Final Report of the Asia-Pacific NGO Symposium: Part B

Youth Forum Report

STATEMENT FROM YOUTH FORUM

First of all, thank you the Steering Committee and the participants for giving us "Youth" a chance to participate in the symposium as a concurrent Forum and to present the report at this session.

We thank you for the experiences we have gained during the symposium, taking part as participants in the workshops and being assistant rapporteur in the girl-child issue as well as to observe the activities of the symposium. It is great and really rare opportunity for the small number of youth to be able to join the symposium. It is like a dream comes true to all of us. We have become familiar with the issues of critical concern in the advancement of women. We compare it to our own lives and have been able to express our opinions with other participants.

We have felt some conflicts and we look forward for solidarity and peace all over the world. We sympathize with the victims of violence and trafficking against women and girl-child. We all agree that education and training as well as media's roles are the solutions. We are concerned for future health programs for young people. We would like to request on behalf of the disabled and the aged to be equipped with facilities and proper living conditions. We trust that you agree with us in seeking some measurements to guarantee family well-being which is the main factor affecting development and gender equality. May our voices on the above mentioned aspects be heard and actions be taken by everyone who cares.

We truly appreciate your recognition and your attention to the youth. And, we promise to do our best for the future. Thank you very much.

YOUTH FORUM PROGRAM

Saturday August 28, 1999 - At Girl Guide Association

0900 - 1200 hrs

Introduction of youth participants
Briefing on Asia-Pacific Regional NGO Symposium
Planning of Youth Forum at the symposium
Election of officers
Delegation of work responsibilities

Monday August 30, 1999 - At Kampaengsaen, Nakhon Pathom

1300 - 1400 hrs.	Progress reports on the preparation of the symposium
1400 - 1500 hrs.	The law of Thailand regarding youth
1500 - 1700 hrs.	UNICEF briefing on the Convention of Child Rights and CEDAW
1700 - 1900 hrs.	Volunteer works on site of the symposium
2000 - 2100 hrs.	Youth group discussion

Tuesday August 31, 1999 - At symposium site

0930 - 1230 hrs.	Election of officers and workshop coordinators Discussion on youth participation at Opening Ceremony of symposium, Cultural Night and Closing Session of the symposium.
1400 - 1500 hrs	Participation of youth as flag bearers and chorus at the Opening Ceremony. Plenary session on NGO subregional reports Welcome dinner presided over by His Excellency Mr. Bichai Rattakul, The Deputy Prime Minister.

Wednesday September 1, 1999 - At symposium site

0830 - 0930 hrs.	Plenary session : Setting the agenda for the meeting
0930 - 1700 hrs.	Workshops: 12 critical areas of concern
1900 - 2200 hrs.	Discussion of youth participation at the workshops

Thursday September 2, 1999 - At symposium site

0800 - 1230 hrs.	Plenary session: reports from 12 workshops
1400 - 1700 hrs.	Special interest groups
1700 - 1900 hrs.	Meeting of youth reports drafting committee
1900 - 2100 hrs.	Symposium dinner with regional and national cultural presentation and youth program

Friday September 3, 1999 - At symposium site

0930 - 1200 hrs.	Forum: the Women's Movement in the Future
1200 - 1230 hrs.	Youth report
1400 - 1600 hrs.	Plenary session: conclusion and recommendations
1800 - 1900 hrs.	Closing ceremony featuring youth participation
1900 - 2100 hrs.	The Thai Cultural extravaganza by the Tourism Authority of Thailand

YOUTH EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Mr. Kriangkamol Thana - Chairman
Mr. Prajwol Shakya - Vice-Chairman
Ms. Willurei Kirdbright-Burney - Co-ordinator
Mr. Thun Khongsawatkiat - Data Information
Mr. Patipon Sudtipongkaset - Drafting
Ms. Nanae Nakamoto - Drafting Assistant
Mr. Rohman Taowato - Facilitator
Mr. Kritpong Sutasipromprae - p;Spokesman
Ms. Pawinin Poomsrisaard - Secretary

Consultants

Ms.Julakool R.
Ms.Boontharika N.
Ms.Naruphan Vallisuphan
Ms.Supawadee Kaewpungsed
Ms.Tassanee Ongsaranacomkul
Ms.Ramaimas Bowla
Ms.Somruck Promsophon
Mr.Poovanat Keawmaneerat
Ms.Suvannee P.
Mr.Artikiat Thongperm
Ms.Cholaros Nongpar

Report from the Parallel Workshop on Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resource Management

Asia still has a dominantly high rural population and that women compose half of the agricultural workforce.
While women's work in agriculture is so diverse technologies developed are more suitable for men than women.
Extension programs are designed more for men than women.
Women become the first victim of forest degradation since they are the ones who collect food, fodder and fuel wood.

Pressing issues in agriculture, environment and natural resource management

Inadequate gender specific data on women's actual involvement in natural resource management, limits the range of programs. And activities suitable for women. This also results to gender concerns not adequately addressed in natural policies and plans.
Gender and Development (GAD) awareness remains at the sensitisation stage especially in environment and natural resource development agencies thus effective integration of women's concerns in the key components of the agency programs are hindered.
Poor living conditions of women and their families in the upland, forests, mining and coastal communities, more so with tribal and indigenous people result to women being direct contributors to natural resource degradation like forest destruction.
Lack of recognition of the role of women especially the indigenous communities in the maintenance of a balanced ecosystem, using traditional ways of environmental conservation. The untapped resource of women.
Traditional career choices limit women's participation in natural-resource related occupations particularly in mining, forestry and geodetic engineering.
Limited opportunities for qualified women in natural resource management in career promotions because jobs given are mostly administrative and not as professionally challenging as men.
Conflicting objectives of government policies and environmental management initiatives for instance Biodiversity for sustainable development versus promotion of mono crops as a response to demand for globalisation impacts women adversely in terms of food security.
Policy changes, legal documents, rules and ordinances for women does not guarantee women's empowerment. Putting a woman's name in a piece of paper vis-a-vis land titles is not complete Empowerment if the enabling support systems are not present.
Feminisation of agriculture creates secondary problems where older women become farmers when in reality are not the actual Targets of agricultural policies and programs.

Recommendations

Enhance participatory technology development processes to ensure active women participation in the field of genetic resource conservation.
Lobby actively for laws to stop/minimise the excessive use of chemicals and pollutants that destroys soils and water creating health hazards to women and their families,
At the same time promote the use of indigenous knowledge and practices in environment-friendly agriculture, forestry conservation, and coastal management.
Create opportunities for women to get education in forestry and agriculture in culturally-bound male-dominated societies so as to help address the concerns of rural women in terms of extension and technical services.
Provide sustainable alternative livelihood opportunities for women and men in degraded areas where rehabilitation projects are being done such as in the rehabilitation of mangroves, in the coastal areas.
Implement strict government budgets specifically allocated for addressing women concerns in the field of agriculture and natural resource management.
Strengthen and fully enforce Women In Development (WID) and GAD approaches and concepts into all training programs for all government agencies responsible for environment and natural resource management.

Stakeholders Panel

Panelists: Dr Lorraine Corner UNIFEM/UNDP Regional Programme Advisor; Ms Thelma Kay, WID Section ESCAP; Dr Shireen Lateef, Social Development, Asian Development Bank; Ms Suzanne Thibault, CIDA; and Ms Pawadee Tonguthai, Thai Women Watch.

Dr Corner discussed the language of gender and mainstreaming as terms that we are not always clear on, as people often confuse the concepts of mainstreaming of women and gender mainstreaming. The way the terms have been used throughout World Conference for Women documents has changed greatly in the last two decades. Gender was finally defined in the Beijing PFA and mainstreaming has only recently been defined by the Division for the Advancement of Women. She stressed the need to work with men and to increase male sensitisation towards gender equality and mainstreaming for the advancement of women.

Dr Kay outlined the results of the UN questionnaire to governments in the region for Beijing+5. Although these responses illustrated how diverse the ESCAP region is, they also showed commonalities in gains and in emerging issues of concern. In relation to gains, the following trends in the region were noted: the improved material status of women, their increased participation in decision making structures; in-roads for women and girls in science and technology; 11 new signatories to CEDAW (leaving only 7 countries in ESCAP who have not yet signed); and the completion of national plans of action in two thirds of the countries of the region.

Less positive trends illustrate that poverty remains the number one concern for many countries; there is an increase in unemployment which has led to the feminisation of retrenchment; an increase in trafficking for the exploitation of women; and increased violence against women in the region. Dr Kay pointed to the need for more strategies to increase the participation of women in decision making and to put women's policy on the agenda. She called for legal reforms using instruments such as CEDAW. Other trends that were noted in the region include the aging of the population; the increased spread of HIV/AIDS; increased migration; a new category of socio-economic problems resulting in the creation of social safety nets; and changing technology. Dr Kay also noted the changing role of NGOs with the UN recognising the importance of NGOs as actors in civil society and as the conscience of global citizenship.

Dr Lateef outlined the gender programme in the Asian Development Bank. Although the Bank works with governments rather than NGOs, she outlined how this is being sensitised to ensure gender considerations are taken into account in loans, and that governments consult and use NGOs in their regional technical assistance work. The 1985 WID Policy of the Bank was enhanced by the broadened mandate in 1992 which identified improving the status of women as one of the strategic development objectives. The new GAD policy of 1998 operationalises gender through a mainstreaming strategy. An increase in GAD personnel at headquarters and in resident missions has increased Bank capacity. Other new initiatives include policy dialogue with governments incorporating gender issues, a Gender Forum with 15-20 advisory members and a gender facility to fund small activities of NGOs directly.

Ms Thibault discussed the funding assistance that CIDA has given to the Beijing process, including this symposium which includes the participation of regional forestry management officers to this meeting. CIDA has also assisted the integration of gender issues into APEC and ASEAN meetings and work. Ms Tibault discussed her vision for the new century as one which speeds up the process of change to bring together corporal and spiritual selves, as a new basis to measure progress.

Dr Pawadee Tonguthai discussed the active work of Thai Women Watch as a network of NGOs monitoring the implementation of the Beijing PFA. Using examples of their work, she explained how Beijing brought together many different NGOs who were each working individually on assistance to women at the grassroots. In her vision for the future Dr Tongathia talked of the changing needs and expectations of donors, from simply providing funds to assisting with technical assistance. This represents a shift from direct aid to UN agencies acting as a source of exchange on best practice from Asia to other regions and vice versa. She also outlined how the UN can assist NGOs to work as partners in development with governments and their national machineries.

Questions from the session looked at the importance of having national women's NGO focal points to assist donor liaison. Although ESCAP and many donors have databases of NGOs, it is important for NGOs to compile directories of NGO women's groups working in specific sectors. There was discussion of how UN and donor agencies can pressure governments to work more cooperatively with NGOs. Other questions focussed on the planning for the October ESCAP Governmental meeting. NGOs requested time and space for a formal presentation of the report and declaration, which was agreed by ESCAP. Two rooms have been allocated for NGO use throughout the meeting. ESCAP can provide invitations for attendance for any NGOs who have not received this and require it for funding to attend. A letter from ESCAP to governments has encouraged government delegations to include NGO representatives.

Monitoring Group Panel

1400-1530, Thursday, 2 September 1999

The presenters for the Monitoring panel were Dr Vanessa Griffen, Co-ordinator, Gender and Development Programme, Asian and Pacific Development Centre (APDC); Ms Daphne Roxas, co-ordinator, Philippine NGO Beijing Score Board (PBSB); and Dr Patricia Licuanan, President, Southeast Asia Watch (SEAWatch).

APDC's monitoring process is through its Newsflash/Faxnews, a monthly bulletin which reports on GO, NGO and UN activities in the region and its annual publication on post-Beijing implementation, Monitor, which is a compilation of reports received from GOs and NGOs in the region. It was observed that, generally across the region, with the exception of some countries like the Philippines and Thailand, monitoring of the Beijing Platform for Action (BPFA) is weak. This may be due to the lack of plans for monitoring the BPFA after the 1995 Beijing Conference; underestimation on the need and value of monitoring and insufficient thoughts given to mechanisms for monitoring. Monitoring should not only cover the BPFA but also the development process in the country and its impact on women since the 1995 Beijing conference. It should include activities undertaken by GOs and NGOs.

The Philippines NGO Beijing Score Board (PBSB) presentation focused on sharing its experiences in monitoring processes in the Philippines. Since its inception in 1996, the PBSB has produced three NGO Monitoring Reports on the Philippine Government's implementation of the BPFA. The monitoring process focused on the implementation of the 12 critical areas of concern and situations of women in these areas. Its monitoring process includes measuring the impact of projects on women especially those from marginalised groups and rural communities. The importance of being familiar with the functions of governments when carrying out the monitoring process was emphasised. Each of its monitoring reports were commemorated with an annual event, for example, a public rally, a public hearing in the Senate and a briefing in the House of Representative.

There is a need to ensure efficient dissemination of information and lobbying by NGOs to ensure governments provide information on the on ongoing situation of women. Monitoring of the BPFA has to be mainstreamed. Government resources must be appropriately used for the concern of women. The monitoring process is a very important component for the review process and for preparing reports on the advancement of women, including the Beijing review.

Activities carried out by SEAWatch focus on monitoring the "monitoring processes" undertaken in the Southeast Asian region. SEAWatch is committed to advocacy for monitoring and evaluation; strategies for empowering women; assessing and developing technical capability in the area of monitoring; using indicators to observe and measure changes over time as well as using indicators that are innovative and qualitative. The trend observed by SEAWatch is that most of the monitoring reports tend to address only certain areas of concern such as violence against women; women and poverty; women and the economy; women in power and decision making; women and health and women in education and training but lack a focus on other areas of concern such as women and the environment and women and media.

There is lack of institutional mechanisms for monitoring by GOs and NGOs. Most monitoring processes tend to emphasise activities and not results. There is a need to develop monitoring partnerships between GOs, universities and NGOs.

Audience participants considered that there was a:

lack of funding for monitoring activities;
need for training in monitoring skills;
need to publicise and disseminate information;
need to improve existing monitoring methods;
need to have a more participatory process in monitoring;
need to identify sources of funding for monitoring specific areas of concern;
need to make better use of the resources already available;
need to draw upon NGOs with differing expertise;
need to draw on experiences sharing as a form of training in the region;
need to strengthen the role of national machineries in monitoring processes; and a
need to involve GOs in monitoring the activities of NGOs.

The Women's Movement in Future

Chair: Ms Shagufta Ali Zai,
Panelists: Vicki Corpuz Tauli, Farida Shaheed, Yayori Matsui, Josefa Francisco, Nighat Said Khan.

This plenary session reflected the many concerns, aspirations and apprehensions that the women's movement in the Asia- Pacific region will have to contend with in the future. The concerns ranged from the plight of the indigenous women to rising fundamentalism, social and cultural conservatism and ethnic and nationalist struggles that have swept large parts of the region. We are also having to deal with a shifting development paradigm.

Speaking on behalf of the indigenous women, Vicki Corpuz Tauli stated that the condition of the indigenous women has not in any way improved since the Beijing Conference in 1995. In fact their problems have become more complex with the rise of extractive industrial activity exacerbated by unabated logging and mining operations. Much of this new found economic aggression currently being displayed by the various governments and the corporate sector, is supported by world bodies like WTO, World Bank and IMF.

They are liberalising mining laws and extending to the mining corporations generous terms of lease ranging from 50 to 75 years. This has the effect of denying the indigenous people their right over their material resources, and deprives the indigenous people of their age-old right over their knowledge systems. By deviously patenting the rare plants and seeds which belong to the indigenous societies, the result of thousands of years of unadulterated knowledge, and covertly gaining control over their genes Governments, Multi-nationals and International Agencies deny societies their right to self-determination and cultural expression.

These blatant and inhuman acts and violations of indigenous societies are occurring across the region and are further aggravated by the brutal repression that has been unleashed on the minorities by the different governments. Indonesia exemplifies the growing militarisation of this region and their brutal response to the growing challenge of the indigenous people. Even the few peace accords that have been entered into with the indigenous people of countries like Bangladesh have not been seriously implemented.

