Gender has been an important agenda within the ASEAN framework. ASEAN established the ASEAN Committee on Women in 1976 to promote gender equality. Gender is incorporated as part of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community pillar, which focuses on issues like human rights, social justice, and gender equality. High-level ASEAN officials have stressed that gender mainstreaming is essential for achieving the goals of the ASEAN Community and its three pillars of economic, political-security, and socio-cultural cooperation. While ASEAN initially focused on security and politics, it now prioritizes issues of social integration, including advancing the status of women.

1. Gender, Society and
ASEAN
Dr. Roy Anthony Rogers

2. Contents
• Introduction
• Background of ASEAN
• ASEAN Community
• Gender within ASEAN Framework
• Conclusion

3. Introduction
 The aim of this presentation is to highlight gender
has been made an important agenda within
ASEAN.
 The evolution of ASEAN’s concern on gender.
 The role of gender in the ASEAN Community.

4. Introduction
 Gender is an issue which involves everyone (male
and female). It is NOT only pertaining women.
 So what does gender means?

5. Introduction (cont.)
 Gender is a socially constructed roles and responsibilities
that society consider appropriate for men and women.
 The word gender has been used since the 14th century as a
grammatical term, referring to classes of noun designated as
masculine, feminine, or neuter in some languages. The sense
‘the state of being male or female’ has also been used since
the 14th century, but this did not become common until the
mid 20th century. Although the words gender and sex both
have the sense ‘the state of being male or female’, they are
typically used in slightly different ways: sex tends to refer to
biological differences, while gender refers to cultural or
social ones.

6. Gender Symbols (The red is the female Venus
symbol. The blue represents the male Mars
symbol).

7. Introduction (cont.): Terminology
 Gender Equality: Equal power and opportunities for
men and women (health, education, business,
politics, career, etc.)
 Gender Gap: Discrepancy between men and women
in the areas of health, education, etc.
 Women’s empowerment: The fostering of a woman’s
sense of self-worth, her decision-making power, her
access to opportunities and resources, her ability to
determine her own life and make changes.

8. Background of ASEAN
i) ASEAN: Association of Southeast
Asia Nations.
ii) Established: 8 August 1967
iii) Founding Members: Malaysia,
Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines
and Thailand.
iv) Secretariat: Jakarta, Indonesia.

9. Background: Evolution and Formation of
ASEAN
ASA 1961
Mal-Indo
Konfrantasi (1962-
65); ASA (failed)
End of Mal-Indo
Konfrantasi
(Diplomatic
relations restored)
Formation of
ASEAN (Bangkok
Declaration 1967)

10. Background: Objectives of ASEAN
Aims:
i) Promote good will and co-
operation among its members.
ii) To be more self reliance and
reduce over dependency on
foreign powers (security
matters).
iii) Enhance economic development
in SEA.

11. Background of ASEAN: The Cold War and
Formative Years (1967-1992)
Regional
Security &
Peace (Initial
aims of ASEAN)
Kuala Lumpur
Declaration 1971:
Zone of Peace,
Freedom and
Neutrality
(ZOPFAN)
Bali Conference:
Treaty of Amity
and Cooperation
(TAC) in SEA 1976

12. Background of ASEAN: End of Cold War and
New Members
 The end of Cold War in 1991.
 New members were admitted into
ASEAN.
 Vietnam (1995).
 Laos & Myanmar (1997).
 Cambodia (1999).
 ASEAN 10.
 ASEAN embarked on economic and
social issues.

14. ASEAN Community
 In the 2003 ASEAN Summit, the second declaration of the ASEAN
Concord II emerged the three pillars on the Vision 2020:
(1) ASEAN Security Community (ASC) ;
(2) ASEAN Economic Community (AEC); and
(3) ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC).
 These will be the strategic opportunity of the member states of the
ASEAN region to cooperate and coordinate in working together to
accelerate economic growth, promote regional security and socio-
cultural development.

