The Philippines Leads ASEAN in Advancing Women’s Rights at the Human Rights Council

Ambassador Evan P. Garcia (left) articulates the efforts and initiatives of ASEAN on promoting and protecting the rights of women at the Panel Discussion on human rights of women in relation to the implementation of the SDG agenda, which was held on 13 June 2017 at Room XX, Palais des Nations, Geneva.

27 June 2017 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Ambassador Evan P. Garcia, Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva, articulated the efforts and initiatives of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on promoting and protecting the rights of women at the Human Rights Council.

Ambassador Garcia, speaking on behalf of ASEAN Missions in Geneva, highlighted the role of women in ASEAN and the efforts undertaken in the region to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls at the Panel Discussion on the Human Rights of Women entitled “Women’s Rights and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: health and gender equality” held on 13 June 2017 in Geneva.

“Women in ASEAN have always acquired prominent positions. Women’s rights have long been acknowledged and will always be promoted among ASEAN member countries,” he remarked. 

Among the key initiatives in the ASEAN include the creation of the ASEAN Commission for the Promotion and Protection of Women and Children (ACWC), which introduces new innovative ways to promote women rights and is formulating gender-mainstreaming strategies across the three pillars of ASEAN Community, and the Women ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (WAIPA), which encourages a steady increase in women participation in parliaments from 12 percent in 2000 to 18.5 percent in 2012.

The ASEAN likewise consistently enhance empowerment and participation of women in all development sectors through an effective partnership between relevant public and private sectors, including by ensuring zero discrimination on women’s access to economic opportunities and resources. 

Ambassador Garcia stressed that women’s rights is an important endeavor in implementing the ASEAN’s Socio-Cultural Community Blueprint 2025, which provides the framework of forging a people-oriented, people-centered, socially responsible community that promotes and protects the human rights.  “ASEAN is proud that all its member states have ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)”.

“ASEAN will continue to align itself with goals of the SDGs in conformity with the commitment to “leave no one behind” and to ensure sustainable and inclusive development in ASEAN,” Ambassador Garcia concluded.

For more information, visit www.genevapm.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/genevapcg. END