In the light of this grave and highly discriminatory situation which indigenous people are facing, the key recommendations that emerged are:

The indigenous people organise themselves to garner greater support for their cause regionally and globally.
That the representation of the indigenous people be targeted and increased in the participation, planning and steering of meetings such as the Asia- Pacific Regional NGO Symposium.
That a review be undertaken of the implementation of all peace accords that different governments have entered into with indigenous people.
That all the State violence that has been unleashed on these people be condemned by the United Nations and member States
That the TRIPS Agreement be amended to prohibit the patenting of the natural resources of indigenous people.
That a permanent forum be established in the UN to represent the indigenous people.

Finally the spokesperson of the indigenous people appealed to the women's organisations to take on their share of the responsibility to advance their struggle for self-determination.

Addressing the challenges that the women's movement face in the future, Ms Farida Shaheed, Pakistan, pointed that there are two sets of challenges to the women's movement today. The first is posed by the variety of our personal and collective experiences and the real differences of circumstances facing, for example, indigenous peoples, youth, migrant domestic workers, women who are refugees, displaced, or stateless, lesbians, ethnic and religious minorities, women with disabilities, and rural women. These differences have implications for our activism, our priorities, our needs and strategies. Rejecting the right of others to impose a limited identity on us, we must acknowledge the right of all women to make their own choices and respect these choices even when they appear "culturally challenging".

To ensure a dynamic growing movement, we need to avoid the syndrome of making other women "feel foreign in feminism" (Clech Lam) and need to redefine our identity as women but also all the other identities we claim as integral to our multi-faceted selves.

Bearing in mind the differences that distinguish us, the women's movement needs to move beyond to find our commonalities. The single factor that we share as women throughout the world is patriarchy even though the cultural articulation of patriarchy and the degree of control may differ. The only effective critique of this system is found in feminist philosophy.

The second challenge relates to the feminist vision. Changing relationships between women and men is not enough. Feminism is not just about making a better deal for women in the existing system. First, if feminism rejects the hierarchical domination of men over women, then we cannot justify or support any other form of hierarchy of one group over another. Second, the principles of militaristic enterprise and war in any form is antithetical to feminism.

Feminism therefore means changing the entire system. This requires people's political movements and the women's movement to identify our allies for change. We need to answer some very basic questions on what we want to achieve. Other social movements seem bent on seizing state power. Feminists have rarely been comfortable with the framework of nation-states. But if we reject states and hierarchies, what would replace them? How would society function ? Perhaps most importantly in today's context, we need to define what a stateless non-hierarchical global economy would look like.

Yayori Matsui a Japanese journalist examined the implications of the growing ethnic and nationalist struggles in different parts of the world. Dealing with the increasing militarisation of this region she believed that countries like Japan, who for many years post-second world war were not allowed to pursue and nurture martial ambitions, are now creating conditions that will enable them to wage a war. Much of this new found zeal for war she traced to the rise of right wing parties. Not only were they seeking to bring about constitutional changes, remove articles and provisions in the Constitution that strengthen peace but also use every opportunity to glorify war, turn war criminals into heroes and even target globalisation for the loss of national esteem and pride. But unlike the women's movement they present a right-wing opposition to globalisation and to demonstrate their anti-women position they have targeted the issue of "comfort" women. Instead of urging the Japanese to take responsibility for this violation they are whipping up popular passion against the comfort women, accusing them of indulging them in prostitution and publicly denying that any war crimes were committed on thousands of women.

In order to challenge this blatant effort at denying women their right to justice, an independent war crimes tribunal organised by the leading women activists will be held at Japan next year. An international committee will be formed consisting of members from the country that perpetrated the crime, i.e. Japan, others who represent the nations that have been victimised and groups working on existing war crimes in Yugoslavia, Algeria, Germany and eminent jurists.

Examining the challenge of shifting the development paradigm Josefa Francisco, DAWN Regional Coordinator, S.E. Asia, stated that the women's movement had expressed their concern about globalisation as far back as 1985. At the Beijing Conference there was an even greater recognition of the phenomena of globalisation. But it was only two years after Beijing Conference when the " Asian meltdown and ensuing economic crisis cast a huge cloud of doubt over the euphoria generated by the market ideology" that more concrete misgivings about globalisation has risen. This crisis, unlike in 60's and 70's, occurred within the private sector. Hence one positive fallout of this crisis has been the undermining of the faith and confidence that many governments and influential individuals had in the open market economy and their reliance on the global capital. Therefore at a time when the mainstream is confused, disunited and on the defensive, for the people in the women's movement who work with the mainstream the present dilemma arising from this contestation of forces can be turned into a real opportunity of moving the debate on development further away from the market and on the alternative path. In doing this, it has been recommended that we can continue utilising certain international agreements and conventions such as the Beijing Platform of Action and CEDAW as countervailing instruments to the more market-oriented goals and objectives of States and multi-lateral institutions.

Adressing the issues of rising fundamentalism, and social/cultural conservatism as challenges for the women's movement, Nighat Said Khan discussed how this trend is likely to continue unless we are willing to confront it, both in society and in ourselves. She stated that her main concern is the rising of conservatism in the progressive women's movement. Her discussion centred around the ways in which nation states exploit the notions of nationality, chauvinism, religion and tradition to broaden and strengthen their control. There is a lack of ideological progressive political movements, of a larger dream, which leads to apathy and despair. This impacts most strongly on women, as the family is the primary and most fundamental institution through which these tendencies are articulated. Nighat challenged us to consider how the feminist movement is backing away from confronting the forces which oppress us. We have become dependant on Government Funding, we are more focused on collaboration than significant change. The term "gender" now replaces "women", once again making women's oppression invisible. Patriarchy is no longer challenged and religion and state oppression are seldom questioned by the women's movement. She also described how the women's movement has sold out ideals for inclusion in a system which oppresses. That homophobia is strong in the women's movement and the feminist critique of the family and of marriage has all but disappeared. She concluded by posing four important questions:

Will the women's movement continue if funds are no longer available?
Will "collaboration", "partnership" and "lobbying" bring about the changes that we seek - in reality and on the ground - without a simultaneously active women's movement to challenge and confront from the outside?
If we do not have an ideological position and a larger dream will we ever get the energy, the commitment and the resistance needed to fight patriarchy? and
When NGOs really begin to challenge the status quo __ or are perceived to be doing so, will the state or the UN allow them to continue? The political space is being restricted in many countries and in Pakistan we have seen a full scale attack on women centred NGOs - what will the NGOs do in this case? Backtrack? Compromise? Negotiate a space? or continue with their confrontation regardless?

She concluded with the statement that as we approach the new millennium she strongly believes it is time to take stock and to re-examine what we are doing and why - she believes we need to get back and re look at the critiques and the principles of feminism and the feminist movement. She has faith that fundamentalism and conservatism can be challenged by a counter ideology __ a counter movement and a new all encompassing dream. As Langston Hughes, a Black American poet, said "Hold fast to dreams for when dreams die life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly".

Sub-regional Reports Summaries

The following are summaries of the Sub-Regional Reports presented to the Symposium. Full transcripts of these reports can be found on the AWORC Beijing+5 web site, http://www.jca.apc.org/aworc/bpfa/

South East Asia

This review of the Beijing Platform for Action by women citizens of South East Asia comes at a time when the region still finds itself struggling to address the debilitating national-regional effects of a recent financial meltdown and economic crisis. For some countries, such as Indonesia, the crisis led a major public awakening and process of political re-structuring or realignments. For women citizens and the women's movement the search for alternative paradigms have become more imperative than ever before. We want to collectively flag - perhaps for the last time in this millennium - women's issues as critical human issues and concerns that remain as challenges for governments and citizens to address in the next cycle.

The issue of political will. Governments in the sub-region can claim that they are committed to the Beijing Platform of Action and could quickly show evidences to back up such claim. Everywhere, there are women-friendly policy statements, national machineries, or national plans for women. However, all governments will also claim that the main reason for non-implementation is the question of finances, particularly at this time when national budgets are tighter and economies have either shrunk or stagnated. When times were good, government financing for women's development was already low. So much so now when things are at their worse. The lack of finances is therefore not the only and most critical factor as to why governments lack success in performance. Regardless of whether there is money or not, commitment to the advancement of women that that requires gender responsive policies, plans, programs and monitoring schemes, have always been given an insignificant slice of the pie.
The issue of accountability. Governments, their leaders, agencies and bureaucracies must be accountable first and foremost to the majority of their citizens, women and men alike. Adequate legal guarantees and institutional processes must be put in place in order to actualise such accountability. The education of women, their political participation and the existence of a strong women's movement are critical factors in ensuring that governments remain accountable to the people in general and the women, in particular. We are particularly urging women leaders and activists who have engaged in a politics of institutionalisation and formal power not to forget their accountability to the women's movement and the people in general. We are in power not to be integrated by it but to change politics that increasingly reflect gender equality and equity, as well as, democracy.
Violence against women still widely exists and in newer forms as intensified economic hardships of families and result to their increased vulnerability. This vulnerability stems from the myriad effects of capital mobility, re-structuring of production systems and increased exploitation of labor, including child labor brought about by economic globalisation. Some of these forms of economic related violence against women include sexual exploitation in prostitution and trafficking, slavery-like labor conditions facing certain migrant workers, trans-border smuggling of humans and human organs, occupation-related accidents and ailments among cheaply paid women workers in overseas factories of transnational corporations.
Violence against women at the personal level has also become more intense as a result of patriarchal backlash reaction of individual men who are threatened by the women's movement. Moreover, violence against women linked to ethnic hate and other cultural discrimination has been widely documented in areas where political and cultural intolerance resulted to open violence by armed groups and the state. Moreover, homophobia continues to be manifested in religious intolerance, family rejection, negative representation in the media, physical violence and abuse, as well as, invisibility.
The adoption of micro credit program as a response to women's poverty is grossly inadequate and at best could only be palliative in relation to practical needs. Women's credit systems ought to be upscaled and sufficiently provided with support infrastructure and interventions such as skills training, market support, including advocacy for sharing for housework between women and men, so that women's credit can truly become an alternative source of financing and entrepreneurship. It should be noted that micro-level interventions aimed at alleviating women's poverty are often not linked to gender analysis at the macroeconomic level that can pave the way for meeting women's strategic needs. Sadly, this leads to a disjointed effort at women's economic development and at worse, certain gender blind impacts of the macro-economy overturn the small benefits gained in the micro level.
Budget allocation for social services, social safety nets and social insurance system remain insignificant compared to the scope of the problems of maternal mortality, women's morbidity, child mortality and morbidity, and the lack of specialised services for women. Increased pressures on women to assume responsibility for the family's health and well being has emerged in the face of government's privatisation of health and other basic services. Male responsibility and male participation in reproductive health has been misinterpreted and translated into calls for reproductive health services for men at a time when reproductive health care policies, programs and services are either still not in place or in need to be improved upon. Men are themselves saying that change is taking place but which men and to what extent?
Food security and women's livelihoods are threatened by the onslaught of massive land conversion to industrial estates, cash crop agriculture, and big development projects such as dams. The re-directing by government of economic development towards agriculture will not only ensure poor rural and indigenous women are provided with income opportunities but also serve to promote women farmers' environmentally sustainable farming practices and life/cultural systems.

In ending, it is clear there is a need for a re-examination and re-direction of national development and their society's well-being away from the dictates of the market and toward a perspective that includes the following:

women's human rights
politics of tolerance, cooperation and partnership
respect for democracy and the law
desire for human security, peace and sustainability
confluence of feeling and thinking
personal autonomy and choice and
non-exclusionary morality and ethics

Reviewing the Beijing Platform for Action can become a real opportunity for women to participate in this process of collective re-imagination of the human, social, political and economic across communities, states, regions and the world. We have much to gain and nothing to lose but our dis -empowerment!

South Asia

In the five years since Beijing, the subregion has experienced gains in the areas of:

Formulation of plans and the establishment of national machineries for the advancement of women; and
An increase in awareness and demand for rights for women

These gains have, however, met with resistance from States and elements of civil society. They are overshadowed by massive pessimism in the face of emerging trends and the persistent issues that define the struggle for gender equality, development and peace.

There are four overarching issues that persist in South Asia:

Persisting poverty and the impact of national policies and globalisation
Conflict within and across borders
Political instability, poor governance and a lack of commitment to women's empowerment
Persistence of patriarchal attitudes and practices as well as discriminatory laws and policies

The emerging trends include:

Lack of government leadership in questioning and controlling the role of international finance and trade organisations, multilateral and bilateral agencies
An alarming increase in widespread violence against women particularly domestic violence and victimisation of women in the name of honour
An increase in poverty among women related to growing numbers of female headed households and the denial of rights to land and property
A backlash from men over the emergence of women in local level government
Women continue to remain poorly represented in policy, administrative and legislative bodies throughout the region.
Trafficking of women and girls within and across countries has assumed alarming proportions in South Asia.

East Asia

The subregion of East Asia is made up of the countries of China, Japan, Mongolia and the Republic of Korea.

The following is a summary of the Sub Regional Report. This report outlines the areas of commonality and differences in relation to the status of women among the countries of the subregion.

There have been clear gains in all the countries in some areas of the BPFA including:

The establishment of networks among women's organisations to oppose militarism in the region
An increase in NGO activity to monitor government's performance in the implementation of the BPFA.
Advancements in terms of legislation and mechanisms for gender equality

Despite these gains, there are persisting issues and the following are common to all the countries of the region:

Extremely inadequate representation of women in decision making positions and in politics
Low rates of participation of women in the private sector
Persistence of strong gender roles
Continuing gender gap in illiteracy rates and higher education enrolments
Existence of defacto discrimination against women
Gender gap in wages and M shaped curve in labour participation rate
Increasing commodification of women reflected in prostitution, pornography, trafficking and depiction of women as sex objects in the mass media
Increased feminisation of poverty

Emerging issues in the region include:

The impact of globalisation - women are less likely to benefit from globalisation than men and jobs have become less stable and secure for women.
Trafficking of women and children is becoming a more serious problem as younger and younger children are now being trafficked
Increased militarism by Japanese and Korean governments and violence against women at the hands of soldiers from US Army bases
Marginalisation of women arising from their lack of access to new technologies including the Internet.

Central Asia

Central Asia is made up Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Tadjikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzberkistan, with a total population over 60 million. These countries are living under conditions of poverty, unemployment, reduced participation of women in decision making, ageing population, wars and armed conflict.

