good support back home. As I was preparing for this presentation and looking back my journey, I realized that I had been given a lot of opportunity and I see it all. And once I'm committed, I did not look back. If it did not come out as how I wish for, I take it as it was not meant for me. I'm sure there are better plans of reason. I'm proud that I've inspired young girls and boys, young women and men in my country to dare do out the norm. Always tell them this. Always tell them this, be thankful for the people around you because your success is never yours alone. I had my father, husband, bosses and staff to help me because of them I'm smelling like roses to my superior and even my comrade. Second, when there's a decision to make between your career and family, always talk to someone. I'm a Muslim woman, always in dilemma being a good wife, a mother, but yet I want to serve my country to be part in upholding the country's sovereignty. Third, always be resilient because you would always have challenges. It always would look like that is in the end of the world, but like they say, a woman is like a teabag. You can't tell how strong she is until you put her into the hot water, agree? Last but not least, when opportunity come, always say sit, you would never know where you go from there, no matter how small the opportunities are. Of course, there would always be people who are better than you. You just have to make sure that you are not the last one. You know people sit join the Navy to see the world, but I get to see the world because I join the Air Force. But I have another journey that is my family. Next year I'll be retiring after serving 38 years. I intend to strengthen the family bond with lots of love and joy and telling my grandchildren lots of stories of my wild, young days in the service. Thank you. Thank you very much. So we will continue with the woman's leadership in United Nations missions with Mayor General Maroon O'Brien from the Irish Army. Good morning everybody Admiral and ladies and gentlemen, how do you follow those? I'm going to scrap my speech. I want to do something more entertaining. I joined the Irish Defence Force in 1981. And the reason I did that is because when I left school, there were no women allowed into the Defence Forces. So I went to university, got a science degree and then a postgraduate diploma in teaching. In fact, I started teaching for three months while I was waiting to hear about my cadetship. So I eventually got the cadetship and but they said they keep the teaching job open for me for a year. I'm still thinking about it. 42 years later. So I started off as a cadet at that stage. We were the second class that was what we call integrated. So men and women together, six men, 43 men, six women, 43. Yeah. And still just two have passed away, one man, one woman. Still my best friends and my worst friends, if you know what I mean, you do anything for them. You don't have to love them though. Not all of them. But especially the women have the six of us have kept very, very tight. And they have been my support, along with my parents, who said nothing when I said I wanted to join the army. I had no idea what the army was about. I knew there was a barracks in the town that I came from. I didn't know the rank structure. I just thought it was going to be a great idea. I was physically fit. I thought it was going to be running and jumping and yeah, no idea. And it was just that enthusiasm to find out what was next that kept me going. And nobody could tell me you can't do it, because when I said I wanted to do it, I would do it. And I would question anybody who stood in my way. And that's what I had to do at the very start. I actually had to question everything. Why wasn't I allowed to train recruits? Well, my daughter, I wouldn't allow her to do it. I said, your daughter, sir, is a city. I'm a military trained person. So it happened in the end. So it was all about questioning. And, you know, we talk about the sacrifices we made. We've made many sacrifices and they don't go without some impact on you over time. So fast forward, I then one of the main purposes of the Irish Defence Forces to take part in UN operations. My first UN mission was as a platoon commander in Lebanon in Unifil. I went on to serve there three times. One is a captain and a lieutenant, then as a left and colonel. And again, as a major and then a left and colonel, we call it commandant. I then went, they were different times. I served in Western Sahara as an observer. I went to entache, which is East Timor Timor-Lest with the Australian Brigade as an operations officer. I went as a deputy battalion commander of the Irish Battalion to Chad. And then finally went to Syria, the Golan Heights in 2019 as what was then the deputy force commander, but for many, many reasons, including COVID, I was the acting force commander for 11 of those 18 months. I haven't been home since 2019 because I then had an interview to take up the job that I am in at the moment, which is the Deputy Military Advisor in the Office of Military Affairs. The military advisor is to the Under Secretary General for Peace Operations, USA Jean-Pierre Lacroix. This has been extremely challenging. But I'll tell you about Oma, who is responsible, the Office is responsible for force