The Philippines Hosts 7th International Forum on Law and Religion, Highlighting Women, Peace, and Security

More than 230 lawyers, law students, religious leaders, interfaith partners, scholars, law-and-religion experts, and key government and civil society leaders gathered on November 21, 2025, at the University of the Philippines BGC campus for the 7th International Forum on Law and Religion.

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The event was organized collaboratively by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the University of the Philippines Law Center: Institute for the Administration of Justice, the Brigham Young University International Center for Law and Religion Studies, Religions for Peace Philippines, the Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy (PCID), and the UP Women Lawyers’ Circle.

A Diverse Group of WPS Experts

The forum brought together speakers from around the world, including Southeast Asian experts whose diverse viewpoints informed current law-and-religion issues, especially those surrounding women, peace, and security.

This year’s forum examined urgent themes at the intersection of gender, religious identity, legal protections, and community stability. By convening these varied sectors, the event sought to advance mutual understanding and cooperation, strengthening religious liberty and interfaith collaboration as essential foundations for peace and social progress.

Keynote speaker Elder James R. Rasband, General Authority Seventy of the Church, led the distinguished roster of guests. Other notable attendees who addressed the forum included Senator Loren Legarda; Dean Gwen Grecia-De Vera of the UP College of Law; Dr. Aminah Rasul, PhD, President of PCID; Congressman Jude Acidre of Tingog Partylist; Congresswoman Leila M. de Lima of the Mamamayang Liberal Partylist; and former Supreme Court Associate Justice and Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales.

Their messages were described as memorable, striking, and inspiring, adding significant depth to the forum’s theme of “Women, Peace, and Security” in the context of law and religion.

Elder Rasband: “Women’s Voices Matter”

In his message, Elder Rasband, who earned his law degree from the prestigious Harvard Law School, emphasized the vital role women play in global peace and security. “Women's voices matter to the flourishing of our communities and nations. Their language of conscience and faith should be part of the conversation because that language has real power to achieve the WPS agenda,” he said.

He added, “Religious organizations, while surely imperfect, have much to contribute to the peace and security agenda for women. And I want to claim that there is power brought to the peacemaking process by the personal religious faith of the women involved in that process.”

Elder Rasband stressed that women of faith should not hesitate to bring their religious convictions into global discussions on women, peace, and security, noting that 80 percent of the world’s population identifies with a religious belief and that the majority of them are women. “If women of faith don’t participate in the agenda, the world loses its single largest group of potential peacemakers,” he emphasized.

Deep Dives into Specialized Topics

The forum also featured six fully attended breakout sessions designed to engage participants in focused discussions led by experts from diverse fields. These jam-packed, standing-room-only sessions offered opportunities for participants to explore specialized topics, share practical experiences, and propose frameworks for integrating law, religion, and social justice in the Philippines.

The thematic sessions covered the following areas:

• Global Challenges to the UNSCR 1325 Agenda
• Gaps in the WPS Implementation
• Advancing WPS in the Digital Space
• Normative Structures and Supporting Networks for WPS
• WPS and Underserved / Marginalized Communities
• Youth Engagement in WPS

Speakers in the thematic sessions mainly examined critical intersections, including the role of legal protections in safeguarding both religious freedom and women’s rights; the contribution of interfaith collaboration to peace in conflict-affected regions; and the role of media and education in shaping public perceptions of religious pluralism.

The thematic sessions also emphasized the complexity of navigating law and religion in a religiously diverse society like the Philippines while offering constructive avenues for problem-solving and collaboration.

Significance and Forward Outlook

The strong turnout and high-level participation reflected the growing recognition in the Philippines of the importance of dialogue at the confluence of law, religion, and human rights.

For an increasingly diverse society, events such as the 7th International Forum on Law and Religion provide a vital platform to strengthen legal protections, build mutual respect among faith traditions, and encourage cooperation among government, academia, religious communities, and civil society.