By the Asia Pacific NGO Forum

BANGKOK – Over 300 women from Asia Pacific governments and non-government groups reaffirmed the Beijing Platform for Action, the document adopted nearly a decade ago in the historic women’s conference in China, at the end of a meeting convened by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia Pacific here yesterday.

At least 47 countries across the region were represented in the High-Level Intergovernmental Meeting to Review Regional Implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and its Regional and Global Outcomes, which was convened September 7.

“We reaffirm our commitment to the consensus Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPFA) and the outcome of the five-year review process (Beijing + 5),” the statement, called Bangkok Communique’ said.

The statement will be Asia Pacific’s contribution to the global review of the implementation of the BPFA to be hosted by the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in its 49th session in March 2005 in New York.

It acknowledged the gains, gaps and challenges to the full implementation that have emerged in a decade among the 189 countries that adopted the Platform in 1995 in Beijing, with focus on Asia Pacific.

While the statement enumerated many gains, it also recognized the immense challenges that need to be addressed, particularly the negative effects of globalization and trade liberalization on job security and labor rights of women.

The need to strengthen women’s machineries and increase in financial resources for women, as well as the creation of an enabling environment that support policies for women were emphasized. It called for the institutionalization of gender mainstreaming as an approach to
gender-sensitive implementation of policies and programs.

Peace building and the protection of women and girls were also the issues that need to be addressed, with equal attention to the reduction of their vulnerability to HIV infection.

According to the statement, the full implementation of the Platform is impeded by gaps, most notably, the weak and low level of women’s participation in decision-making that tends to marginalize women’s supposed lead role in gender mainstreaming.

There is also a lack of regional cooperation and partnership initiatives in combating the increase of HIV/AIDS and trafficking, and in protecting women migrant workers’ human rights.

In the aim of reporting and documenting women’s gains and struggles, the statement said there is lack of reliable and relevant sex disaggregated data and gender statistics.

The communique’, however, also boasts of an equally long list of gains, such as the formulation of national policies and action plans to promote gender equality and empowerment of women and the establishment and strengthening of these programs.

Women’s health, especially maternal, reproductive and sexual health, has greatly improved,with more notable rise in nutritional status and life expectancy across countries in Asia Pacific.

Domestic laws and regulations have been changed to eliminate discrimination against women.

There are also affirmative actions among nations that increased the participation of women in politics and decision-making. Moreover, economic empowerment has improved for women.

The communiqué is contained in a report detailing the discussions and panel presentations of the four-day meeting, which narrated fully the events that transpired during the meeting and the actions that were adopted.

Significantly, the draft and communiqué carried the perspectives of around 700 women who participated in the Asia Pacific NGO Forum on Beijing+10 in July at the Mahidol University in Thailand who adopted a statement that they read and presented before the meeting.

The women from the NGOs reiterated their concerns for the diversion of funds intended for women’s services to terrorism, which is happening in many countries in the region. Young women, who also adopted a declaration in the NGO forum, also took the lead in challenging governments through their youth statement.