Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2004. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Bangkok Post - September 8, 2004
Achara Ashayagachat
They are meeting at the Escap in Bangkok to appraise the implementation of the Beijing Plan of Action and their proposals will serve as a regional input for the global women's meet at the UN Commission on the Status of Women in March next year.
During the high-level inter-governmental meeting, the leaders will also discuss other critical issues women in Asia and Pacific are facing. They would include the impact of globalisation on women, violence against women, trafficking of women and children, gender-responsive information society, political participation of women, and HIV/Aids.
It was quite obvious that Thailand too was not faring well in trying to meet these goals, said Suteera Thomsan Vichitraanonda, president of the Association for the Promotion of the Status of Women.
Thailand also lacks concrete plans to allow women to play a bigger role in parliament, local administration bodies and at other decision-making levels under the Millennium Development Goals, she said.
The progress is frustratingly slow as the government was not doing enough to improve the quality of their representation in national committees and independent organisations, she added.
According to Carolyn Hannan, director of the UN division for the Advancement of Women, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the Bangkok meet would provide women's leaders from around the globe with a chance not only to learn more from one another but also give them the opportunity to find the most effective ways to foster a favourable environment for gender equality in the mainstream society. Some of the strategies they would discuss are partnership in regional co-operation, focus on rights, and working with men and boys.
Ms Hannan said the Asia-Pacific region needed to sensitise government officials on gender mainstreaming more through training and retraining of officials at various levels so they have awareness, knowledge, and capacity to integrate gender equality in their own work. There also should be mechanisms to ensure that good national policies are implemented to enhance women's status and rights, she said.
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