15. ASEAN Vision 2020
ASEAN Security
Community
(ASC)
Enhance Regional
Peace & Security
(Traditional & Non-
Traditional Security
Issues)
ASEAN Economic
Community
(AEC)
Regional Economic
Integration
(Economic
Cooperation:
Facilitate Trade &
Investments,
Reduction of Tariffs)
ASEAN Socio-
Cultural
Community
(ASCC)
Caring & Sharing
Society
(Manage the social
impact of economic
integration &
enhancing
environmental
sustainability)

16. • At the 12th ASEAN Summit in January 2007, the Leaders affirmed their strong
commitment to accelerate the establishment of an ASEAN Community by 2015 as
envisioned in the ASEAN Vision 2020 and the ASEAN Concord II, and signed the
Cebu Declaration on the Acceleration of the Establishment of an ASEAN Community by
2015.
• In particular, the Leaders agreed to hasten the establishment of the ASEAN Economic
Community by 2015 and to transform ASEAN into a region with free movement of
goods, services, investment, skilled labour, and freer flow of capital.
ASEAN Community

17. ASEAN Community

18. POLITICAL
SECURITY
SOCIAL CULTUREECONOMY
ASEAN Political Security Community (APSC)
“Enhancing peace, stability, democracy and prosperity in the
region through comprehensive political and security
cooperation” (142 Action Plan)
ASEAN
Economic
Community
(AEC)
“Enhancing
competitive-ness
for economic
growth and
development
through closer
economic
integration”
(154 Action Plan)
ASEAN Socio-
Cultural
Community
(ASCC)
“Nurturing human,
cultural and natural
resources for
sustained
development in a
harmonious and
people-centered
ASEAN”. (339
Action Plan)
Interrelation of the Three Pillars to the
Establishment of the ASEAN Community

19. ASEAN Economic
Community (AEC)
a) A single market and
production base
a) A highly competitive
economic region
a) A region of equitable
economic development,
b) A region fully integrated
into the global economy
ASEAN Socio-Cultural
Community (ASCC)
a) Human and Social
Development
b) Respect for
Fundamental
Freedoms
c) Gender Equality
d) Human Rights
e) Social Justice
ASEAN Political-Security
Community
a) A Rules-based Community
of shared values and norms;
b) A Cohesive, Peaceful,
Stable and Resilient Region
with shared responsibility
for comprehensive security;
and
c) A Dynamic and Outward-
looking Region in an
increasingly integrated and
interdependent world
ASEAN Community (Gender has been incorporated into ASEAN Framework)

20. Gender within the ASEAN Framework
ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC)
 Human and Social Development; Respect of Fundamental Freedoms;
Gender Equality; Human Rights and Social Justice
A. Human Development
Advancing and Prioritizing Human and Social Development in the ASEAN
Integration
Investing on Human Development
a) Center of Excellence in Human Development
b) English as an International Business Language
c) Information Technology
d) Gender and Development (Strengthening entrepreneurship skills for
women, youth, elderly and persons with
disabilities)
e) Global Competitiveness
f) Skills Development for Youth and Persons with Disabilities


21. B. Social Welfare and Protection
1. Poverty Alleviation
2. Social Safety Net
3. Food Security and Safety
4. Health Care and Promotion of Healthy Lifestyle
5. Control of Communicable Diseases
6. Drug Free
7. Disaster Resilient and Safer Communities
C. Social Justice
1. Rights and Welfare of Women, Children, the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities
2. Rights of the Migrant Workers
3. Corporate Social Responsibility
D. Ensuring Environmental Sustainability
1. Global Environmental Issues
2. Transboundary Environmental Pollution
3. Environmental Sound Technology
4. Environmentally Sustainable Cities
5. Environmental Policies and Data Bases
6. Coastal and Marine Environment
7. Management of Natural Resources and biodiversity
8. Fesh water
9. Climate Change
10. Forest Management