Since the Beijing conference there have been some gains for women in this sub region. They include:

A 25% increase in the number of NGO's in some countries
The creation of the new institutional mechanisms and governmental national machineries for the advancement of women
Gender in Development Units have been created in each country
National plans of action have been created in each country
Increased participation of women in the planning and implementation process of the national plans of action and programs
Implementation of various programs in the economic sector in relation to the critical areas of the BPFA
increased access to training, seminars, workshops in relation to the main concerns of the BPFA

Despite these gains, there continue to be persisting issues for the women in this sub region which include:

Limited participation in governance and decision making
Lack for funding for surveys and research into the status of the most vulnerable women including refugees, internally displaced persons, aged and disabled peoples, widows and orphans, the unemployed and low income earning people.
Limited access to the documentation, information, technical equipment, language and computer courses
Limited publishing capacities
Lack of international Iinkages
Limited access to networking and integration into the regional an global programs and process

Emerging issues include:

Escalating levels of women's unemployment
Increasing under-representation of educated women with professional skills and experience in governance
Increasing non participation of educated women with professional skills in positions of leadership, or having equal opportunities with men

To improve the status of women in this sub-region, the following steps must be taken:

Gender mainstreaming and sensitisation of national laws, state policies and programs.
Increase of surveys on women's status at work, in the community and in the family
Equal opportunities for the equal human rights
Small enterprises established for income generation in cities and rural areas
More involvement of women in peace making processes
Identification of the problems and needs of refugees, internally displaced persons and other vulnerable groups
Provision of legal, medical services and social protection for these groups
Grass roots mobilisation of women in all areas
Support from regional and global bodies to assist in integration into the Global movement of Women

Pacific Region

The Pacific Region has submitted three short reports:

The Pacific Island States

The gains that women from these Island States have experienced since the Beijing conference include:

Improved reproductive health, female adult literacy and women's educational attainment in most states
Legislation to promote and project women's human rights in some states
Increased involvement of women in politics and economic activities in most states
Development of national policies on women by most of the governments
Establishments of specific national focal points
Increase in the number of countries that have ratified CEDAW

Persisting issues include:

Lack of proper monitoring mechanisms for the BPFA
The dearth of gender - disaggregated statistics, especially on economic activities
Insufficient political will on the part of governments to implement the BPFA
Limited national institutional and administrative capacity
Ad hoc nature of donor assistance for programs for women
Insufficient cooperation between governments and NGOs in implementing the BPFA
Lack of information to NGOs about possible funds or sources of support

The emerging issues among the Pacific Islands are heavily influenced by the impact of globalisation on the subregion. They include:

The negative impact of globalisation on all aspects of women's life
The impact of globalisation on government's ability to implement the BPFA
The impact of globalisation on the capacity of the domestic economy for opportunities for income generation activities for women
Feminisation of poverty in the region and its effect on women's health

New Zealand

There has been some gains for Women of New Zealand in relation to the Beijing Platform for Action. These gains include:

A 25% increase in funding by government for institutional mechanisms to enhance the status of women
The introduction of the Domestic Violence Act 1995 which targets family violence
Improvement in health service delivery
Gains in the area of women's access to power and decision making with the appointment of the first woman Prime Minister, the first woman Chief Justice and the first woman Chief Executive Officer of Telecom New Zealand

In spite of theses gains, a number of issues persist. These include:

Women's economic advancement continues to be impeded by family responsibilities and unpaid work in the home
Women's rates of pay are 20% below that of men
High fees for tertiary education which disproportionally disadvantages women
Difficulties for women in accessing higher roles in government
Casualisation of the workforce in female dominated sectors
Male domination in legislative, legal and business sectors
The needs of diverse cultural and ethnic groups remain unmet
The personal safety of women in the house, workplace and community remains at risk
Loss of Government funding to NGO's leading to decreased participation
Subtle systematic forces which the work to limit the status of women have proved stubborn persistent and very difficult to eradicate

Australia

This report is the outcome of a meeting between representatives from Australia, Pacific Island States and New Zealand.

Gains identified which can be linked to the BPFA include:

Improvements in the provision of domestic violence services
The introduction of legislation, provision of services and prevention programs for migrant and refugee communities affected by the traditional practice of female genital mutilation

Persistent issues include:

The continuing feminisation of poverty through structural inequality at local, regional and global levels,
Ongoing poverty and conflict in the sub-region which has led to the displacement, rape, sexual torture and loss of basic services for women and children
Ongoing inequitable distribution of funds and resources which results in unequal access for women to health, culturally appropriate education, positions of power and decision making, basic human rights, peace and security, in particular indigenous women, women with a disability, older women, lesbians and in Australia and New Zealand, women from a non English Speaking background.
Ongoing domestic violence

Emerging issues include:

The negative impact of globalisation on all aspects of the status of women
Cuts to government funding and mainstreaming of policies have seriously undermine the ability of women to participate as equal partners in society.
Patterns of systematic rape and sexual torture by military and para miliary forces in some parts of the sub-region

Future Actions include:

The need for better networking and closer co-operation between NGOs and indigenous peoples in the Pacific sub region including the establishment of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Network
The need for improved working relationships between government, NGOs and indigenous peoples and improved mechanisms to allow women's voices to be heard at the United Nations
The need to establish a mechanism to monitor the status and well being of women and girl children in the sub region against the commitments made by governments to the BPFA
The need to include young women in all parts of decision making processes including meetings of governments, NGOs and the UN
The need to establish mechanisms by Governments, Non Government Organisations and civil society to report and measure resource allocation and expenditure on a gender and age basis, with the objective of achieving equal distribution.

Reports from some of the Special Interest Groups, Countries and Regions

These sections of the report were not endorsed at Plenary Sessions

Special Interest Group on Sub- Contracted Women in the Global Economy

The workshop focused on the results of a multi-country research on the connections between the global economy and sub-contracted work from a gender perspective. The research involved economists, social scientists and NGO activists from the Philippines, Thailand, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The discussion revolved around problems of sub-contracted women workers: decreasing price rates, lack of social protection, and worsening working and living conditions in the context of the economic crisis and globalisation. Advocacy strategies include ensuring the rights of home-workers and sub-contracted workers in general through local legislation as well as ratification of the ILO Convention on home-workers; monitoring of corporate codes of conduct by researching more on the sub-contracting chains; and facilitating sustainable livelihood through breakthrough credit and other support services.

Prepared By: Rosalinda Pineda Ofreneo, Philippines

Special Interest Group on State Violence Against Women in Indonesia and East Timor: A Critical Concern

Given the atrocities which continue to occur in Indonesia - of which women are among the primary victims - we urge that our following concerns be included in the Symposium's Declaration:

Women in Indonesia and East Timor have experienced unprecedented levels of violence in all segments of life since the 1960s. The primary cause is state violence, which take the form of:

Unmitigated military violence in army-controlled areas of Aceh, East Timor and West Papua, including towards internally displaced persons (IDPs).
Repressive measures implemented by the military in cases of labor, land and natural resource disputes.
Formulation of a draft legislation by the executive branch that gave absolute power to the state and military for repressive action in the name of national security (Bill on State Safety and Security) and a human rights bill that does not recognise the state as a violator of human rights.
No protection for victims of violence and no prosecution of perpetrators (resulting in their impunity) caused by a weak and ineffective criminal justice system.
State-sanctioned discriminatory actions and measures towards particular race and ethnicities.

The economics crisis, in the context of globalisation, has made the trafficking of Indonesian women a critical issue. Most vulnerable, among others, are women migrant workers. These women work in the most unprotected sector of the economy as domestic workers. As labourers in a foreign land, they are victims of discriminatory actions by their host countries; as workers in people's homes, they are unprotected by the state; as women, they are subject to sexual violence by their employers. The Indonesian government provides no protection at all for these women. We ask the support of the participants of this Symposium for our struggle against state violence in Indonesia.

Signed:
Kalyanamitra * Solidaritas Perempuan * Komnas Perempuan * YLBHI * LBH Jakarta * LBH Ujung Pandang * LBH Medan * Rifka Anissa * LBH APIK Jarkata * LBH APIK Aceh * LBH APIK Pontianak * LSPPA * Bioforum

Special Interest Group on Lobbying

Facilitator: Heisoo Shin
Chair, Regional NGO Lobbying Committee

Discussions on strategies of lobbying were as follows:

1) National Level Lobbying

After this symposium participants lobby their governments with the report from this symposium so that the government can incorporate the NGO perspective in their position.
This can be done through various ways - informal dialogue, a public forum on this symposium and preparation for ESCAP high-level G.O meeting, use of media, etc.
We are also encouraged to lobby the government to include NGO representatives in the list of government delegation to October ESCAP meeting.

2) Regional Level Lobbying

We need lobbying materials like the 'Yellow Book' in Jakarta.
Also NGO's need to meet one day prior to the ESCAP meeting to discuss and strategise, this date is October 25th.
Participation of NGO's in the ESCAP meeting should be guaranteed, both accreditation and formal presentation of NGO positions. For those who need accreditation, they would approach other NGO's with a consultative status, including APWLD.
First lobbying action would start at the Stakeholders panel on September 2, 1999, requesting the ESCAP representative an inclusive policy towards NGO's. At this point at least one person from one country is needed.
Identification of who would participate in the ESCAP meeting was not possible.

Special Interest group on Lesbian Rights

Lesbians from Asia convened at the Pailyn Palm Room to discuss the issues they wanted to raise in this symposium. The workshop aimed to discuss the integration of lesbian issues into the 12 Critical Areas of Concern. It was found that while the human rights workshop took up lesbian issues quite adequately, other relevant workshops, such as health, violence against women, women and work, education and media failed to do so.

The group felt that the issue of women's autonomy and control over sexuality is a core issue of women's oppression and marginalisation and as such, should in itself be a critical area of concern. But because of the constraints of working within the framework of the Beijing Platform for Action, it became difficult (logistically) for lesbians in the symposium to integrate lesbian issues into each of the 12 Critical Areas of Concern.

Women's autonomy in terms of control over their sexuality, relationships and living arrangements needs to be recognised as a fundamental human right. Most women are deprived of such autonomy and control over their lives. This situation has strong implications on the lives of lesbian and bisexual women, child brides, single and divorced women, and unmarried mothers, among others.

With regard to education, economy and training there should be no discrimination against lesbian in terms of equal access to and practice in all areas including education and employment.

Lesbians, like many marginalised women, are portrayed by the media in extremely limited and negative stereotyped images. Such portrayal not only promotes discrimination against lesbians. It also encourages both subtle and absent forms of violence. Media must acknowledge the existence of diverse sectors in our societies and allow a plurality of images to be portrayed. Invisibility of lesbians in the health care system and in many situations, prejudice against them, deprive lesbians of services which respond to their specific health needs.

Lesbians are especially vulnerable to all forms of sexual and physical violence and abuse due to their sexual orientation. In addition, lesbians also undergo emotional and psychological stress and are sometimes driven to suicide by social and cultural pressures. There have also been cases in which lesbians have been murdered, for example in Australia.

Therefore, any measures to curb violence against women should take into consideration the situations of lesbians.

Special Interest Group on Violence Against Dalit Women in India

In India the Dalit women are brutalised and traumatised within the India social system, they are the victim of a patriarchal social structure and the culturally approved hierarchy of caste. In the context of the caste hierarchy upper caste people are defined as pure and Dalit's as impure, Dalit's are classed as 'the untouchables of India' which has become a social stigma for all Dalit's. As Berreman expresses "stigmatised social identity is experienced as oppression-It is a human, day to day experience of degradation and exploitation and not simply as abstract concept" (Berreman 1972). Some examples of the effect this has on Dalit women are as follows:

Dalit girls are socialised from childhood to be public and domestic labour, although child labour practices are prohibited in India Dalit girls have to perform laborious jobs for their survival.
Because Dalit women have such a low caste status they are treated inhumanly by members of 'upper caste' society, especially by upper caste men. They are subjected to physical and sexual violence as part of their daily existence.
In the Laxmanpur-Bathe, in Bihar state, on the evening of December 1st 1997, the Ranvir Sena (upper-caste)people raped and murdered five girls, they were all shot in the chest. At the same time 27 women, 8 of them pregnant, and 17 children were killed. "When asked why the Sena killed children and women, one Sena member responded, 'we kill children because they will grow up to become Naxalites' ". (Human Rights Watch Report Broken People)
Dalit women are often forced to resort to prostitution as a means to combat high levels of poverty.

These are but a few examples of the concerns of Dalit women in India. This symposium is sub-titled Gender Equality, Development and Peace for the Twenty-First Century but unless and until we analyse the status of Dalit women in India in light of its distinctive nature and reality we can not achieve a development process amongst women to bring about gender equality.

Special Interest Group on The UN working with NGOs and GOs in the Mekong Subregion

Facilitators: Suzette Mitchell (UN Viet Nam); Joytsna Roy (UN Cambodia); and Angie Agulto (UNDP Regional Gender Programme)

One of the initiatives of the UN system in assisting the implementation of the Beijing PFA is the joint work of UNIFEM and UNDP with the United Nations Volunteers. Twenty UNV Gender Specialists have been posted throughout the world. These workers in Lao PDR, Cambodia and Viet Nam are working to develop collaborative mechanisms on gender between UN agencies in the field, the national and local governments and NGOs. This SIG brought together actors form these countries to discuss future cooperation, including the UNDP supported programme 'Promoting Gender Equality in the Asia Pacific Region'.

The session identified the major obstacles for NGOs in the Mekong region in their preparation for Beijing+5 are firstly information, time and resources. Often information reaches the region too late for accessing funding for full participation in SEA and international activities.

Although the Mekong countries have cultural differences, they have many socio-political issues in common as they are economies in transition. As such, their issues may differ greatly from other South East Asian countries. Trafficking in women is a key issue within the sub-region that illustrates the collaborative sub-region work of the UN, NGOs and GOs.

Representatives from the region discussed strategies for sharing information on discussion groups on the internet, draft national reports and access technical assistance for the development of national reports for Beijing +5.

Special Interest Group on Networking on Women in Politics for Southeast Asia Countries

The meeting was attended by representatives from Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines.
Ms. Lucy Lazo representing CAPWIP convened and presided over the meeting. There was a general discussion on the formation of the network on women in politics in Southeast Asia. She said that the meeting was meant to brainstorm on how the member countries of the sub-region could move ahead with networking.
What purposes and objectives could such a network serve? The participants articulated their views and these were summarised into three objectives of the network:
a) To facilitate the exchange of information and capacity building of member organisations in the field of politics and governance;
b) To serve as a forum for expressing women's common issues in the Southeast Asia region;
c) To serve as a lobby, advocate and resource for ensuring women's representation and participation in regional and international bodies.
Who could serve as a sub-regional/national focal point? According to the survey done by Ms. Lazo from May to July 1999, it is Thailand which comes closest to having a national network on women in politics at this point in time. Also, the cost of operations is cheapest in Bangkok. Manila and Jakarta are comparatively more expensive as a base for a sub-regional activities.

Ms. Titi Sumbung thus suggested that Thailand be the sub-regional focal point. Dr. Pusadee Tamthai of Women in Politics of Thailand agreed to be an interim focal point for the Southeast Asian-women in Politics (SEA-WIP) network.
Future Actions:
- A sub-regional meeting will be convened on the fourth week of January 2000 to formalise the establishment of the SEA-WIP and to lay down plans of action and fundraising plans. Meantime, it was suggested that support for the sub-regional meeting be obtained through the CAPWIP and the UNDP sub-regional program on promoting gender equality.
- National meetings will be held in the member countries in order to establish their respective national networks on women in politics.

Tentative Schedules were indicated as follows:
Fourth week of November 1999 Philippines, Indonesia
Second week of December 1999 Thailand

Schedule for the national meetings in the other countries will be submitted later to Ms. Lazo.

* Copies of the CAPWIP survey will be circulated to the member countries/organisations in the sub-region.

Prepared by: Lucy S. Lazo, 2nd September 1999
Cc: Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia

Special Interest Group on Information and Communication Technologies: An Agenda for Women

In the last five years, the rapid growth of information and communication technologies brought many changes in the way people work and communicate. This brings about both threats and opportunities for women. Information and communication technologies may challenge gender division of labor, may redefine women's participation in the work force, creating new career paths and areas of expertise, and has the potential to alleviate the impoverished conditions of women. However, advancements in technology have also caused the displacement of and occupational hazards to women workers, have resulted in the degradation of the environment, and have the potential to threaten diversity of women's experiences and cultures.

The last decade of this century marked the shift to a global information economy characterised by the dominance of giant media and transnational corporations that are able to dictate the production of information worldwide. Information and communication technologies have played a crucial role in this global trend. This same ownership pattern and control has resulted in highly unequal access for majority of the world's population. This inequality contributes to increasing the gap between those who have access to abundant information resources and those who are deprived of this access.

In order to participate in the new world order and the emerging information society, women must understand and be part of the development of new information and communication technologies. Historically, women have not been raised and trained to engage in science and technology. Because of this, women have a lot of catching up to do. It is therefore imperative that women use new information and communication technologies critically to ensure that it results in women's advancement and empowerment.

Recommendations for Action:

Democratisation of access to and use of ICT

Women must look into appropriate technologies, explore new community models, push for public access and open source licensing.

Education and Training of Women

Women should have a role in shaping and re-designing the technology. Education and training must focus not only on using the technology but on fully understanding it.
Women must be trained to be "information literate", that is knowing where to find useful information, knowing how to organise information, and using information for advocacy.
Education must also tackle the content of the new ICT.

