NEWS & EVENTS

NCWP hosts 1st Board Meeting and Symposium of the ASEAN Confederation of Women's Organizations

Leaders of national women’s organizations across ASEAN states listened to speakers and participated in discussions on the confederation’s “2025 Vision: Way Forward” exploring themes on ASEAN Smart Cities, Women and Ageing, and Digitalization and Entrepreneurship.

The National Council of Women of the Philippines hosted the Annual Board of Directors Meeting and Symposium/ Workshop of the ASEAN Confederation of Women’s Organizations or ACWO held on May 22-23, 2023 at the Manila Prince Hotel in Manila City.

NCWP's Cecilia La Madrid-Dy, Ph.D. led the meeting and discussions as the Philippines has assumed the ACWO presidency in January 2023

During the Board Meeting held on the first day of the gathering, the ACWO Board discussed internal organizational matters including a decision to determine the existence of a national women’s organization in Timor Leste and to assist women’s groups in the country to establish their own (if none, yet) towards membership into the ACWO.

Dr. Cecille Dy reported on the International Women’s Day Celebration of ACWO which was conducted through an International Women’s Online Forum in March. Dr. Dy also set the context of the next day’s workshop pursuant to an ACWO Board decision to prepare project proposals for implementation under the Vision 2025 threefold thrusts, namely:

Advancing ASEAN Smart Nation Cities;
Enhancing Quality of Women’s Lives in Ageing; and
Women and Entrepreneurship.

Before adjourning, the Board decided on the following matters:

the re-entry of ACWO as member of ECOSOC and CSW, New York. In 2014, ACWO status as a member was dropped due to “inactivity” but the current Board is now exploring the possibility of seeking for re-entry as a member.
ASEAN INDONESIA 2023: Women For Women Forum will be organized by ASEAN Jakarta 2023
A Joint KOWANI/ACWO Exposition in MSMI Jakarta, as an event of ASEAN Indonesia 2023 Celebration. The exposition will be held on 3-5 of September 2023 a 3-day event. Detailed program will be provided by KOWANI.
Second ACWO BOD Meeting will be held back to back with the joint KOWANI/ACWO Exposition either pre or post event.

Dr. Cecille Dy adjourned the meeting at 12:00 noon.

PHOTOS FROM DAY 1 OF THE ACWO GATHERING

ACWO Vision 2025: Way Forward

The ASEAN Confederation of Women’s Organizations (ACWO) continued its Annual Board Meeting and Symposium on its second day, featuring engaging presentations from invited keynote resource persons from the Philippine government as well as reactions and sharing from the participants.

The first speaker, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Undersecretary Jocelle Batapa Sigue, delivered a presentation titled “Empowering Women Through Digital Innovation” and introduced the concept of DIWA (Digital Innovation for Women Advancement). Sigue highlighted the importance of women’s collaboration in harnessing the role of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to advance gender equality and enable women’s active participation in building an inclusive and sustainable digital future.

Sigue acknowledged the existing shortage of digitally skilled workforce globally and the low enrollment of women in ICT compared to men. To address these challenges, she proposed digital innovation as a solution, involving the development and implementation of new digital technologies to create new products, services, or business models. Sigue outlined several strategies, including ensuring women’s and girls’ access to the internet, promoting their involvement and interest in digital technologies, and providing education, certifications, and skills training.

The speaker also introduced the four thrusts of DIWA: gender equality, economic empowerment, innovation and creativity, and social development and inclusion. She proposed the ACWO-DIWA Partnership, aiming to enhance digital literacy and skills among women in the ASEAN region, particularly in underserved communities. The partnership’s expected outcomes include increasing digital literacy, participation in the digital economy, collaboration and networking among women, and awareness and support for women-led digital innovation initiatives.

Reactors to Usec. Sigue’s presentation were Junie Foo – Singapore, Anamah Tan – Singapore. Datin Masni – Brunei. and Ratna Seojoedi – KOWANI, Indonesia.

The second speaker, Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) Chair Sandra Montano, joined via Zoom to discuss “Enhancing the Quality of Women’s Lives in Ageing.” Montano introduced the concept of the Global Village and emphasized the transformation of aging populations, with older individuals accounting for a larger share of the total population. She addressed the factors that affect aging and shared ten steps to healthy and happy aging, including physical activity, social engagement, a healthy diet, regular medical check-ups, and more.

Montano introduced the Global Village Care Centre, designed to provide a comfortable and safe environment for senior residents, offering personalized attention and care to expedite their recovery. Reactors engaged in the discussion, sharing experiences and insights from their respective countries, highlighting the importance of income security, access to quality healthcare, and enabling environments for older persons.

The third speaker, Atty. Kristine Alcantara of the Philippine Women’s Economic Network (PhilWEN), presented on “ASEAN Through Gender Lens: Recommendations for the Full Implementation of the Action Agenda on Mainstreaming Women’s Economic Empowerment in ASEAN.” Alcantara emphasized the significance of the ASEAN Women Entrepreneurs Network (AWEN) and its role in supporting women across different countries.

Alcantara concluded that mainstreaming women’s economic empowerment requires collaboration and a multidimensional approach across the three ASEAN communities to ensure that no one is left behind. She viewed the action agenda as a living document that can serve as a tool for gender lens analysis and institutionalize mechanisms for gender equality and women’s economic empowerment in ASEAN. She expressed interest in working and collaborating with ACWO to ensure women’s visibility in policymaking and to pave the way forward.

Reactor participants shared their thoughts on women’s economic empowerment, stressing the importance of collaboration between the public and private sectors, promoting women’s participation in STEM and ICT, increasing representation and leadership in the workforce, and investing in programs that facilitate women-owned micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to thrive.

Each presentation concluded with the presentation of plaques of appreciation to the speakers by Dr. Cecil Dy and Dr. Ricafort, acknowledging their valuable contributions.

The symposium’s discussions laid the foundation for future collaborations and policy initiatives, and concrete action plans were proposed for ACWO Vision 2025. These included advancing ASEAN Smart Nation Cities, enhancing the quality of women’s lives in aging, and empowering women in entrepreneurship, with different countries taking the lead in each area.

As the symposium progressed and through Dr. Ricafort’s synthesis of the day’s discussions, it became increasingly evident that ACWO remains dedicated to fostering gender equality, promoting women’s empowerment, and improving the lives of women across the ASEAN region. Through collective efforts and collaborations, ACWO continues to work towards creating an inclusive and sustainable future for all women in the ASEAN community.

Dr. Dy delivered the closing remarks at the end of the symposium before inviting the group to pictorials and socials.

To concretize the commitments and strategies discussed during the two-day gathering, the participants signed The Manila Declaration outlining the principles as well as articulating the collective decision of the ACWO Board to pursue concrete plans of action, platforms, and initiatives along the three key agenda of digital literacy as a way of addressing the emergence of smart nations and cities; enhancing mechanisms to support women in the ageing process; and expanding strategies for women in entrepreneurship.