JAKARTA, 29 November 2023 – At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, women and girls bear a disproportionate burden, grappling with heightened vulnerabilities and enduring severe socioeconomic impacts compared to their male counterparts.
Recognising the on-going transition from the COVID-19 pandemic to promote resilience for ASEAN peoples, ASEAN Secretariat and UN Women jointly developed a policy brief entitled Enhancing Gender Responsive Approaches in ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework (ACRF). The Policy Brief aims to showcase best practices and lessons learned from the implementation of gender-related initiatives under the ACRF, serving as a consolidated regional exit strategy from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Recognising the severity of the [COVID-19] situation, the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework (ACRF) places due importance on addressing the impact on vulnerable populations and strives to mitigate their economic and social repercussions. This policy brief builds upon the valuable lessons learned from the implementation of the ACRF and provides comprehensive recommendations and pathways to integrate a gender mainstreamed approach in ASEAN’s initiatives across various dimensions including health, human security, economic integration, digitalisation, and sustainability,” as emphasised by Satvinder Singh, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN.
“What is good for gender equality is good for all. By placing gender and human rights considerations at the heart of COVID-19 response and recovery planning, ASEAN governments can ensure that their respective nations are well-placed to recover any gains lost during the pandemic, as well as to reap the long-term rewards that come from choosing inclusive, empowering and sustainable models of development,” says Sarah Knibbs, Deputy Regional Director of the UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, in a preface.
Moving forward, as the region is embarking its endeavour on the development of ASEAN Community Vision 2045’s strategic plan(s), gender-responsive recommendations outlined on the policy brief may also be adapted and localised for ASEAN Members States. Specifically, this policy brief can serve as a pivotal reference for policymakers aspiring to integrate inclusivity and participatory processes into the core of future ASEAN initiatives and agendas.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Diego De La Rosa
Regional Communications Specialist
UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
Email: diego.delarosa@unwomen.org
Phone: +66995037177
Mustika L. Hapsoro
Media Officer
ASEAN Secretariat
Email: mustika.hapsoro@asean.org