Government Policy and Political Will

Governments must support women's participation in new ICT by providing resources and infrastructure for women.
Governments must not surrender their rights, specifically on the issue of Intellectual Property Right (IPR).

Labor in New ICT

Governments, private companies, NGOs and civil society must address health and occupational hazards faced by women in computer industry.
New ICT may result in more home-based work for women. We must assess both its positive and negative impacts on women.
We must also assess women's position in the labor force in the computer industry.

Addressing the Issues of Poverty and Grassroots Women

ICT must be used to alleviate women's poverty.
We must address the issues of patenting, and protect indigenous peoples' traditional knowledge, which are threatened by new ICT.

Culture

We must be critical of the potential of new ICT to homogenise culture and to threaten cultural diversity and realities of women.

New ICT and Media

We must address the issue of trafficking of women and children through the Internet (i.e. Mail-Order-Brides, paedophilia, and prostitution).
We must address the issue to pornography on the Web.
We must look into re-defining and re-thinking the meaning of freedom of expression.

New ICT must be used to strengthen women's networking, participation in democratic processes, and economic empowerment.

Special Interest Workshop convened by the Asian Women's Resource Exchange

Report from Special Interest Group: Peace: A Call to Women's Leadership

Convenors: Women's Coalition for Peace with Dignity / Razia Ismail
Rapporteurs: Sarala Gopalan, Susheela Kaushik

SUMMARY:
The group noted the proliferation of war and conflict, militarism and the arms trade, and identified Peace as the missed priority of the 5 years since Beijing, acknowledged women's responsibility to become informed activists for Peace and non-violence in addressing differences, and pledged to work to make the Peace issue visible and women's peace leadership effective.

It called for women of the region to take leadership in developing peace action as a viable alternative to the use of force and arms both within and among communities and countries, and to build networks to create a strong peace lobby.

REPORT:
Women from Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, India met to assess women's leadership on the issue of peace since 1995 -- a period in which war and conflicts have proliferated, international agreements and peace processes are struggling to survive, the objectivity, authority and value of the United Nations are seriously questioned, and the arms trade is stronger than ever.

The group shared the concern that the issue of Peace has been the least visible element in women's efforts to uphold the 3-point agenda for women's advancement, and that women themselves need to assess what leadership they have been able to take as peace builders and protagonists of non-violent means of preventing and resolving differences and conflict. The Beijing Declaration (Pt 28) makes a commitment to action ' to ensure peace for the advancement of women,' and cites the leading role women have played in the peace movement. The group identified justice, mutual respect among people and nations, and international rather than global principles as indicators for measuring peace. Peace is not sought only for the advancement of women but because the world desperately needs to overcome the practice of force. It posed the question : how do we assess our performance since 1995 ? And what alternative strategy must women seek to exemplify ?

The group called for women of the region to make Peace a flagship issue in the Beijing Plus 5 review process, and to take leadership for peace. It recommended 4 practical actions:

Women must become fact-finders for peace, get informed on actual issues and their causes, and learn from positive experiences of civil society groups and countries, to build the prospects for 'independent neutral opinion' as a positive resource against conflict;
Women must challenge any ready made notion of a "culture of peace" and seek to define peace in relation to justice and mutual respect, to establish a basis of constructive pluralism rather than mere tolerance.
Women must build a strong peace lobby, through peace information and action networking to link with other NGOs and groups already working on the issue, and put peaceful pressure on governments, the UN and other decision-makers and opinion makers.
Education of children and youth in schools, colleges, training institutions and in the community must consciously incorporate and promote the values of respect for diversity, non-violence, and cooperation rather than competition, to build a genuine culture of peace.
In situations where peace is at risk, women must join together as activists for peace, to oppose the exercise of political, cultural, economic or military power or force and the use of arms

Women and Migration Report Special Interest Group

Convenor: Migrant Forum in Asia

Migration and the violence it brings about to women migrants as non-nationals to the country they work in, workers and as women, is persistent, a critical, issue that the BPFA has not recognised. It cuts through issues of women such as the issue of economics, human rights, and all other critical issues identified. This has been a big loss to women migrants, which in the Asian region have grown in significant numbers in the 1990s. More specific issues were brought out in the workshop, however:

plight of undocumented women migrants including trafficked women who are criminalized in countries and not given legal and sometimes even human rights because of their "illegal" status, whereas they are the survivors of the violence perpetuated by specific individuals, communities and the State itself;
lack of bilateral agreements between countries to protect migrants rights or if there are, unequal trade relations render these agreement unilateral in favour of the migrant receiving country;
curtailing of rights of migrants to unionise for collective action to address their situation, and also their political rights;
non-recognition of migration issues in the international and regional agenda of governments, and much less the situation of women migrants and
the non-ratification and adoption of governments of the UN Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families as minimum standard of migrant rights and welfare protection.

It is significant to note that the BPFA emphasised government accountability in ensuring the welfare of women [Paragraph 60-a], in this case of women migrants. This is especially important to migrant-concerned groups because the present deplorable state of women migration has been largely attributed to governments' non-recognition or apathy to the issue-a State perpetrated discrimination and oppression of women by omission. Instead, we find governments of labor-sending taking lead role in the promotion of migration to solve problems in national economy, labor and poverty without putting necessary structures to protect its migrants, or if there are structures by way of legislation and multilateral agreements, they are only token responses.

The challenge that remains is this: to continue to bring migration to the fore of international and regional agenda by all concerned groups, by the governments most of all. Governments should recognise and be accountable their role in the migration process. Specifically:

Recognise the particularity of the context and condition of women migrant workers, whether documented or undocumented, in the national, regional and international agenda;
As appropriate, create, integrate, develop and implement fender conscious legislation to address issues regarding documented and undocumented migrant women;
Enforce the strategic objectives concerning women migrants and women migrant workers stated in the Beijing Platform for Action;
Establishment of re-integration programs for the returning women migrants in particular would require government support for access to resources, financial or otherwise for the women migrants.

At the international level:

Ratify and adopt the UN Convention on the Protection of All Migrant Workers Rights and their Families as minimum standard for migrant women's rights;
Create a UN Special Rapporteur for the issues of Women Migrants
Actively monitor migrant rights violations through the creation of international migrants watch bodies, with particular regard to human rights violations against undocumented and/or trafficked women migrants.

Special Interest Group on Sexual Harassment of Women in the Work Place

Chairperson: Dr. Sarla Gopalan
Convenor: Mrs. Chander Mani Chopra,
Advocate - Supreme Court of India,
All India Women's Conference

Participants - Delegates from seven countries.

From the stories narrated by the delegates reflected: Socio-economic change, progressive advancement in education and training have brought out women as a large workforce. And women have to face several challenges and threats to emerge successful, able, competent and equal. Man's attitude has remained unchanged. He is unable to accept women as co-employee, colleague, co-worker and a competitor. His anger and annoyance manifest in various forms to establish male superiority. And sexual harassment is one such form. Social reprisals and job insecurity prevent women from expressing harassment and resentment. No laws for protection in this area.

Beijing Platform for Action (BPFA), CEDAW, Women's Commission, a leap forward to meet the challenge.

Supreme Court of India taking advantage of BPFA, CEDAW has filled the legislative vacuum in exercise of its special jurisdiction under article 142 of the Constitution of India in a public interest litigation by an NGO, by giving guidelines to employer - state, public and private sector - to set up Complaints Committee, 2/3rd of whom have to be women and in appropriate cases to have help of NGOs.

Judgement Today 1987 Vol. 7 Sec.384 Visakha & Others Vs. State of Rajasthan.

This is highly encouraging and effective.

Suggestions:

Special courts to be set up to handle cases of sexual harassment and complaints;
To ensure protection to the complainant, complaint to be kept totally confidential;
Complaints Committee to be manned by equal number of women and men;
Women to be trained to act in self-defence under such situations;
Gender sensitisation of civil society, judiciary, executive and police.

Special Interest Group on Women in Power and Decision-Making

Convened by the Department of Women's Development In Democratic Progressive Party

Since 1995, there are some successful programs or enactment to improve women's status to approach the decision-making power. In the following, we will introduce each of them and briefly analysing the lessons from the experiences and the further action or new initiatives.

1) The incorporation of one-fourth reserved seats for women into constitutional policy

In 1996, the DPP passed the pioneering policy to reserve women's seats both in public official candidacy and the whole party membership. The influence spreads into some female legislators who also enforce the National Assembly to regulate the one-fourth reserved seats into Constitutional Law for women. The draft has not yet been passed through so far. The struggling of women's organisations and female legislators is continually remained, and more efforts are needed to enforce the one-fourth reserved seats for women policy into the Constitutional Law.

2) The successful enactment of Sexual Crime Prevention Act:

Though in 1991, the Social Order Maintenance Act was implemented. However, there is no concrete regulation in the supportive network in medical treatment, family, education, legal consultancy and counselling to protect physical security and stop sexual harassment. So Sexual Assault Crime Prevention Act was born to regulate that the local government should involve all related bureaus and departments to build up the healthy operative network of the support system.

The cooperation of a healthy support system to stretch its in-time helpful resources to the victims is of great importance concerning with law-making. Besides, each local government should actively empower its support system to deal with any emergent situation. In the future, more active improvement in the construction of national sexual assault prevention network should be enforced.

3) The Implementation of Family Violence Prevention Act:

To prevent married women's basic human right from fear, the Act was passed on 24th June, 1998, and started to implement on 24th June, 1999. The whole set of support system should be planned in advance. The autonomy to serve for the consultancy and support to the victim is more important in their daily life, In the future, the complete implementation should be more carefully planned, involving different dimensional opinions to smooth the cooperation among the national organisations and sections to promote the efficiency of the network.

4) The amendment of Family Law:

The Family Law regulates the rights and obligations of a married couple. The ideology within the Family Law limits women's deserved rights for over forty years. Taiwanese women's organisations have actively asked for the law reform since 1970. After 1994, the revisions include:
a) Equal parental rights;
b) Equal rights for children's custody;
c) Wife reserving the identification right of her property;
d) Agreement on common domicile;
e) Wife reserving the original name;

The amendment of the matrimonial property regime is still under processing. The revision is heading for the respective property system which could prevent women from falling into poverty in or out of marriage.

5) The establishment of child-care system in the communities:

Pen Wan-Ru Foundation is actively engaged in building the system whose purpose is to empower the local female residents in the community. The system is designed by the ideal of gathering community's foundation, including the training of caring personnel whose budget can be applied from the government. To stimulate the automatic motivation of self-management inside the community is the target purpose of the program. Moreover, to help community women in poverty to get employment again and utilising the mutual support to manage the friendly and safe living condition for children, the elder, and women to live is the organisation's long-run vision.

6) Encouragement of women on community participation:

Feminist scholarship and social workers start to lead community women to actively engage into public events, to offer more opportunities for local women to be involved in decision-making. The influencing power to the housewives is conveyed by a) setting up the Committee of Community Security organized by mothers, and b) encouraging housewives to campaign for the local public election. The future focus would be on the breakthrough of the minor situation of women, returning the right of decision-making to those who mostly understand the community affairs.

7) Encouraging women to read widely and think locally:

The local study groups were set up one by one since the end of the 1980s. The involved community mothers are stimulated with the infusion of new conception, trying to expand topics to public policies. The idea of study group is even expanded to women's school which aims to bestow the community women with more opportunities for training and self-accomplishment. The further action will continually strengthen women's motivation for discussion which is also a training for public participation.

8) Community activities for children:

The community mothers motivate themselves to plan the after-school study for children which supplies another opportunity of parent-child interaction and understanding. The after-school study includes: review of school study, promoting the parent-child's interaction and mutual understanding. In 1995, the community kindergarten was firstly established by the mother members in the study group. The activity provides women with more creative space to involve in the practical operation in children's education. Their anew thinking on education could also have the refreshing power to improve the existent educational system.

Special Interest Group on Young Women

Speech made by Vanitha Subramaniem (ARROW, Youth Coalition for ICPD+5, youth representative on the steering committee of the NGO Forum) in the Asia Pacific Beijing + 5 regional meet Plenary

I am a young women and I am standing here on behalf of a few of us here today. We, the young women of the Asia Pacific region (the few of us that are here), have claimed our space today even if it was a 10-minute hijacking of the floor. We came with a purpose and we wanted our voices heard. My friend from Vietnam mentioned that young people are a huge gap in Beijing. The PFA mentions the girl-child, the adolescents, women and elderly women to an extent but not young women or young people. Our needs, our economic empowerment and development, our health, our realities have not been addressed.

Beijing was Beijing because of the very factor of our inclusiveness. Women from all walks of life, women with disabilities, indigenous women, young women, youth, adolescents, elderly women and other made Beijing a success story. But today, 5 years later, the most fundamental reason that made Beijing what it is today is not a reality in this for a for most of the women I mentioned, especially for young women.

ICPD+5 in The Hague was able to do just this - give space for the adolescent youth and young people to have a forum and have their voices heard. The process continued to the UN PrepCom where, we, the youth (young people and adolescents) who came from around the world, were given a platform and a space by the UN for our issues and needs to be addressed. We, who most view us as young, not capable of asserting and expressing ourselves and who some think are constantly indulging in sex, have been here to have our language incorporated into the ICPD+5 document at the UNGASS. We are proud of our achievements.

I am sad that when my friends stood up and expressed our feelings (and not without apprehension, mind you) some people were not listening to our voices as they were busy expressing their shock and surprise at the fact that we stood up and that we were claiming our space. We were merely, I believe, asserting our rights to speak. One person that if the young people want the limelight - ask them to go and do the culture shows. This is not what we are about, we are more than that. Although the youth forum was organised, we felt this was not a platform for our needs and realities to be expressed and addressed.

I put this to you - if we, the young people of this region cannot find support from you, then who can we turn to for leadership, for advice, for knowledge and the rich experiences that you have in this arena, for love, for encouragement, as we, the young women, try and find our way down the same road that thousands of women have walked on.

However, if you say: "yes, we support young people", then please create a space for our voices to be heard, our realities to be understood, and our needs to be addressed and our capacities built. Thank you.

Special Interest Group on Female Genital Mutilation

Convenor, Juliana Nkrumah

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a cultural practice that violates the human rights of women, the rights of the girl child, their rights to health, and an act of violence against women. The practice also has implications for the women's participation in the economy and in power and decision making.

Being such an extensive human rights issue, should preclude the women's movement holding on to the perception that it is only an African practice.

Indeed the practice exists in other parts of the world for similar reasons as in Africa, and some practice the same types of FGM as in Africa. International data on the practice so far indicates that some of the countries of the Asia Pacific Region practice FGM as such this conference needs to include FGM in their issues of concern.

FGM has become an emerging issue in both Australia and New Zealand. Some of the gains in some of the critical areas of concern (Women and Health, The Girl Child and Violence Against Women) in this region include gains in the passage of legislation banning the practice of FGM in various Australian States and in New Zealand as well as the initiation of, and provision of funding for education programs for the prevention of FGM.

However, this practice is neither highlighted as an issue nor mentioned as a practice worth addressing in this region.

It is important to note that Female Genital Mutilation is a terminology that encompassed all the types of the practice as classified by the World Health Organisation and action against all types of FGM is necessary. There should be no room for regionalisation or discrimination between the types of the practice. The Beijing Platform For Action calls on all states to take action to stop this practice and it is imperative that the region's reports addresses this issue.

There should be no room for cultural dictates that adversely affects the health of women!

Special Interest Group on Women's Health, Family Welfare and Population Management.

Convened By The All India Women's Conference
Chair: Mrs. Sham Mohini Pathak

The problems were discussed in detail and the group felt that failures and future strategies as given below should be highlighted.

Failures

Poor education is directly linked to poor nutrition, reluctance to access trained medical personnel and failure to use or improper use of Dais and services.
Many aspects of family planning programmes have been coercive and violative of basic human rights.
Lack of comprehensive and gender sensitive perspectives on health, lack of trained personnel, in both professional training and gender sensitisation.
Socio-cultural factors negatively influence women's health.
Poor access and utilisation of health services.
Failure to address wider development issues and acknowledgment of health as a key issue of the developmental agenda.
Lack of financial resources.

