Gender Relations and Working Women in Indochina

Women are the prime movers in the economies of Indochina but Indochina studies have not paid adequate attention to policy studies relevant to improve the economic capacity of women (and men). The understanding of women's and gender issues has also been influenced largely by western scholarship, Indochina women scholars have not evolved indigenous thinking and critical analysis of their societies. This region-wide conference will focus on women's issues to encourage dialogue between NGOs, activists, academics, donor agencies and learn from each other's experiences. Apart from policy planning and learning, the conference will also focus on reviewing the state of women's studies programs/centers whose role is to generate knowledge and analytical tools to enhance society's understanding about women's contribution and needs in economic, social and political participation. The conference will thus have both social and economic significance as well academic interest to stimulate Indochina women's studies and activities to be more systematic, organized, and useful.

The aim of this conference is to analyze women's economic roles, their changing contexts and opportunities, and the efforts made by the governments and NGOs to enhance their contributions. Specifically, the objectives are:

1. To analyze gender issues and the economic role of women in the traditional and modern sectors
2. To provide countrywide data on opportunities and constraints on women including status of women's education and vocational training, and entrepreneurship support of law and credit
3. To document lessons learned from GOs' and NGOs' programs
4. To review the state of vocational training in order to link them to entrepreneurship developments efforts,
5. To suggest policy measures to improve education and vocational training to enable women at all levels to participate in the new economic order effectively
6. To set a new tone of discussion on entrepreneurship development as partnership between men and women for reconstructing family, community, and work in the new economy of the 21th centrury.

For more information, contact:
Women's Action & Research Initiative (WARI)
52/619 Muang Ake
Rangsit, Pathumthani
Tel: (662) 997-7279
Fax: (662) 997-7536
E-mail: wari9@yahoo.com or daruneet98@hotmail.com