The promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls are consistent priorities of ASEAN. In achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls, ASEAN upholds the rights and agency of women and children as agents of transformative change in society. Moreover, ASEAN recognises the intersectionality and diversity of all women and children in various settings. By doing so, ASEAN is in a unique position to leverage regional cooperation to advocate policies and programmes both at the national and regional levels that effectively engages women and men, and girls and boys, in promoting gender equality. High-level political commitment has been afforded by the ASEAN Leaders in advancing the rights and welfare of women and children. In particular, all ASEAN Member States have ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).

ASEAN has adopted political declarations and implemented regional action plans on advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. ASEAN commitments are also complemented by action researches, policy dialogues, and capacity building initiatives. All of which serves to inform the development and implementation of dedicated national laws, policies and programmes that would ensure gender-responsiveness and the best interest of children.

Generation of data and development of evidence-based analyses are conducted through the Mid-term Review of the ASEAN Regional Plan of Action (RPA) on the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Violence Against Children.

ASEAN also supports the development of comprehensive and strategic regional frameworks on mainstream gender perspectives across all the three ASEAN Community pillars, child online protection, and children in the context of migration; as well as the implementation of multi-year programmes and platforms such as on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, and addressing the needs of trafficked women and children.

ASEAN’s strategic policy guidance on promoting gender equality and realising the rights of women and children has been able to steer regional development cooperation towards funding initiatives that raise the profile of the rights of women and children. ASEAN’s regional mechanisms also provide opportunities for all women and children in the region to be engaged and meaningfully participate in the realisation of their human rights.