Future Strategies

It is imperative that women are made aware of their rights. Women's empowerment is both an end and means to development.
Increased budgetary allocation.
Need for development paradigm focusing on health as a critical need and bringing it to the centre stage of developmental processes.
Access to quality health services.
Awareness generation on health issues to achieve the goal of good health for all citizens.

Dr. Kamla Gidwani, Convenor

Special Interest Group on The Continued And Persistent Violence And Discrimination Against Tibetan Women Living In Occupied Tibet

We draw attention to the following persistent and challenging issues facing Tibetan women in occupied Tibet. There continues to be a systematic and widespread pattern of grave human rights violations as a result of discrimination against Tibetan girls and women in Chinese occupied Tibet.

Continued indeterminate detention, interrogation and absence of any meaningful right to counsel, making women vulnerable to torture, especially sexual torture complicated by grossly inadequate medical care in detention.
Continued violence against Tibetan women in the form of forced abortion and coerced sterilisation, contraception and abortion, including late-term abortion. Intrusive monitoring of Tibetan women's reproductive cycles and eugenic laws and regulations. Persistent sexually discriminatory nature of family planning measures, given that women bear virtually the entire burden of family planning measures.
Widespread prostitution and apparently promoted or condoned by authorities in occupied Tibet.
Persistent policies of discrimination in education of Tibetan girls, with no evidence of any efforts to promote and encourage education among them. Basic health care, especially of rural women continue to be dismal.
Continued evidence of discrimination against Tibetan women in employment, including inherently gender-discriminatory practices of "virginity" testing as a precondition to employment, hiring and promotion practices, and employment-related fines and penalties.

Recommendations:

The Peoples Republic of China (PRC) be required to submit to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, a detailed report on its implementation of the Platform for Action as set out in paragraph 323, particularly with respect to Tibetan women.
PRC to be urged to invite the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women to visit occupied Tibet.
Immediate steps be taken to prevent and eliminate all forms of violence against Tibetan women and girls in Chinese-occupied-Tibet.

Issued by the Tibetan Women's Association based in exile in India.

Special Interest group on Women in Taiwan

Since 1971, more than one quarter of a century, Taiwan has been isolated from the international world due to certain political reasons. From that time on, women in Taiwan suffered from very little linkage with women in other countries as well as other regions. There was very little information available through the 'proper' channels for the women of Taiwan.

Under these circumstances, Taiwan women's groups took no part in the Women's Decade, did not know what CEDAW meant, let alone how to implement or ratify it. This is a deep regret and a sense of loss for us despite the rapid economic development and democratisation in Taiwan. However, Taiwan women's groups are still thriving and achieve advancements on various issues.

We appreciate that this time Taiwan delegation has the opportunity to participate in the Asia Pacific Regional NGO Symposium which truly provides us with the vibrant interactions and dynamic experiences shared amongst different countries. This certainly would give more insights for the delegates and create rooms for the development of women in Taiwan.

In the year 2000, we wish that Taiwan would:

Enlarge the decision making level for women.
Reduce poverty population of women in Taiwan.
Change laws in response to contemporary women's needs.
And most important of all that Taiwan women could be part of the global sisterhood and their voices could be loudly heard upward to regional and international level.

By Ingrid Pi-ying Liao

Special Interest Group on Violence Against Women in Bangladesh

Prevalence

National statistics on violence against women are unavailable but it has been found that:

Mortality of women is higher from unnatural causes including homicide, suicide, poisoning, burning and accidents than from pregnancy related causes (i.e. maternal mortality) - Source: Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, GOB, 1995.
14% of maternal mortality has been found to be accompanied by a violence related to injury - Source: ICDDR, B, 1995.
A rape case is reported to the police every 12 hours and a rape of a minor is reported every 48 hours - Source: Report of the Home Minister to the Parliament, 1997.
An incident of acid throwing is reported every three days - Annual Report of the Inspector General of Police, 1998.
Visits to three sub-district (thana) hospitals revealed that 14% of women in the wards are admitted due to multiple injuries related to violence - Naripokkho, 1998.
Case-load for violence against women in Dhaka Medical College Hospital over six months was 112 of which 25.9% was battering; 24.1% suicide; 15.2% rape; acid burns 14.3%; flame burn 7.1% 4.5% murder and 9% others - Naripokkho, 1999.
Compilation o reported cases from two police stations in Dhaka city reveal that threats, battering, kidnapping and suicide are the most commonly reported forms of violence against women - Naripokkho, 1999.
From January to June, 1999, 43 incidents of acid throwing were reported in the national newspapers which had 70 victims - 59 women and girls and 11 men and boys.

Insights

Most violence against women goes unreported and occurs in the domestic sphere usually by the family.
Girls and women become targets of violence as a result of family feuds and enmity.
Rejection of romantic propositions and marriage proposals result in acts of vengeance by the boy or man with help from his friends which target the girl or woman for acid throwing, abduction, rape or gang-rape and murder.
Marital dispute is a major cause of wife-beating; while dowry is a major reason for dispute, it is not the only one; infidelity, incompatibility and sexual dysfunction are socially unrecognised cause of dispute, unhappiness and violence.
The growing insecurity for the family as girl reaches adolescence results in the restriction of her mobility, withdrawal from school and early marriage.

Limitations of the Existing Services

There are special laws to address violence against women for grievous injury but corruption of the system results in impunity.
No special support for victims of violence at the health facility.
Reporting procedures at the police station and subsequent legal procedures cumbersome and unfriendly to women and the poor.
Forensic medicine is still in its primitive stages in Bangladesh. No encouragement to the victims for forensic care.
Medical treatment for burns patient is grossly inadequate. Development of reconstructive surgery services has not received any priority.
Counselling and social support services for victims of violence grossly inadequate.

Examples of Some Actions Taken

Research completed from a women's group for a pilot survey and the development of research instrument for a national survey.
Development of a support group for survivors of acid attacks and the involvement of survivors in the movement to stop violence against women.
National and international advocacy.
Regular follow-up with the police on cases of acid attacks and rape.
Legal aid to fight individual cases.
Assistance for medical treatment.

Naripokkho

Statement From The Bridgebuilders International Consultation, Suva

We, the members of the Bridgebuilders International Consultation for women of Presbyterian and associated Christian churches, meeting together in love and faith in Suva, 22-25 July 1999, affirming our solidarity in Christ and seeking to maintain respect and dignity for all people in a peaceful world, have identified for action through new eyes the following crucial issues:

Promotion of justice and unity among all people, without barriers
Education for a change in attitudes for both women and men - "it's not her fault"
An urgent need to connect with people at all levels, especially at the grassroots
Promotion of self-esteem and confidence in women and girls
Development that is sustainable will be critical to the survival of our world
Shared decision-making in home, church and society
Creation of skills through capacity building to assist women to reach their fullest potential
The need to "feed our faith and starve our fears"
Economic pressure resulting from globalisation
Appreciation and care of the environment
Finding new ways to deal with the things that divide us
Loss of identity and roots through migration
The building of a closer relationships as one people through PACIFICWatch
Affirmation through sharing in solidarity
Churches geographically close must link together more
Promotion of greater face to face dialogue
Prayer and support for activities against all nuclear industry and production of all nuclear equipment
Greater treasuring of young women and children as our future hope
Building bridges between older and younger women and encouragement of older women to "bring a younger woman" overcoming destruction of lives through jealousy, hatred, discrimination and war
Networking across race, culture, geography, history and language.
The need for solidarity with each other and accountability to God
Empowerment of women to be strong enough to make a choice
Encouragement of cross-cultural exchange and cultural sensitivity
Implementation of the strategic objectives of the twelve critical issues of the Beijing Platform for Action

India Country Statement

India adopted the Declaration and the Platform for Action at the Fourth World Conference in September 1995 without any reservations. India had also made Commitments at the Conference to bring out a National Policy on Women, dedicate 6% of the GDP to Education, Universalise Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), Appoint a Women's Rights Commissioner.

Consequent on these Commitments a National Policy for the Empowerment of Women has been drafted. It is yet to be approved by Government formally. Many of the clauses in the policy have been taken up for action or processes for action have been initiated. Significant among these are:

Initiation of dialogue on Sectoral policies.
Formulation of State policies.
Collection of gender disaggregated data.
Convergence of programmes for the advancement of women, (Inclusion in the approach to the Ninth Five Year Plan).
Development of Gender Development Indicators.
Intensive efforts to capture womens' work in the Census enumeration
Focus on elementary education of girls, adult literacy for women, skill development training for women.
Promotion of micro credit for women.
Intensification of formation of self-help groups.
Near Universalisation of the ICDS programme.
Introduction of a Bill in the Parliament to reserve 33% of representation in the Parliament and Legislatures for women, which has since lapsed.

The things that have not happened are:

The appointment of a Women's Rights Commissioner.
Allocation of 6% of GDP for Education.
Adoption of the National Policy on Empowerment of Women.
The Rights of Girl-child have not come on to the Women's Agenda.

The Women's Movement in India has grown in strength. Networking of NGO organisations is becoming intensive, though a great deal more needs to be done for better coordination. The dialogue with the Government has also to be intensified for greater coordination between Government and NGO Action. Lobbying by the NGOs on various matters of priority concern to the people at the grass-roots level is gaining strength. Interaction with Parliamentarians is becoming more regular. Recourse to Public Interest Litigation has won many long- standing battles on gender and other common public issues. The Judiciary, Police and bureaucracy are being put through gender sensitisation training, which has started paying dividends. There is greater emphasis on the positive portrayal of women in the Media, though, much more needs to be done in this area. Women are becoming more aware of their rights through legal literacy programmes undertaken by the NGOs both with the support of the Government and with support from bilateral and multi lateral donor agencies. Some NGOs have also taken up this programme from their own funds. The pace of reform of legislation is yet slow as various amendments are still under consideration of the Government.

Political participation of women is yet very low as reservation of seats has not yet come through, and the number of women included in the lists of candidates for election to the 13th Lok Sabha is very small.

The Women's Role in Food Security Workshop

2 September 1999
Conclusion and Recommendations

Topic: Regional Perspectives and Policies on Food Security and Women

FAO Role

Three aspects of food security are availability, access and stability. Availability is related to production of enough food for all. Access is determined by the ability to purchase and procure food. Stability relates to sustainable availability and access all through life cycle and seasons and for future generations Adequacy of food availability means that overall supply, overall nutritional needs in terms of both quantity and quality. Stability of food supply presupposes environmental sustainability, implying that there is a societal commitment to use natural resources judiciously so as not to compromise future sources of food security. Access has to do with household entitlements to food supplies. Highly inequitable income distribution, inadequate opportunities for raising the returns to the poor's labour, and inefficient marketing systems interfere with entitlements, especially for the poorest of the poor. Stability of access presupposes improvement in these factors, including promotion of various formal and informal safety nets aimed at securing food access in times of distress.

Rural Women's Contribution to Agriculture Production in Asia and the Pacific Region

At present women's contribution in the Asian region parallels or in certain areas exceeds that of men. The level of participation is influenced by the state of economic and social development of the countries. There are two important pieces of information . First, countries with lower achievement in Human Development indicators and Gender Development indicators have a larger percentage of their economically active population (both male and female) employed in the agriculture industry. Second, these same countries have a higher proportion of economically active women involved in agricultural activities relative to men. The disparities are likely to increase as rural to urban migration continues to change the composition of rural areas putting even greater responsibilities for the growth of the agricultural sector on women. At present, rural women's contribution to the development of agriculture ad reral economies. continue to be enumerated under unpaid family work. In the coming century an important thrust should be placed on counting of women in agriculture and rural economies in the national census particularly in the agriculture census of countries in Asia.

Perspectives on Policies to Assist Rural Women in Asia and the Pacific

Women's role in the family and the national economy is so pervasive that all policies should take into consideration the gender specific concerns which reflect women's needs.The policies to support women have to be oriented to include welfare and economic production. In Asia and the Pacific there are the government machineries to improve the status of women in all aspects. These agencies have been guided by a series of UN Conferences on Women, from Nairobi to Beijing. In the context of rural women, their multiple tasks such as agriculture producers, processors and family workers in the farm and paid labour in agro-industries demand that their concerns are addressed in policies and programmes in the agriculture and natural resource management sectors. Yet, they are not explicitly developed only to assist women.

Future Perspectives to Support Rural Women to Ensure Food For All

Generally there is very limited interaction between the national Ministries of Women's Affair or Committees for the Advancement of Women and the technical sector. That focus on agriculture and rural development. At the end of this century we have not yet solved the old problems impacting on rural women's effective and equal participation, we are facing new sets of compounded problems that further challenges rural women's equity and welfare. In the 1990's, the emphasis had been on identifying those so far hidden problems of social ills affecting women's lives such as domestic violence and trafficking. But the focus has weakened on yet unresolved problems which lacks dramatic appeal but has real relevance to women's daily lives. In the early part of the next century the current generation's primary livelihood concerns will persist and will continue to emerge as third generation problems for the rural women reaching adulthood.

Topic: Environmental Changes Impacting on Food Security

Environment has been changed in many ways such as increasing CO2 content in the air, ozone layer destruction, increasing in methane and deforestation. The environment change will influence food production and food security contaminant. Food production is tightly related to food security.

In the future, 30-40 years from now, demand for food will be double. Increasing of food production is done by applying technologies on food sources, planting system and post harvesting management.

Organizations that monitor environmental quality are USEPA, Thai PCD, WHO and FAO. Food comes from plants, living stock, animal and sea foods. These foods can be contaminated from each originated environment. To be secured in food, all foods should not be contaminated by harmful substances from the environment; heavy metals and carcinogens. To have high food quality, prevention and control on source of contamination, preventing sale of contaminated food, introducing regulations by government and monitoring chemicals an food needs.

Topic: Small Agri-Food Industrial Enterprises for Income Generating by Women

The strategies for development of farm women

Give to opportunity farm women, as agricultural producers, to develop their potential to participate in the decision - making process, planning, utilization of resources and technologies for agricultural development and agro-industry, along with male farmers.
Develop skills and capability of farm women at various steps of production activities and agricultural technology transfer.
Provide knowledge and service to farm women, in management, marketing, cooperatives, credit and entrepreneur ship.
Support the roles of farm women for farm family improvement.
Improve extension service and adjust roles of officials to assist farm women development.
Encourage the establishment and development of farm women's organization.
Establish the mechanism to promote effective development of farm women.

Conclusion

The success of small agri-food industrial enterprises depends on many factors .The large number of a farm women group could scale up the business and fulfil distance market. Training courses are necessary in sustaining farm women groups in agri-food industrial which will generate better income and prevent labor migration to the city.

Recommmendation from the floor:

Women voluntary participation.
Women effectiveness.
Multiple Agencies Working in rural area-confusion and co-ordination.
Budget allocation.
Advocacy program to understand the role of women.
improve rural men's awareness as women as partner.
Respect Women's work and value.
Productive and reproductive role.
Survey/census should not emphasize that rural women are only housekeepers.
Change the definition of women's work.
Women's role in developing off-farm activities.
Policies to improve women's equal access to creditation as capital for off-farm activities (for food security ).
Women organizing to discourage activity to improve Food production through better management of environment.
Community participation in environment protection policies
- Encourage public hearing.
Lack of data base on participation of women for policy.
Distribution issues inter-country.
Global-unbalances
- How to involve women in changing the distribution problem.
Policy for strengthening women to improve their own opportunities.
Emphasis for social development to change stereo type
- Beliefs that Social Development Program Training for women to change this stereo type.
Policy for give women equal participation with men to improve Food Security such as training and inputs.
People in 3rd World should be informed about pesticide impact, pesticide banning, prevent dumping of pesticide.
Equal rights for clean environment, open access to information on bad impact of pesticide.

