Regional Activities

The regional programme initiates systematic action involving state organs, organised civil society and NGOs at the national and regional level to address the constraining factors, ensuring that the programme's framework advances effective interventions to enhance effective implementation of the Convention.

UNIFEM has already initiated tools for cooperation with partners in the region to support implementation of the Convention in previous programming. In particular, UNIFEM has an MOU with UNICEF for cooperation throughout the Southeast Asia region in providing assistance to States Parties in meeting their commitments under CEDAW, and has been involved in consultations with UNDP regarding APGEN phases I and II. This project will pursue further opportunities for collaboration and ways of strengthening the UN, NGO and all other relevant stakeholder commitment to supporting the Convention. At regional and country levels, the links between CEDAW, BPfA, MDG, PRSP, CCA, UNDAF will be consciously cultivated and elaborated.

During the inception missions undertaken by UNIFEM in designing this project, Government and NGO representatives from across the region expressed tremendous enthusiasm for working to improve implementation of the Convention and for working with UNIFEM to help create the conditions that will make this possible. Their commitment is an invaluable resource in the struggle to achieve equality for the women of Southeast Asia . Their insights and experiences, and willingness to collaborate have helped shape this project and will critically inform the ongoing development and implementation of the strategies.

ASEAN Regional Workshop on Gender Equality Legislation
Bangkok, Thailand; 13-15 February 2008

The three days workshop hosted by the Office of Women’s Affairs and Family Development, Ministry of Human Security and Social Development, Government of Thailand, brought together legal drafters and technical staff of the national women’s machineries, ministries of justice and gender equality advocates from ten ASEAN countries and Timor Leste to discuss gender equality legislation. The event was supported by UNIFEM East and South East Asia sub-regional office under its ASEAN-UNIFEM Framework of Cooperation.

The workshop provided participants a theoretical framework for drafting and analyzing gender equality laws in terms of the scope, substantive content and effective monitoring and implementation mechanisms as prescribed by the Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). A comparative study of good practices from around the globe and from the Southeast Asian region was presented to offer practical guidance to legal drafters and gender advocates for better laws on gender equality. The workshop contributed to skills building of legal practitioners and helped to identify the strategies and ways for the harmonization of domestic legislation to comply with the CEDAW requirements, for the adoption of new laws, where necessary, and for the better implementation of gender equality laws in the ASEAN region.

The workshop further promoted ASEAN partnership and cooperation towards the effective implementation of CEDAW through better understanding of the importance of the de jure substantive equality and non-discrimination against women.

See Joint Recommendations of the workshop participants

ASEAN High-Level Meeting on Good Practices in CEDAW Reporting and Follow-up Vientiane,
Lao PDR; 14-15 January 2008

At the ASEAN High-level meeting hosted by the Government of Laos, ASEAN member countries exchanged experiences in preparing for the CEDAW Committee review of State reports, and planning follow-up to the Committee Concluding Comments. The common challenges in preparation and follow-up to the CEDAW review process as well as some good practices that can be models for ASEAN member countries were identified. The meeting promoted ASEAN partnership and cooperation towards the effective implementation of CEDAW through a better understanding of the mechanisms that facilitate effective monitoring and reporting. It also highlighted how civil society groups can add value to the CEDAW review process including helping governments to identify gaps in CEDAW implementation. See Joint Statement of the meeting.

“Workshop on Integrating CEDAW in Tertiary Curriculum in Southeast Asia,”
8-9 November, 2007, Bangkok

UNIFEM in collaboration with Office of Human Rights Studies and Social Development, Mahidol University organized a Workshop on Integrating CEDAW in the Curriculum of Tertiary Educational Institutions on 6-7, November, 2007.

A group of 20 academics from seven Southeast Asian countries teaching law, human rights and women studies in higher educational institutions joined the workshop and shared good practices in integrating the CEDAW principles of gender equality and non-discrimination into university-level curriculum.

Participants shared examples of establishing inter-disciplinary Women’s Studies courses, courses on women’s rights in law schools, as well as integrating gender equality and non-discrimination messages into university foundation courses and subjects as diverse as literature to mathematics. Development of guidelines for integration of gender equality teaching into curriculum, and providing orientation and training to faculty was identified as effective strategies. Linking theory with practical examples of daily discrimination that women face through student involvement with legal clinics, field research and close linkages with NGOs was also highlighted as an important teaching strategy. Participants committed to continue sharing resource materials and information.

