BOHOL, 12 November 2025 – Empowering women and children by strengthening their leadership in upholding their rights is central to shaping an inclusive ASEAN Community beyond 2025. This commitment was strongly reaffirmed at the 31st Meeting of the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC). 

The ACWC commended the Philippine Commission on Women, as the national focal point to the ASEAN Committee on Women (ACW), for its effective leadership and successful hosting of the Meeting. Guided by the theme, “Shaping the Future of ASEAN: Women’s Leadership in Advancing People Empowerment, Regional Security, and Economic Prosperity,” the 31st ACWC Meeting underscored ASEAN’s dedication to advancing people’s empowerment and ensuring the meaningful participation of women and children in the region’s community-building efforts.  

“ACWC values the agency, inherent capacity and vital contributions of women and children in driving social innovation and transformation,” said Wan Noraidah binti Wan Mohd Zain, Deputy Director-General (Strategic), Department of Social Welfare, Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development, Malaysia. 

ACWC recognised Malaysia’s leadership in advancing the rights of women and children during its term as ASEAN Chair for 2025. Malaysia successfully convened the 2025 ASEAN Women, Peace and Security Summit in September, and the New Frontiers in the Care Economy” Conference (CARECON) in November 2025 in partnership with the ASEAN Committee on Women (ACW).  

ACWC Malaysia will organise the 2025 ASEAN ICT Forum on Child Online Protection along with the Learning Session on Meaningful Child Participation for ACWC in November 2025. These are important platforms for strengthening a whole-of-society approach in building a safe and inclusive environment for children, with active engagement of the private sector and meaningful participation of children and young people.     

“ACWC recognises that greater impact can be achieved through stronger collaboration and synergy between the ACWC and the ASEAN Committee on Women (ACW) in promoting and protecting the rights of women and children, ensuring that no one is left behind,” said Nharleen Santos-Millar, Executive Director of the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) and ACW Philippines, as host of the meeting. “Only through our united and collective actions that we can build equal, inclusive and resilient societies for all women and children in this region,” she added.  

ACWC continues to champion the promotion of gender-responsive, inclusive, and sustainable policies and programmes that positively impact women and children across ASEAN. As implementation of the ACWC Work Plan 2021-2025 nears completion, the ACWC has achieved around 80 per cent of implementation, underscoring steady progress in fulfilling its regional commitments. ACWC emphasised the importance of sustaining momentum in implementing the regional plans of action on the elimination of violence against women and children.  

By 2026, ACWC will finalise the development of key ASEAN frameworks, namely: i) Regional Plan of Action on the Elimination of Violence Against Women, ii) Regional Plan of Action on the Elimination of Violence Against Children,  and iii) Regional Plan of Action for the Protection of Children from All Forms of Online Exploitation and Abuse in ASEAN—under the leadership of Thailand. 

ACWC also commended Indonesia’s leadership in developing the ASEAN Guidelines for Addressing Child and Forced Marriage within the Context of Trafficking in Persons, which was noted by the ASEAN Leaders during the 47th ASEAN Summit. This reflects ASEAN’s unwavering commitment to combating all forms of trafficking preying on vulnerable women and children. 

Moving forward, ACWC positions itself as key actor in strengthening cross-sectoral and inter-pillar collaboration on women’s and children’s rights through the ACWC Work Plan 2026–2030, as guided by the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and its Strategic Plans. 

The 31st ACWC Meeting was held alongside the 24th ASEAN Committee on Women (ACW) and Related Meetings. It was attended by ACWC Representatives for women’s and children’s rights from all eleven ASEAN Member States, as well as representatives from the ASEAN Secretariat. ASEAN Partners also joined the Open Session, including representatives from the Australian Mission to ASEAN, Canada Mission to ASEAN, and UK Mission to ASEAN, along with UNICEF, UN Women, UNFPA and ADB. 

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