Summary of the Women & Health Workshop

The women's health workshop discussion was situated within deep concern for the increasing globalisation of economies and feminisation of poverty in the Asia-Pacific region. While some of the gains since Beijing included some policies, programmes and laws on reproductive health, these have not pervaded in the region but remain limited to very few countries, and operationalising the new policies and laws is weak. The gains include reproductive healthcare programmes with services for STDs and RTIs, apart from the usual family planning and safe motherhood programmes. Education for the prevention of HIV/AIDS and young people's health needs is increasingly being seen as important. A model for multi-sectoral approach to service provision for survivors of violence is the One-Stop Crisis Centre.

However, the participants were disturbed by the persistent shortcomings, from a lack of conceptual clarity (of reproductive health, reproductive rights, and gender equality and equity) down to a lack of resource allocation and political will. The richness of NGO experience and expertise has largely been untapped by governments. Globalisation has led to health sector reforms and reduced women's access to affordable and quality healthcare. Women's indigenous knowledge on healthcare has been appropriated and commercially exploited and privatised.

The adoption of the life-cycle approach to address comprehensively women's health needs is lacking, with a disproportionate emphasis on contraception/family planning and HIV/AIDS prevention compared to basic primary healthcare services, including infectious diseases. This has contributed to the lack of services for older women, adolescents, disabled women, lesbian women, indigenous women, marginalised groups such as lower castes, women in armed conflict, and migrant women. Unfortunately, abortion is still an issue of contention leading to high maternal mortality due to unsafe abortions. The availability of services for mental healthcare and women suffering from gender-based violence is either inadequate or non-existent. Men have not been addressed as responsible partners in contraception and safer sex. There are not yet agreed upon core indicators for monitoring the new broad concept of women's health and rights, nor national institutional mechanisms to develop such a framework, let alone available, reliable and desegregated data.

Our Two Priority Issues

Women's health policies, programmes and services should therefore not be designed without addressing gender-disempowered relations that women face, either in their own homes or with the community. A two-pronged approach in empowering women to exercise control over their bodies and sexuality needs to be adopted and men have to be sensitised to bring about change in their irresponsible sexual, reproductive, sexist and patriarchal behaviour.
Women's bodies should not be used as political arenas to advance the vested interests of religious institutions and the State. Women have to reclaim ownership over their bodies and sexuality, and NGOs at all levels and UN agencies need to ensure that sufficient pressure is exerted on governments/religious factions, who forcibly compel women to conceive, abort and be sterilised.

Our vision

Health is a personal and social state of balance and well-being in which a woman feels strong, active, creative, wise and worthwhile, where her body's vital power of functioning and healing is intact, where her diverse capacities and rhythms are valued, where she may decide and choose, express herself and move about freely.

Gender and Family Well-being

0900-1630, Thursday, 2 September 1999

The convenor was Dr.Saowaporn Muangkeo from Thai Home Economics Association. The 30 Participants came from China, Philippines, Nepal, Malaysia and Thailand.

Workshop Recommendations:

Family issues are inevitably vital to all Beijing critical areas of concern that need to be addressed seriously in all levels of policy making and implementation to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women. Problems concerning gender inequality and family violence are still prevailing in Asian countries. Thus, prompt actions for solution of these problems are urged by Gos and NGOs. Some of the future actions are as follows:

Promote education and training for gender equality through community-base.
Focus on:
- Family life education
- Gender/Sex education
- Parent education
- Household chores
- Human rights
- Women leadership/Self confidence
- Family resource management
Support more cross-sectional and longitudinal research on the issues of gender equality.
Encourage gender awareness and gender advocacy in both family and community levels through child-rearing process, family socialization and educational system (from preschoolers to adults).
Enforce non-discriminatory law and legislation in all aspects related to gender equality.
Focus on:
- Work/Job opportunity and status
- Family law (concerning divorce, separation, the use of last name, etc.)
Set up community-based centers for prevention, intervention and problem-solving support of family violence.
Improve and create more gender-fair instructional materials and all kinds of mass media.

*Other interest groups took place, but did not submit a report for inclusion in the Symposium Report.

Tree of life pledges

Australia
In our busy challenging lives with demands of family, work and the struggles we are inuclued in, sometimes our batteries runs low, our energies are gone, and our spirit is diiminished.
When we feel this way the gift of a women's gathering delivers to us a rechaged battery, an injection of energy and a revilalized spirit.
We have embraced each other's joy, pains and struggles.
Our difference is our strength. We are one, we are many.

Linda Burney
Wiradjuri Women, Australia

Bangladesh
The Asia Pacific regional NGO symposium organized by Asia Pacific Watch has immensely benefited the representatives of Bangladesh and others. We look forward to achieving the following goals and visions come true:

We would like a violence free world in Bangdadesh, soon.
The strategies for PFA implemenration to be much clearer, so that we can prioritize and action them.
We would like to eliminate poverty and establish human rights with full ratification of CEDAW and PFA implementation.
To continue to work for the political, economic empowerment of women, which has already started,
We would look forward to a better networking and solidarity with The Asia Pacific women. The sharing of ideas experiences to educate us all.
The critical area workshops, special interest workshops, especially the panel presentations of the "Women's future visions of the movement" were particularly educative.
Youth Forum presentations make us feel that we need not worry about the future generation, as they are highly sensitised.

Jahanara Hoo on behalf of the Bangladesh.

Cambodia
Women want Gender Equality and Peace in Action not only on paper and for solidarity to reign all over the world

Canada
In sisterhood of all the nations throughout the world.

China
Statement by Participants from China

We, the Chinese participants, are very happy to be here in Thailand for this Asia Pacific NGO Symposium, celebrating our achievements, identifying challenges, defining future actions and above all strengthening our solidarity for women's advancement and gender justice.

Since the Beijing conference, Chinese women have made remarkable progress in various fields. At present, there are 650 female deputies to the National People's Congress (parliament), taking up 21.18% of the total, and 2 full and 16 vice women ministers in the State Council. Of the working population, 46.6% are women, and of the scientists and technical personnel, 36.91% are women . The enrolment rate of school-age girls is now 98.81% Chinese women still have many difficulties and challenges. We will recommit ourselves and work harder. At the dawn of the new millenium, we wish for greater success in our efforts to further enhance the status of our chinese sisters and realize gender equality. We are full of confidence that our chinese sisters will have a much better future.

We'd like to take this opportunity to express our thanks to all those who has worked hard to make this event possible, linking us with Beijing conference in 1995 and further to the UN Special Session on Women in the year 2000 beyond. Our special thanks go to our host organization and its President Thanpuying Sumalee Chartikavanij for bringing us together, for giving us all the facilities and for their warm hospitality.

Fiji
We, the representatives from Fiji. On behalf of the women's NGO's of Fiji, reaffirm our commitments made in Beijing to persevere for the advancement of women in Fiji through the BPFA's critical areas.

We will endeavour to work in solidarity so that the dreams of women in Fiji are realised and a world of true equality for women is achieved.

Iran
Statement of Communication Network of Women NGOs in I.R. of Iran.

"In the name of God"
Progress and development in all aspects of life, social economical, cultural and political, etc. in Iran as a Muslim country have been continued and enhanced by active participation by people, particularly women.

During last 10 years, mainly since Beijing, Iranian have taken considerable steps towards human right goals which are women goals. With the self-confidence they gain, they have created and prepared way ahead for 21st Century.

The Communication Network of Women NGOs is a non-political and non-governmental, with the consultative status granted by ECOSOC, consists of more than 100 NGOs. Now let's shed light on some of their activities; our remarkable success has been on Education, Health and Decision making.

The Network plan of action on the threshold of 21st Century will emphasize:

Education both men and women (Gender balance).
Establishing data based banking for more effective communication among NGOs internally as well as internationally.
Educationing civil society towards women consciousness, redefining and reorientation of their roles (in the family as well as the society).
Changing the traditional hierarchy from men on the top to capabilities in civil society regardless of Genders.
Organizing international Congress on Women Issues in collaboration with other NGOs in other countries in the region (eg. challenges facing women Muslims in 21st Century in Kuwait in Oct. 1999) Expanding informal education in the society through mass media (particularly radio, TV, cinema etc.) to change the attitudes.
Emphasizing our cultural, religion values fending our unique strategies to improve status of women in 21st Century.
Identifying donors, banks for funds to help NGOs.

India
We have a strong commitment but many miles to go with many new challenges to meet!

Indonesia
Indonesia NGO's statement (September 3, 1999)

Call on all governments:
1. To stop violence immediately;
2. To consistently implement CEDAW, CRC, home wokers and all other human rights convention;
Call to all our sisters around the world particularly in the Asia Pacific Region:
1. To promote human centered development in which equality between women and men is guaranteed both as agents and beneficiaries at all levels and in all sector;
2. To ensure clean, transparant and accountable governance;
3. To actively participate in the globali action process in order to stop victimization of women, depletion of natural resources and deterioration of environment quality;
4. To continue the women's movement with full participation of youth and girl children in order to guarantee a better future for all.

Japan
Women's silent revolution in Japan towards the 21st Century.

Japanese women are not gentle and quiet any more. The women's silent revolution has been underway in various areas. The male dominated political circle has been gradually changing since late 1980's. This movement was accelerated by the Beijing Conference as well as the NGO forum in which more than 5000 Japanese women participated. The number of female representatives at prefectural assemblies, City/Town/Village councils was increased from 4.6% to 7%, at the unified local election in April 1999. Women's groups and NGOs in various areas in Japan have been running training courses to increase female participation in politics, supported female candidates and demanded political parties to increase the number of female candidates. Successful female candidates have already started transformative politics, despite persistent interference or even attack by male counterparts who have become more conservative and the resurgence of the right wing in recent Japanese society.

NGOs networks which have been created at this beautifully organized and inspiring Asia Pacific NGO Symposium have encouraged and empowered Japanese women to continue their silent revolution. Hence, Japanese women will not stand in any way divided, but help each other and establish wider networks to promote further solidarity and collaboration. Thus, the 21st Century will hopefully be the century for women in Japan where traditional patriarchal value will be replaced by feminist perspectives to create a new society which will have better relationships with other Asian countries.

We Japanese women wish strongly support a Beijing +10 Meeting in 2005.

Korea
Statement of Korea

We, the Korean Participants of the Asia Pacific Regional NGO Symposium extend our gratitude to the organizing Committee leaded by Thanpuying Sumlee and Patricia Licuana to have given us the opportunity not only to identify commonalties and differences is our progress and failure in the process of the implementation of BPFA, but also to recognize the solidarity and sisterhood in our respective efforts of promoting the status of women.

The outcomes of this inspiring an inclusive Symposium in preparation of Beijing+5 Review will be carried with us to each country and region to be disseminated and the most valuable outcome is the tapistry of reaffirmation that Asia Pacific women have woven together, to construct a clean, accountable and transparent civil society, where would be no more violence of against women nor of women's human rights, and where women would be respected as citizens in partnership with men having equal access to power and Decision making, new education and training for ICT, etc, so that Women's vision 2000 would be vision for all human kinds.

We, finally, take pleasure to invite you to the 1999 Seoul International NGO Conference to be held in Seoul, October 10-16 and witness and support the struggles and endeavours of Women of Korea, Country of Morning Calm, to keep the gender balance in nation wide efforts to overcome the recent economic and financial crisis, including all the effects of globalization.

Lao
On behalf of the Delegation of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, we would like to express our sincere thanks and gratitude to the Asia Pacific Regional NGO Symposium, Asia Pacific Women 2000 as well as UNIFEM Apro ,Bangkok who gave our delegation the excellent opportunity to participate in this important Symposium.

From this occassion, we have gained a lot of experience on the implementation of the BPFA from each country, which will be the basic for preparing the BPFA report for Lao P.D.R. In addition, we had a good opportunity to strengthen solidarity and networking with all of our sisters from other countries in the subregion and this Region.

From now to the year 2020, our vision as follows:

Poverty Alleviation
Gender Equality
Human Resource Development
and Happiness!

Malaysia
Statements from the National Council of Women's Organizations, Malaysia.

We rejoice in the sisterhood of all women amongst the Asia Pacific Nations. We have come together in Thailand to share our visious for the new millenium, and we succeeded in sharing our gains, our achievements and our challenges.

We are optimistic that the new millenium will see many desirable transformations that will bring us closer to gender equality, development and peace. But this deal will not come easily - we will have to work hard, put aside our differences, and see one another in a new light - people friendly, women friendly, each other friendly.

We wish to thank our Thai hosts for making our coming together here possible. We will always remember the hectic days in Kasetsart and the Asia Pacific NGO Regional Symposium of 1999.

eciwa Kasete

Nepal

Despite persisting challenges and obstacles, in the year 2000 we hope to achieve gender justice through transformation in socio-cultural, economic and religious norms and practices and amendment of applicable laws. We are going to strive for gender justice in women's lives through equal access to education, health services, information, economic opportunities, and political status at all levels. Special attention will be focussed on the prevention and elimination of domestic violence and trafficking of women and girls for commercial sexual exploitation.

New Zealand
Women 2000 in New Zealand

I hope we will continue ''to reach for a star'' I mean the ''Star'' of real equality which affirms the differences between women and men. And in our striving we may reach a place where we can joyfully celebrate the partnership women and men can form together.

Pakistan
Pakistan Closing Statement Asia Pacific Regional NGO Symposium, 31 August-4 September, 1999. Thailand.

In Pakistan, the Beijing Platform for Action and its follow-up created the space for a more concerted and broad based struggle for a just and peaceful society.

Simultaneously, there have been several grave developments with adverse impact and implications for the people in general and poor and women in particular. The most threatening of these developments have been:

Globalization of economy leading to rising cost of living and shrinking social services
Undemocratic political processes, breakup of the social order, and an upsurge of right wing anti-women forces undermining the already fragile status of women
Nuclearisation and increasing mililtarization leading to ever increasing defense budgets and insecurities.

However, the overall Beijing process, formation of the National Plan of Action and its monitoring at national, provincial and district levels mobilized hundreds of organizations around the issue of gender equality, peace and development. Our greatest gain has been these micro-macro linkages and ever growing commitment and determination to create a more just and human Pakistan.

We the members of women's organizations and NGOs are certain there is now a sound foundation to continue our struggle and see the movement expand.....

Taiwan
Statement from Taiwan

Since 1970, more than one quarter of a century, Taiwan has been isolated from the International world due to political reasons. From that time on, women in Taiwan suffered from the lack of linkage with women in other countries as well as other regions. There was hardly any information available, through any channels, to enable women in Taiwan to be aware of what was happening in the wider world.

Under these circumstances, Taiwan women's groups took no part in the Women's Decade, did not know what CEDAW meant, let alone to implement or to ratify it. This is a deep regret and a sense of loss for us despite of the rapid economic development and democratization in Taiwan. However, Taiwan women's groups are still thriving and achieving advancement on various issues.

We appreciate that this time a Taiwanese delegation has had the opportunity to participate in the Asia Pacific Regional NGO Symposium, which has truly provided us with vibrant interactions and dynamic experience sharing with women from different countries. This certainly has given more insight for the delegates and created room for the development of women in Taiwan.

In the year 2000 we wish that Taiwan would:

enlarge the number of women at the Decision Making level
reduce the number of women in Taiwan who live in poverty
change laws in response to contemporary women's needs

And most important of all, that Taiwanese women can be part of the global sisterhood and their voices can be loudly heard moving upward to the regional and the international levels.

(By Ingrid Pi-Ying Liao)

Thailand
Thailand NGOs Statement

We, The Thai women, pledge here together to continue to work harmoniously towards the advancement of women.
We, the Thai women, will make the new millenium become the millenium of gender equality, peace and justice.
We, the Thai women, together will make today the first milestone towards the perpetual bond of friendship
We, the Thai women, will make our women movement sustainable.
We, the Thai women, will make sure that our voices are heard, loud and clear.

Together, with our invaluable bond of friendship, nothing can hold us back. No obstacle, unjustice nor prejudice is unconquerable.

Gender equality, peace and justice shall prevail! (September 3, 1999)

Thailand Youth Statement

Thanks for a great experience, and chance to meet new friends.
This symposium taught us how to participate and communicate with people from many parts of the world, which I considered a great and a great opportunity
I want to be one of the participants in next meeting
Thanks for giving me a great chance in my life to gain so many experiences that will remain in my mind.
I had a great experience from this program. I would like to join this symposium again. thank you.
This symposium has been excellent and it is great understanding it is just the first step. I think it needs to go longer though and be better promoted to bring in more people from every region.