generation, planning missions, intelligence gathering, so-called peacekeeping intelligence with a hundred people, with a five-star general in charge, a wonderful man from Seneca, the pilot, won't hold that against him as an infantry officer, I can't afford to. And I was the first female of the three generals that are there, and it was about time, because frankly, we are the people who came up with the UN resolution 132, if we want to increase the number of women in peace operations. So therefore, how do we show that at our UN headquarters? Today, we have 21% women, which is extraordinary, from 42 different nationalities, all regions equally represented. It makes for great fun when we talk about our different cultures, but ultimately, I'm still a man, I'm still the general, and I still have to do the work. I realize I'm a role model, but as I said, I don't get paid to do that. I get paid to do my real work, and that's what I do. I think being a woman in the forces is important to be seen, because if you can't see it, you can't be it. That's how I see it, right? And I know that kids who, when it was announced that I was going to the UN, it was celebrated, more than I celebrated at home, and kids were encouraged by that, which I thought was absolutely wonderful, because as I said, when I joined, I had nobody as a mentor, no female anywhere as a mentor. So I had to rely on my strength, and you build on your strengths, your disappointments make you stronger, and you get determined not to let defeat get in the way you keep moving forward. I have always been an advocate of trying to have women in every field in the Defence Forces, and I'm the same with the UN as well. I follow what we do in terms of nations ensuring that they are represented by women as well. Yes, a lot of people, a lot of troop contribution countries tell us it's not in our culture, and sorry it is in your culture, because you took, you actually were part of the UN resolution 1325, 25 years ago, 23 years ago. So yes, it's a law, you must oblige us. So what we do to make TCCs do it is that, first of all, we insist, we embarrass them if they don't do it by telling them they don't have it, and when they're permanent representatives, their diplomats are meeting USG Le Coix. I'm not a diplomat, so I can say what I know, which is you have very few women represented in your forces, and that kind of embarrassment does work sometimes. Also what we do is the TCCs on the ground, the staff officers, their staff officers are 75% must be represent of the TCCs that run the ground. And if they don't have females, we cut down the numbers of their staff officers. That hurts, that really hurts. In OMA, what we're doing at the moment, we have two campaigns, normally two campaigns for the appointments that we have, we serve as contact officers for two years up to three and four, in exceptional circumstances. And what we do now is we'll see so many, so many nations will say for one job, give us about 10 different or up to 20 different nominations. They don't even do the fact checking or give us their priority. So what we've said now is yes, you can put in as many names as you like. Provider 25% of women, qualified women. So it ultimately means that we have less work this year because we know that many of those troop contributing countries will only be able to put three names forward. If they don't have a suitably qualified woman, and the crying, and that we can't do it. Yes, you can, and you must. So, thankfully, those positions in the Office of Military Affairs are very well sought after. So I think it will change culture. Will it actually make a difference? I think it will because if they want to have more people considered, it means they have to train the females in, you know, go do the normal training. The use of engagement platoons. I think this is backfired on us in the United Nations. So as I anticipated when it was first come out in 2019, what it has done is had a tick a box ticking exercise. Women have been included in without any training just because you're a female you put into an engagement to. We have changed our policy the policy in our is now that it is an engagement to must have men and women. So there must be a course they must do a course. You are not an engagement team, simply because you're a woman. As my thesis says about UN resolution, which I could talk about much more UN resolution 1325 a recipe for stereotyping. Just said women and stir recipe for gender stereotyping in the Irish defense forces as it was. So that's my journey. I'm looking forward to answering questions. Thank you. Thank you very much. I think that you, I saw the faces you enjoy the representations. We are in the Navy. So as young officer or me shipping, you began to recognize the signals know, and I will ask which one is this Charlie. No, they see. So for me, the magical letter. Why, because that represents courage, commitment and cooperation. So I think that that is the key. And I talk always with my crew at the neighborhood college in Peru. I will put the Charlie flag over each top of the office because we need to have in mind always. Courage and I think that these three ladies represent the courage of a long journey that set the path for the future leaders, not only in in the ground countries, also in the world.