Tokyo, 17 November 2025: ERIA and the United Nations University (UNU) co-organised the High-Level Conference on Women, Peace, and Digital Transformation: Economic Inclusion for Lasting Stability. The event marked two important milestones: the 25th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS), and the 50th anniversary of UNU. Bringing together ministers, senior officials, policymakers, and scholars, the conference examined how women’s empowerment and peacebuilding intersect within increasingly digitalised societies.

UNU Rector Prof. Tshilidzi Marwala opened the conference by acknowledging global progress in advancing women’s rights, while stressing that gender-based violence, unequal access to education and economic opportunities, and digital exclusion continue to undermine that progress.

ERIA President Tetsuya Watanabe highlighted similar challenges in Southeast Asia, where women have long played central roles in community leadership and peacebuilding. With ASEAN’s digital economy projected to reach US$1 trillion by 2030, he emphasised that expanding inclusive digital access is essential to ensure that rapid technological growth translates into equitable development outcomes.

Keynote Session: Women at the Centre of Peace and Digital Futures

The keynote session featured:

• H.E. Dr Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN
• Hon. Yoko Kamikawa, Former Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan
• Dr Akihiko Tanaka, President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
• Prof. Akiko Yamanaka, Special Advisor to the ERIA President

Speakers underlined that peace agreements involving women are 35% more likely to last at least 15 years. Yet as digital technologies increasingly reflect real-world inequalities, ensuring that women’s perspectives are embedded across all layers of society remains critical. Across ASEAN, women play vital roles in education, entrepreneurship, and civic life, but digital literacy gaps, safety concerns, and underrepresentation in leadership persist.

The panel called for stronger collaboration, investment in younger generations, and sustained support for women to overcome structural barriers.

Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Session: Experiences from Asia and the Pacific

Amb. Melanne Verveer (Georgetown University), H.E. Dr Ing Khanta Pavi (Ministry of Women, Cambodia), Ms Christine Arab (UN Women), and Ms Asako Omi (Former State Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications of Japan) shared regional experiences demonstrating that women are central actors – not peripheral stakeholders – in peace processes.

Examples from Japan, Indonesia, and the Philippines highlighted women’s contributions as peacekeepers, mediators, and community leaders. Cambodia’s post-conflict recovery illustrates the transformative impact of women’s leadership in education, health, technology adoption, and disaster response. Since 2016, Cambodia has deployed more than 10,000 women peacekeeping personnel, signalling a strong commitment to women-led peacebuilding.

Despite this progress, significant challenges remain: 17% of women in the region still live within 50 kilometres of conflict zones, and 80% of peace agreement processes do not include women. The rise of algorithmic bias and online harassment further heightens vulnerabilities. Panelists stressed the need for gender-responsive policymaking, enhanced protection systems, more women in leadership, stronger solidarity networks, and greater youth engagement.

Women in Digital Economy (WDE) Session: Opportunities and Persistent Barriers

Moderated by Prof. Yuko Harayama (Global Partnership on AI Tokyo Expert Support Center), the session examined how digital transformation creates both opportunities and new forms of inequality.

Atty. Sarah Maria Q. Sison (Philippine Department of Information and Communications Technology) and Dr Lauren Power (Sophia University) noted that women remain underrepresented in STEM and digital leadership roles, holding only 28% of senior positions. Even in online commerce – where participation is high – women earn on average 55% less than men each month. Digital literacy gaps, online harassment, and discriminatory norms further impede progress.

Speakers agreed that empowering women in the digital economy requires addressing structural barriers, strengthening digital skills, ensuring online safety, and expanding opportunities for women’s leadership. The Philippines continues to advance this agenda through programmes to build women’s digital capacities, enhance digital safety, and improve gender data for policymaking.

ASEAN-IPR–ERIA Research: Women’s Economic Empowerment and Peace

The conference also showcased findings from a joint ASEAN-IPR and ERIA research project based on fieldwork in Cambodia and the Philippines. Ms Kartika Budhi Wijayanti (ASEAN-IPR) and Ms Adelia Rahmawati (ERIA) highlighted that women’s economic empowerment directly strengthens peace and community resilience.

Field evidence shows that women entrepreneurs are increasingly using digital tools to sustain livelihoods, expand market access, counter misinformation, and support community solidarity. In conflict-prone areas, women-led microbusinesses have helped reduce the influence of extremist groups that exploit economic vulnerability. Ms Yenny Zannuba Wahid (Wahid Foundation) shared further examples of community-based, women-led peacebuilding initiatives.

Conclusions

Speakers agreed that advancing women’s empowerment in peacebuilding and digital transformation requires integrated action across economic, social, and technological dimensions. Women already play essential roles in sustaining stability, enabling resilience, and driving innovation, yet persistent inequalities limit their full participation.

Strengthening women’s leadership, expanding inclusive digital access, embedding gender-responsive approaches in policymaking, and recognising women as central – not secondary – actors are critical steps forward. These efforts demand conscious, collective action from governments, communities, the private sector, and youth.

Prof. Akiko Yamanaka closed the conference with a call for coordinated regional efforts to ensure that women’s voices, rights, and economic opportunities remain at the heart of building lasting peace and shared prosperity.

The event was supported by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF), and JICA.