Vietnam

We, the Vietnamese delegation participating at the symposium are very impressed with the opportunity to share perspectives for the reviewing of BPFA.

We expect to fulfill our mandate to contribute to the objectives to 2000, well being equality, advancement and happiness.

On behalf of Vietnamese Delegation, Le Thi Thu, Vice President, Vietnamese Women's Union

Opening Welcome Address by Thanpuying Sumalee Chartikavanij

Opening Ceremony of The Asia-Pacific Regional NGO Symposium
Asia-Pacific Women 2000: Gender Equality, Development and Peace for the Twenty-First Century
Kasetsart University, Kamphaengsan Campus
Tuesday 31st August 1999

I would like to extend to all of you my warm appreciation for your being with us for this most important regional symposium - coming as it does at the dawn of the new millenium. Our subject, Asia Pacific Women in the Year 2000 and Beyond.

The last decade has been an important one for all of us; First, there was the 1990 Five Year Review of the Nairobi Forward Looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women and the Platform for Action, and then, more importantly, the Beijing Platform for Action in 1995, the major policy document drafted by the 50,000 men and women, who gathered in Beijing for the United Nations' Fourth World Conference on Women and the NGO Forum on Women.

It is this BPFA policy document that we, women of the Asia Pacific, must bring to the attention of our governments in order to hold them accountable for delays in implementing gender equality.

But it is also up to us, as women, concerned for our own future and that of our children, to work together to ensure the smooth transistion of the dramatic social and political changes that gender equality can and will assuredly bring.

I, for one, am looking forward with eagerness to the new millenium and the hopes it will engender for all of us. But I know that we must not now or ever, relax our vigil. We must work together. We must strengthen our resources and dedicate ourselves anew to the effective implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action.

The specific objectives of this Regional Symposium, which we will be reviewing over the next few days, will demand the greatest solidarity and participation on the part of all the Asia Pacific Region's NGOs. Together, with them, we must work towards promoting the cooperative alliances with our respective Governments and the United Nations, to ensure that the goals of the BPFA are met.

Only then, will be in a position where we can effectively focus on those persistent and emerging issues; - women and poverty; education and training of women; women and health; violence against women; women and armed conflict; women and the economy; women in power and the decision making; institutional mechanisms for the advancement of women; human rights of women; women and the media; women and the environment; and the girl-child; - identified in Beijing, as the 12 critical areas of concern.

It will be up to us, during the busy days ahead, to review and appraise what has been done and what still remains to be done. I am sure that during our discussions here we will be able to learn much from each other. And on the basis of what we will have learned, we will be able to make a report, with stringent recommendations for future action, that will be presented to ESCAP High-Level Meeting in Bangkok, in October.

As I have mentioned earlier, the "future is in our hands"; It is up to us, as women working together, to ensure that the dawning Twenty-First Century will truly be one of Gender Equality, Development and Peace.

Thank you and once again, may I welcome you all to the Asia Pacific Regional NGO Symposium - Women 2000.

Welcome Remark by Professor Dr. Thira Sutabutra

President of Kasetsart University
Opening Ceremony of The Asia-Pacific Regional NGO Symposium
Asia-Pacific Women 2000: Gender Equality, Development and Peace for the Twenty-First Century
Kasetsart University, Kamphaengsan Campus, Nakoenpathom
Tuesday 31st August 1999

Your Excellency, Minister attached to Prim Ministers Office, The President of Thai Watch and Co-Chair Person of the Steering Committee Thanpuying Sumalee Chartikarvanij, Distinguished Guests and Participants, The Asia-Pacific Youth, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is indeed a great pleasure for me today to extend my warmest welcome on behalf of Kasetsart University to the representatives of the Asia-Pacific NGO Women Networks and the Youth to the Asia-Pacific Regional NGO Symposium: Asia-Pacific Women 2000: Gender Equality, Development and Peace for the Twenty-First Century. I am also delighted that Kasetsart University has the honour to co-host this very important event taking place in the University's National Agricultural Extension and Training Center.

May I also take this opportunity to welcome the presence of distinguished guests from such agencies as ESCAP, UNIFEM, UNDP, SIDA and concerned non-governmental organizations and other organizations in Asia and the Pacific, all of which have given strong support and have set high priorities to the gender equality, development and peace issues.

The noteworthy gathering is initiated from the United Nation General Assembly Special Session on Beijing Plus Five at UN Headquarters in March 1999. Such event has encouraged NGOs to prepare alternative reports of the Platform for Action in their respective countries, and to assist in preparation of regional and global alternative reports to be submitted to the UN Special Session in June 2000. I do hope that this week will be dedicated to the pursuance of our goal that will mark a memorable experience of your visit to Thailand and Kasetsart University.

Finally, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, may I wish you very best in taking part in this fruitful symposium and to remember Kasetsart University as you spend a happy stay in this Center and after you departure from the country.

Thank you.

Welcome Remark by Mrs.Suchada Sudhisanronakorn

President of Pan Pacific and Southeast Asia Women's Association of Thailand
Under the Patronage of Her Majesty the Queen
Opening Ceremony of The Asia-Pacific Regional NGO Symposium
Asia-Pacific Women 2000: Gender Equality, Development and Peace for the Twenty-First Century
Kasetsart University, Kamphaengsan Campus, Nakoenpathom
Tuesday 31st August 1999

It is indeed an honor to be one of the hosts of this very important regional symposium that is commencing today.

On behalf of the Pan Pacific and Southeast Asia Women's Association of Thailand under the Patronage of Her Majesty the Queen, I would like to extend to everyone a very warm welcome. Many of you have come from far away, and we are most delighted that you are here to share this invaluable experience with us.

The Symposium is an opportune occasion for all of us, as it is a time when wear going to review and assess the Beijing Platform for Action and to develop further the issues encompassing the implementation of the Platform for Action by our governments. We, as women and young people from non-governments organizations, have a major role to play in advancing gender equality and promoting sustainable development and peace for the coming century through the implementation of the Platform for Action.

It is important that we in the Asia Pacific region work together to ensure that voices of women and youth are heard.

Speaking on behalf of my Association, I hope that this meeting will turn out to be a highly productive and successful one. For those who have come from overseas, I hope that you will enjoy your stay in this country and will take back fond memories of Thailand.

Inaugural Address by Khunying Supatra Masdit

Minister to the Priminister
Opening Ceremony of The Asia-Pacific Regional NGO Symposium
Asia-Pacific Women 2000: Gender Equality, Development and Peace for the Twenty-First Century
Kasetsart University, Kamphaengsan Campus, Nakoenpathom
Tuesday 31st August 1999

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Throughout the past decades, there have been a lot of opportunities for us to meet at different times, in different places, and on different occasions. Each gathering brought with it a great pleasure of friendship and created a strong sense of commitment to work together. And I believe this symposium is no exception.

For friends who have traveled from abroad,... Welcome to Thailand. And for all you here,... Welcome to the Asia-Pacific Regional NGO Symposium.

The agenda before us for the next four days reminds me of one important fact. Many issues of our concerns, gender issues, remain unresolved. Here I need not list all such problems facing women. Neither so I need to go into any particular detail. They are the issues already so dear to our hearts. In fact, they are no more women's issues, but People Issues; and are integral parts of the agenda for the year 2000.

A question to ask ourselves at this turning point to the twenty-first century is : what we can do, and what we have to do, to make the future. And it must be the future of something different from what we have now.

Looking back into the past two decades, I can say that there have been some remarkable women's movement and advancement in Thailand. Since the 1975 International Women's Year and the first World Conference on Women in Mexico, there have been efforts to bring to attention the needs and concerns of women at the national level. Such efforts resulted in the formulation of the long-term Policies and Planning for Women's Development 1982-2001, and its adjusted version 7992-2001, as well as the five-year Women's Development Plans. These plans have been integrated in the National Economic and Social Development Plans.

I wish to note that the current Women's Development Plan of Thailand indeed incorporates the concerns from the Beijing Platform for Action, particularly the issues of gender equality, violence against women, the girl-child, human rights of women, trafficking in women and children, as well as women's roles in decision-making. Many political parties have also formulated policies on gender equality and the advancement of women, including an attempt to find ways to provide skills and training programmes for women; to promote women's status and eliminate discrimination against women; and, to protect women and children to receive fair income and welfare.

However, much more need to be done. Words must become actions. Policies must be translated onto programmes that will reach right sown to the grass-root level. We have to ensure that the policies, and all the tools we have, are properly used to overcome the present obstacles and to prepare to face the challenges awaiting us in the next century. In doing so, it is also of great importance that we have to learn about the innovative practices for the advancement of women from other Asia-Pacific countries. A forum like this one, with NGO representatives from all corners of Asia-Pacific working in widely different area of women's concern, will provide us a good opportunity for sharing experiences that are most beneficial to the issues of gender equality, development and peace in the region as a whole.

Dear Friends and Colleagues,
I mentioned at the beginning that each meeting in the past never failed to bring friendship and create a strong sense of commitment to work together. I would like to add here that each meeting always came up with resolution for action and implementation. With collective experiences over several decades, I am certain that the outcome of this symposium will greatly contribute to gender equality as we inter the new century, and I whish all of you every success.

May I now declare the Asia-Pacific Regional NGO Symposium open.

Keynote Address: Challenges for Women in the 21st Century

Ms. Linda Burney
Wiradjuri Nation Australia
Opening Ceremony of The Asia-Pacific Regional NGO Symposium
Asia-Pacific Women 2000: Gender Equality, Development and Peace for the Twenty-First Century
Kasetsart University, Kamphaengsan Campus, Nakoenpathom
Tuesday 31st August 1999

Let me begin this keynote address by carrying out a very important cultural protocol that I as am required to observe. It is what we call acknowledgement of Country. It is essentially the acknowledgment that we gather for this very important meeting on country that is Traditional Country of the many ethnically diverse of people at Thailand. This may seem like a strange thing to say for some of you. Sisters here from colonised countries will know exactly why I observe this protocol. It stands without question that through the carriage of history and time Indigenous Peoples whilst not being able to always access their country never ever lose spiritual connection to it.

I also acknowledge the Elders and Senior women who are with us. It is your wisdom, experience, and guidance that will help us make the right decisions and have the important discussions over the forthcoming days.

As I acknowledge Elders I am also reminded that it is our youth that must be given a voice for it is these young treasures that will inherit the legacy we bequeath them.

I am deeply honoured to be at this Asia Pacific Regional NGO Symposium: Asia Pacific Women 2000 Gender Equality Development and Peace. Bringing together women from our region is a mighty thing. Standing today in this room is striking. Our diversity is an obvious. Our languages are many. Our spiritual beliefs are different, our lifestyles varied. Yet in this diversity rest our strength. For in this diversity lies two commonalities. Firstly we are women and secondly we all believe and are part of the struggle for decency and the right for all people to enjoy the ability to live in a civil society.

I am firmly convinced that it is women in the main that understand the need for a civil society. It is women that through our nurturing, strength and endurance provide the basis for civil society to bloom, and in this troubled world, not always, but sometimes bare fruit.

It is a great honour and even historic that an Indigenous women from Australia is delivering this keynote address. It is a sign I believe, that our country is beginning to grow up. A physical representation that women in my country know it is no longer sustainable to keep Indigenous people at the margin of life and society. It is a sign that the practice of truth telling is crucial in the maturation of a nation.

Five years ago in Beijing a platform for active was determined - It was:

Strategies to address poverty
Education
Health
Human rights
Environmental management
Violence against women
Women in armed conflict
Institutional mechanisms for the advancement of women
Media
The girl child
Women and the economy

A stunning aspect of Beijing was the participation statistics that have been published since. 5000 official delegates, 189 governments and international organisations, 4000 NGOs accredited in the UN and 30,000 NGO representatives. This to me is a major statement about strength, decency and a civil society and the stand women are prepared to take particularly in the NGO sector in the name of these three principles. I think the Women's movement has much to teach other areas about organization, lobbying and pure grit. The women's network is local, regional, national and international.

Can I also pay deep respect and gratitude to our host, dinataries and the organizers for this gathering. Two weeks ago in Australia I convened a convention that had a 12-month preparation stage. I know what goes in to putting a gathering of this nature and this complexity together. Your generosity is felt and respected.

I have spent many hours in contemplation on what I would talk about today. In the end I decided to do something I very rarely do. I am going to begin the journey we will take together for the next little while with a story, a story about my self. I choose to start with a story because of something friend of mine and one of the leaders in the women's movement in Australia said in a recent speech she delivered on Citizenship. Her name is Wendy MCarthy.

Wendy spoke about the power of the narrative and the importance of the role of women in protecting and practising the art of story telling. It is a powerful way to find our common ground and to sustain ourselves. It is the art of the narrative that has been the tool of passing on customs and lore for Indigenous people from the beginning of time. It is also something that woman do well. It is a perfect tool of communication. A story can educate, entertain and draw pictures in words we can all relate to.

The story is about me and in telling this story I want to share with you some thing of our story, the Aboriginal story, the untold story of Australia.

I am a member of the Wiradijuri Nation. My country begins west of Sydney, which was the original sight of settlement, invasion and land theft for the Aboriginal peoples of Australia. The Great Dividing Range separates the Wiradijuri from the coastal peoples. Our nations boundaries fall within one of the eastern states of Australia called New South Wales. The Wiradijuri nation was the first inland nation to experience the brunt of British invasion. The Wiradjuri like all other Aboriginal nations waged a war of resistance. Eventually spear and boomerang were no match for the greed for land, the barbarity of hunting parties and the deadly nature of steel and guns.

My story begins in 1957 in a tiny village in southwestern NSW. My mother was white my father black. My mother was not married and left that town not long after my birth. It was at a time in our country where the practice of removing light skinned Aboriginal children into care was considered the way to remove the Aboriginal problem. I was to befall this fate when my great aunt and uncle who were brother and sister on my mother's side decided to raise me. My mother moved away from the town probably to escape the shame of an illegitimate black child.

I was never told that I was Aboriginal or who my Aboriginal family was. The importance of knowing family and kinship ties is one of the fundamentals of our culture. I grew up felling always incomplete, like a piece of the jigsaw was missing. I don't think this was done for any vexatious reason. I guess it was assumed it was for my own good.

I grew up in a country whose mirror did not reflect my people or me. Our image in that mirror was ugly, distorted or non-existent. Australia is a country whose history has been written by the conquer.

I cannot speak my language because my grandmother a great grandmother's generation were not allowed to speak our traditional language. There are only a few old people who still speak it and they will soon pass on.

I remember at the age of ten or eleven being told I would never amount to anything. Black and illegitimate I know now were the reasons behind such a vicious statement. The person who said this to me, in hindsight not only spurred me on to prove her wrong but to also to alert me to racism, ignorance and prejudice.

It has only been these last four years that I have been able to call myself Australian. Why? Because the mirror did not reflect me. The country had no idea of the precious gift of the oldest surviving culture on the planet. The gift and spirituality Aboriginality delivers to Australia and Australians.

I remember sitting in a classroom at the age of 13 feeling like I wanted to fall between the cracks in the floor because I was made to feel so ashamed of who and what I am. Being taught that my people were savages, had no culture or technology and were the closest examples to Stone Age men still in existence. Perhaps it was this experience that made me decide to become one educator.

I finally found and met my father in 1984 at the age of 28. The search took five years. He reached out and held me and said, "I hope I don't disappoint you". The missing piece of who I was as an Aboriginal women was put into place.

Australia is a place known as the "lucky country". Australia could be well described as the lucky country. We have stable government with low inflation rates, low interest rates. We enjoy freedom of association and freedom of speech. There is a free health care system and a social security system that includes unemployment benefits and a variety of pensions.

It sees it self as a nation of fun loving sports people, A young nation that thumbs its nose at authority. A nation of rugged individualism. A country of rough terrain and splendid vista's. A country that is tolerant and a shining example of multiculturalism, where the ethos is bound up with the notion of a "Fair go for all". A fair go if you are fair skinned is probably a more accurate description.