“The Role of the Judiciary in Promoting Gender Equality,”
A Southeast Asia regional colloquium
25-27 October 2007, Chiang Mai

Supreme Court and appellate court judges, and representatives from judicial training institutions from seven Southeast Asian countries take part in for the Regional Colloquium on the Role of the Judiciary in Promoting Gender Equality. This event is organised by UNIFEM’s CEDAW SEA programme with Chiang Mai University and the Office of the Judiciary of Thailand in recognition of the important role played by the judiciary in interpreting and implementing laws. The meeting aims to promote the use of CEDAW by judges, to raise awareness among them on the need for gender sensitivity and gender responsiveness in the justice system, as well as to promote capacity building to this end.

Regional Workshop of CEDAW Watch Groups: Role of NGOs in Monitoring CEDAW Implementation

The Regional Workshop of CEDAW Watch Groups was organised jointly by UNIFEM and the Cambodian NGO Committee on CEDAW to discuss the role of NGOs in monitoring progress in the implementation of CEDAW by governments. The workshop served as a forum for the NGOs from seven countries to exchange strategies on how they prepared alternative information for the CEDAW Committee in the form of shadow reports, and how to use the Committee’s Concluding Comments to press the governments further for implementation of CEDAW. The discussions addressed issues such as coalition building among diverse group of NGOs, advocacy with governments and inclusion of the voices of marginalized groups.  More importantly the meeting was an opportunity for these NGOs to network and get to know each others. The workshop concluded that shadow-reporting of CEDAW implementation based on diverse and reliable data and analysis could be a cornerstone for effective monitoring while developing effective NGOs and government dialogue is another factor in successful implementation of CEDAW.  Participants also agreed that more had to be done to reach out to disadvantaged groups of people such as ethnic minorities, migrant women and women with disabilities, as well as partnering with media.  

Study Session on Indigenous Women and the CEDAW

The study session, sponsored by UNIFEM and coordinated by the Asian Indigenous Women’s Network was an enlightening experience for the 22 participants from UNIFEM-SEAP countries (Thailand, Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines, East Timor) as well as India, Nepal and Mongolia. Held in Baguio City, in the Philippines between the 23rd-26th November 2005, the participants were introduced to the CEDAW and learnt the workings and intricacies of the convention and how it applies to indigenous women. Consisting of Indigenous women and NGOs working with indigenous women, the participants shared the plights of these women in their respective countries as well as recommendations on the use of CEDAW to help rectify the problems and improve the living conditions of Indigenous women, be it those in rural areas or those in the cities. Atty. Eleanor Conda, a UNIFEM consultant facilitated the study on CEDAW and context and linkages to indigenous peoples were carried out by Tebtebba resource persons.

 The Regional NGO Study Session on Rural Women and CEDAW for APWN

Conducted through November 17th  to 20th, 2005, in Manila Philippines the session was aimed at increasing understanding of CEDAW within The Asian Peasant Women’s Network and their member NGOs as well fuelling a discussion on how CEDAW can be relevant to the issues of the human rights of rural women. A brief overview of the plights of rural women in South East Asia, was provided by APWN. It was also agreed that shadow reporting should be on the NGOs’ agenda and the basic principles of CEDAW more accessible at the grassroots level.

International Women’s Day, 2005
“Rebuilding Women’s Lives in the Aftermath of Disasters”
March 8, 2005, United Nations, Bangkok, Thailand

On 8th March 2005, UNIFEM, in collaboration with the Thematic Working Group on Gender Equality organised an International Women’s Day event titled “Rebuilding Women’s Lives in the Aftermath of Disasters”. 150 people (140 women and 10 men) attended the event at United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok. The event received extensive media coverage on Thai television, National Newspaper, and Inter-press services. The impact of the 2004 Tsunami has focused all of us on women’s vulnerability in the aftermath of disasters and the importance of their role in the rebuilding process. Lucita Lazo, the Regional Programme Director of UNIFEM East and Southeast Asia, spoke about the importance of moving from a needs based response to disasters, to using a rights based framework, including CEDAW, for relief and rebuilding efforts, to ensure long term benefits to women’s lives.