22. Gender is not a new agenda within
ASEAN
 To improve the status of women, and as an ASEAN’s machinery to participate
actively in the regional and international arena pertaining to women’s
advancement.
 The idea was coined in ASEAN Women Leaders’ Conference in 1975.
 Established The ASEAN Sub-Committee on Women (ASW) in 1976 and was
renamed the ASEAN Women’s Programme (AWP) in 1981.
 To give a fresh impetus to the on-going ASEAN cooperation on women’s issues,
this sectoral body was restructured into the ASEAN Committee on Women
(ACW) in 2002 to coordinate and monitor the implementation of ASEAN’s key
regional priorities and cooperation in women’s issues and concerns are carried
out by the ACW which meets regularly every year.
 ASEAN Ministerial meeting on Women, established on Oct 6, 2011

23. ASEAN’s Cooperation on Women
 ASEAN’s Commitment on Women’s Rights:
 Declaration on the Advancement of Women in ASEAN which was adopted
by the ASEAN Foreign Ministers in 1988.
 Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women in the ASEAN
Region, adopted by the ASEAN Foreign Ministers in 2004, is the second
declaration recognising important concerns for women.
 Guided by two operational documents:
 The Work Plan for Women’s Advancement and Gender Equality (2005-
2010), which has its roots in the 1988 Declaration on the Advancement
of Women in ASEAN.
 The Work Plan to Operationalise the Declaration on the Elimination of
Violence against Women (2006-2010), which builds on existing national
efforts, moves forward the priorities of the other Work Plan and
integrates all relevant priorities and measures into a consolidated
action plan on violence against women.

24. Activities
 Working in partnership with ASEAN Confederation on Women’s
Organisations (ACWO)
 Activities to include: different regional workshops, seminars,
training sessions and consultative meetings that provided platforms
for government officials, civil society organisations, professionals
and other stakeholders to exchange views, share experiences and
build commitments and a common understanding on various gender
issues.
 2006: Joint Statement and Commitment to Implement Gender
Mainstreaming was adopted.
 Various publications and periodic regional reports were also
produced. These include:
 The Thesaurus on Women in Development (1996);
 The First Regional Report on the Advancement of Women (1997);
 The Second Regional Report on the Advancement of Women (2002);
 The Third Regional Report on the Advancement of Women (2007).

25. Statements by ASEAN High Officials
regarding Gender
 “The spirit of promoting
gender equality should be
an integrated part of
ASEAN’s policies and
programmes towards the
ASEAN Community. The goal
of gender equality should be
central to all three pillars of
economy, political-security
and socio-cultural of
ASEAN.”- H.E. Le Luong
Minh ASEAN Secretary-
General.

26. Statements by ASEAN High Officials
regarding Gender
 “The role of ASEAN Secretariat
is critical in making gender
mainstreaming as standard
practice in ASEAN policies and
programmes across the three
pillars. Before we are able to
effectively stimulate gender
mainstreaming strategy in
ASEAN, we first need to
understand clearly the concept
of gender equality and how
gender mainstreaming strategy
can be applied in our work.” –
H.E. Alicia R. Bala, Deputy
Secretary General for ASEAN
Socio-Cultural Community
(ASCC).

27. Gender is an important agenda of ASEAN
Community.
 “Gender equality is a key element of social
justice. While gender mainstreaming is essential
for securing human rights and social justice for
women and men, it also increasingly recognizes
that incorporating gender perspective in
different areas of development will ensure the
effective of other social and economic goals.” –
Ms. Julia Muealler, Director of Friedrich Ebert
Stiftung Office for Regional Cooperation in Asia.

28. Conclusion
 Gender has been incorporated as part of ASEAN’s agenda in achieving ASEAN
Community.
 There were already concerns on gender issues within ASEAN as early mid-
1970s and 1980s.
 ASEAN was established in 1967 as a regional organization to promote peace
and political stability within the Southeast Asia region. The Cold War politics
overshadowed the initial years of ASEAN. However, since 1991 ASEAN has
moved forward in economic and social integration.
 Gender is an important component with the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community
(ASCC).
 It is also linked with the other two pillars (Economic and Political Security).

29. Thank You
Terima Kasih