ASEAN-ACWC-ACW

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Women make up over half of the population in the ASEAN region. Women in the work force are mostly found in the informal sector with minimal access to social protection. In both formal and informal sectors, women earn less than their male counterparts, and
those in the corporate sector continue to face the glass ceiling with limited opportunities to occupy senior management positions. Across the urban and rural continuum, women in the region experience various forms of violence and discrimination including in
gender-based violence in the workplace. And as more women live longer than men, more work opportunities and social security in old age, among others, are needed. to advocate for the recognition, redistribution and remuneration of unpaid care and domestic work, and realise their rights towards gender equality.

 

Despite these challenges, women and girls in the region are actively engaged as active agents of transformative change. Progress has been made in increasing access to education as well as participation in the labour force, enhancing access to and the quality of reproductive health, and widening spaces to express their voices and exercise their agencies. The ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC) is at the forefront of leading ASEAN’s efforts on advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment. ACWC was established in 2010 as an ASEAN consultative body on matters related to women and children's rights. ACW, on the other hand, was created in 1985 to oversee ASEAN's cooperation on women's empowerment and gender equality. In fulfilment of their respective mandates, ACWC and ACW have been instrumental in advancing ASEAN frameworks such as the ASEAN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women and
Children and its respective Regional Plans of Action.

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Background: the ASEAN Campaign on ending gender-based workplace exploitation

 

Through targeted campaigns and communications ASEAN has made significant progress during the past 5 years in developing innovative approaches towards reaching those most vulnerable to violence in the workplace.

 

Phase 1 (2018 - 2021) of the ASEAN Campaign 'Ending Gender-Based Workplace Explotation' saw the use of a people centered approach focused around developing deep understanding of women migrant workers which led to the development of the 'Migrants and Music' campaign in which Electronic Dance Music (EDM) was used to promulgate information (e.g., hotline numbers, counter victim-blaming) to communities and schools with a large population of migrant workers and their children, as well as at temples and public events.

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Phase 2 (2022 - Present) now focuses more on the roles and responsibilities of employers in the private and business sector.

 

Employers play a critical role in taking measures and developing workplace policies to prevent violence and harassment against women, including the most marginalised. With an even stronger emphasis on the human-centric approach, the campaign development now shifts towards creating awareness among employers of their role in creating a safe environment for women, including women migrant workers and
preventing harassment and gender-based violence/exploitation in the workplace.