The negative effects of globalisation, militarisation and violence against women are three of the major concerns of the 500 women at the Asia Pacific Women 2000 Symposium which has been held at the Kaetsart University throughout this week.
With 60% of the world's women living in this region and women being the amonst the poorest in the world, globalisation hits women hardest. Women are the majority of carers of the family, children and household, so globalisation policies escalate poverty for the whole society.
Making the needs and concerns of women a policy priority is the key to creating effective and lasting change for these regions.
The increasing militarisation and further nuclearisation of the region has set back many of the gains of past decades.
The Symposium called for a stop to the alarming rise of armed and other forms of conflict and the systematic use of violence against women, including rape, mutilation, forced pregnancies and other forms of sexual violence.
On the positive side, the growth of non-government organisations, people's movements and alliances working for women's empowerment, the creativity of their initiatives and the strengthening networks that bind them are translating positive visions for the world, particularly this region, into a reality.
Even though the Symposium identified a long list of problems in the region, the women at the symposium were positive in their vision and commitment. The symposium Declaration stated:
"Finally, as we leave this century of turmoil, rapid change and development, we call upon the world to have the courage and commitment to translate the high hopes of the Beijing Platform for Action into concrete steps which will bring about the realisation of the vision shaped by the women of the Asia Pacific Region".
Chaiskran Hiranfruk
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