However, there is another story, another reality in Australia. A story that is not about health and wealth let alone a fair go for all. In fact it is a story that up until now has been deliberately expunged from the history and consciousness of Australia.

I am 42 years old and spent the first ten years of my life under the Flora and Fauna act of NSW. Aboriginal Peoples in Australia didn't gain Citizenship until 1967 and therefore were not counted in the census. We were not by law able to vote. Australia knew how many sheep it had but not how many Aboriginal people had survived government policy after government policy ranging from physical genocide to welfare assimilation, self management, self determination and now a very much wound back version of self determination.

In Australia there is a formal definition of an Aboriginal person. We are the only specific group where a formal definition exist. We have to prove our Aboriginality by meeting this government definition.

I will tell you what my Aboriginality is bound up with. It is not a government definition. It is my connection to country, my kinship ties, our spiritual connection to each other. It is not about my physical appearance. It is what is on the inside. It is the pride of being a member of the oldest continous surviving culture on planet Earth.

The lot of Indigenous People in Australia today is not a story you would perhaps associate with Australia, a prosperous first world nation.

In August this year the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Australia Institute of Health and Welfare released a report which is difficult reading. It related the following:

Babies born to Indigenous mothers are more likely than other babies die around the time of birth than other babies. Those that survived were more likely to live in poor conditions, to be unemployed, to suffer from violence, to be imprisoned, to develop a range of chronic diseases, to be admitted to hospitals and die at a young age.

It found that Aboriginal people comprised about 2.1% of the total population and that Indigenous kids were more likely to suffer abuse and neglect and to comprise about 40% of the youth populations in correctional centers. It also found that the adult prison population was between 19-30% Aboriginal.

Indigenous Australians are more likely to live in improvised and over-crowded dwellings. On average, our households had 10 or more people living in them - 50 times greater than other Australians.

Life expectancy for my people is 20 years less than that of other Australians. Although there are difficulties in determining the exact extent, Indigenous people are more likely to be hospitalised and/or die from conditions which are indicators of mental illness, such as self harm, substance misuse and suicidal behaviour. We are more likely to be at risk of reduced mental and emotional wellbeing due to such factors as violence, removal from family, poverty and racism.

Of these horrendous statistics, there is only one other I want to share with you. In our communities, as it is with your own, it is mostly women that bear the brunt. It is also the women that essentially provide the glue at the local level to keep things stuck together - true heroes!

There is a quote by Michael Dodson, an esteemed leader in our country, that best sums up this story of a social justice that isn't...
"A certain kind of industrial deafness has developed. The meaning of these figures is not heard or felt. The statistics of infant and perinatal mortality are our babies and children who die in our arms. The statistics of a shortened life expectancy are our mothers and fathers, uncles, aunts and elders who live diminished lives and die before their gifts of knowledge and experience are passed on. We die silently under these statistics."

I do not have the time to take you through the history of black and white relationships and the history that has created today's social situation in our country. There is one aspect of our history though that I wish to share with you. It is the story of the Stolen Generations. I tell you all this part of Australian history for a number of reasons. Firstly, this is a gathering concerned with the issue of equity for women, of human rights issues essentially. The horror and tragedy of this story can be grasped by all but especially by women who are the bearers of children - the givers of life! The Stolen Generation and its consequences are current today for Australians, all Australians. It has been until very recently an aspect of our history that was not known, not taught, not written about and never talked about.

It can safely be said that there is not on single individual Aboriginal person or family that has not been touched by this practice.

In 1996, the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission commenced its Inquiry into the "Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from their Families". In many ways this Inquiry deeply affected and changed forever the way Australia saw itself. It drew a line in the sand and was the inquiry that forced Australia to look at its history and itself. This was the Inquiry that educated Australians more than any other to the dark pages of our history. It was the inquiry that created the situation where Australian's could no longer say "but we didn't know". In the NSW Government response to the inquiry the responsible Minister, Andrew Refshauge said: "To move the process of reconciliation forward, we must deal with the legacies of the past and understand how they shape the present. In renewing our partnership, we must ensure that the mistakes of the past relationships are never repeated."

Australia was seized in 1788 and the legal doctrine of Terra Nullus, land belonging to no one, empty country. Unlike New Zealand, the USA and Canada, no treaties were entered into. The ensuing century was filled with bloody wars, massacres, disease and the displacement for Aboriginal peoples. The suffering of women is almost too horrible to tell. Truganini a famous Tasmanian Aboriginal women epitimises the violence carried out in the name of civilisation. By the age of seventeen she had been raped, had seen her mother stabbed, her uncle shot, her stepmother kidnapped, her sisters captured and kidnapped and her betrothed murdered.

Our numbers fell dramatically and there was a belief that we would die out.

In 1883, the dreaded Aboriginal Protection Board was established to "smooth the dying fellow of the Aboriginal Race. The Board became the master of every aspect of our lives. It established reserves and forced people off their lands to reserves. Life on reserves. It dislocated families, severed us from our connection to country. Many people died and continue to die of disease and broken hearts. People had no choice but to live in these hellholes. This massive forced dislocation lay the foundations of many of the social ills and cultural loss we suffer today.

In 1902, the Board was given the power to remove so called "neglected children".

In 1909 Aborigines Protection Act was enacted in the state of NSW, similar legislation was enacted in other states. This legislation gave legal sanction to the APB to separate and remove Aboriginal children from their families. In 1915, amendments to the Act gave the ADB the power to remove Aboriginal children without parental consent and without a court order.

In 1940, the Aboriginal Welfare Board replaced the APB - The Focus was on assimilation and removal of "light skinned" children.

These policies continued until the late 1960's and the Aboriginal Welfare Board was disbanded in 1969. However these polices continued into the 1970's.

It is impossible to convey to you in such a short space of time what this meant to us. Imagine your own children, your grandchildren, nieces and nephews ripped away from you, never knowing why, where they went, whether they lived or died and whether they would ever find their way home again!

The abuse and exploitation that many of the stolen children suffered when they were sent out to work under conditions of virtual slavery is now documented. The effects of generations of removal are not in the past. People in this conference if you had been born as an Aboriginal person in Australia there would have been a one in five chance you would have been taken from your family.

The effects of broken families, mental illness, alcoholism, poor parenting because of lack of role models is reverberating in the present generation and tragically will be handed on to the next.

Margaret Tucker tells of the day she and her sister were taken:
"The policeman, who no doubt was doing his duty patted his handcuffs, which were in a leather case on his belt, and which May and I thought was a revolver...'I'll have to use this if you do not let us take these children now. Thinking that the policeman would shoot Mother, because she was trying to stop him, we screamed: 'we'll go with him Mum, we'll go...' My last memory of her for many years was her waving pathetically, as we waved back and called out goodbye to her."

There is a major political debate raging in Australia at present around a national apology to Aboriginal People regarding the Stolen Generations and for the injustices of the past. The present Federal Government has steadfastly refused to offer a full apology. I understand a statement of regret has just been passed in the Federal Parliament. It is not a full-fledged apology and the cynic in me questions the Federal Government's motives. It is my view that the polls were telling them that they had a problem and the Australian people were demanding action.

Australia stands at a very critical time in our history. The formal process of Reconciliation is due to finish on the 31st December 2000. The Centenary of Federation begins on the 1st January 2001. Both of these two events will require a major debate on Constitutional change. At present Aboriginal rights are not recognised in the Australian Constitution. And of course we have the Olympics in September next year. There will be 30 thousand international journalist in Australia. They will say the harbor sparkles, the games were great, what about human rights?

One amazing phenomena out of the Inquiry has been the "Sorry Books". Because the government wouldn't apologize, NGOs through ANTaR initiated a people's movement to sign Sorry Books. One million Australians signed them offering a personal apology. All state governments have apologized many local governments, police forces, government agencies, NGO's and church groups.

The Prime Minister must have been feeling a little isolated.

Our country has also experienced in unprecedented surge in extreme right wing politics. The emergence of the One Nation party drove the political climate dangerously to the right.

At the 1997 National Reconciliation Convention Dr. Faith Bandler an outstanding fighter for justice in our country gave this message:
"In this climate of callousness, where moves to dismantle structures of democracy are heavily overshadowing us, our task now is to use our voices, our energy, our will and our talents to mobilise the forces for good. I am sure we can demolish these forces of destruction under the banner of justice for all.
But we must act today, because tomorrow it may be too late".

Just this year in a publication called Walking Together Malcolm Fraser a former priminister said:
".... An apology above all is recognition that something wrong was done and we regret that it happened. It is perhaps the most important thing we can do which is within our power to address matters of the spirit. There will never be reconciliation with Aboriginal people and other Australians unless we understand that there are both material and spiritual issues involved".

While there have been many attempts and genocide of indigenous people. This was the most sustained.

The HEROC report determined that the policy of removal was in fact genocide.

Sir Ronold Wilson who lead the inquiry made the following statement in 1997:
"Genocide is not an attempt to destroy an individual. Genocide is the attempt to destroy a people, a culture. Listen to this, bearing in mind that the history of our laws and practices directed to assimilate testify to an intention to put an end to the Aboriginal race by removing their children in order to bring them up in white society, in many cases all knowledge of their Aboriginality was denied to them, they were not allowed to access their family or their language, or their land, or their culture or their history".

A Statement of Regret will not take away the sad fact my friends that Aboriginal Grannies still hunt the children away or hide them when a strange car pulls up out the front of the house. "Quick" they say, "run the welfare will get you".

The political relationship between Aboriginal people and the Federal Government requires comment.

Since the election of the Coalition Government in 1996 relationships with Indigenous Groups have steadily gotten worse.

The same could be said by other equity groups especially women the aged and young people.

There is no longer an official policy of Self-Determination for Indigenous people in Australia. Recently recently won Native Title Rights have also been wound back. The 1993 Mabo ruling and the 1996 Wik determination in the High Court resulted in Aboriginal people gaining the right to claim Native Title. It is a complex piece of legislation that is essentially about a Property Right.

In 1998 through a bitter and divisive debate amendments to the legislation were enacted in the Federal Parliament. One consequence of the new legislation was the diminishment of Indigenous rights but not that of the mining companies and the farming sector.

One outcome of this was unprecedented action within the UN. Australia was the first, First World Nation to be called in front of Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to prove that its amendments to the Native Title legislation was not racially discriminatory on the ground of diminishing the rights of Indigenous people. It was found that Australian Government had acted in a racially discriminatory way.

There has been the alienation of the Indigenous leadership and the undermining of the national elected body ATSIC. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Commission has in many ways been sidelined.

The relationship between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal women has not always been an equal or easy one in Australia. The feminist movement during the 60's and 70's and early 80,s was not that much less paternalistic or ignorant to the issue of Aboriginal women then society as a whole. Women's issues are not always the same.

Whilst white Australian women were fighting justly and rightly for equality we were fighting for our survival as a people. This struggle was and still is what drives and necessarily dominates and takes our energies.

I am pleased to say that the women's movement in Australia has and continues to increasingly and honourably and recognize the imperatives of Aboriginal women as distinct in many areas. I have to say that sexism is alive and well in the Aboriginal community. At a grass roots level women occupy many positions of influence. At the state level there are less women in these positions. At the national level men dominate very noticeably. This sounds familiar I am sure. Some of you would be aware that there is a formal process of Reconciliation underway on Australia. It is a ten year process and it is in its ninth year. The process is really at two levels. There is the political level, which is about addressing social justice issues, legislative reform and the formal adoption of a Declaration of Reconciliation. The other level is what we call the people's movement. In the people's movement woman are playing a leading and key role.

Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Woman in partnership are working together. Aboriginal women are being given a voice.

Olive Biendary Knight an Aboriginal woman from Western Australia a Community Women's Officer said this about the role of Aboriginal women in the process:
"These women are all working for Reconciliation, all the time. They are doing what they can do, because they want a better future for their kids. They are working to empower themselves in their communities, to get pride back".

Professor Rosemary Pringle, Director, Australian Institute of Women's Research Policy - Grffith University noted that there was a pervading sense of the power that could be harnessed by Indigenous e non-Indigenous women working together to overcome the handships, pain, misunderstanding and ignorance of the past. "I think for many of us we now have a sense that we are in this one for the long haul, and were probably going to have to be"

I want to finish by commenting on our challenges in partnership for the 21st century. A change of the millenium will not mean that all of the issues we are dealing with now will magically disappear. The 12 points of the platform for action will remain the challenges for us involved in the struggle for justice.

I would suggest, and this is a personal opinion that a priority for women must be political representation. We must have a seat and shape the opinion of political parties at all levels of government. We are 50 percent of the worlds population but we certainly do not hold 50 percent of political positions.

The challenges of globalization will not decrease, probably the will become more intense. We must keep the pressure on all of our respective governments.

My main message however is that the women's movement has still some distance to travel in recognizing the role it has in reflecting and taking up the issues of Indigenous women. This is very relevant at the domestic and the international level. Delegations from Nation States should include Indigenous women. Recommendations and discussions and agendas should consider the issues of Indigenous women. NGO,s need to inform themselves and insure their positions and platforms include the issues of Indigenous women. If this isn't done then mainstream women's organisations continue the colonization process.

Lilla Watson a Queensland Murri women expresses this when she said:
"If you have come to help me, you can go away because I don't need you, but If you have come because your struggle is bound up with mine, then we can work together".

So I come back to where I began. Women's role in protecting the narrative, the art of storytelling. Our challenge is to listen and learn from each other. To be able too truly stand in each other's shoes.

I share with you the words of two heroines of mine. One is an author, poor and black. The other is wealthy, white an the wife of the Governor General of Australia. They epitomize to me the possibility of true solidarity and what is possible between us as women.

Her Excellency Lady Helen Deane,

In her first major speech since moving into Government House, Lady Deane observered that:
The road to reconciliation is a very difficult one. But it is not closed. Clearly, however, we will not reach its end unless and until there exists the necessary level of mutual tolerance, understanding and respect.

We can help reach that level of mutual tolerance, understanding and respect through communication between indigenous and non-indigenous women.

In my case, it has largely flowed from what I have learnt and am continuing to learn of the history, the problems and the hopes of indigenous people, especially the women.

Until I moved with my husband to the Government House 16 months ago, I was like most Australian women in that I'd had very little contact with indigenous women. By and large, I suppose I was affected by the same kinds of uncomfortable stereotypes and images that influence many other Australians...

I have learnt many things... Among them is that a major obstacle to reconciliation is reconciliation is apprehension and reluctance bout face-to-face communication.

...So I have become increasingly conscious, through communication and listening to hte stories of Aboriginal women, that their concerns and aspirations are very similar to my own.

What indigenous women want for their families and communities--good health, effective education, a minimum standard of housing, safety, self-respect, a sense of place and purpose--is very much the same as what I want for my own family and for those who are close to me.

The erosion of indigenous culture, in many cases, has left women picking up the pieces of their communities--taking on key roles, mostly unpaid, as careers, counsellors, organisers and advocates.

They aspire, like all women, to fill equality of opportunity, to be treated with respect and protected from exploitation and violence and to have the diversity of their roles and responsibilities recognised and valued.

The written history of our nation has been largely silent on the relationship between non-indigenous and indigenous women, The story of that relationship is not a happy one.

Thus, it was often women who implemented the policies, often tragically well-intentioned, that separated Aboriginal children from their families. More generally, one must, looking back, express regret that more women did not actively oppose or speak out against so many other things which were done to indigenous people over so many years.

It's not that we non-indigenous women haven't or hadn't heard the statistics. But hearing the women's stories face-to-face transforms those statistics from empty figures into a human reality.

We women and our organizations must seize and take advantage of the present widely-felt longing for true reconciliation. The communication must continue and the stories must be told. We must identify with one another. We must reach a consensus about the nature and extent of indigenous disadvantage and establish an effective partnership and effective programs to address and resolve them. If we do these things, the voices of women, and there are enough of us, will make a difference...

Ruby Langford Ginibi author of "REAL DEADLY"
Published by Angus and Robertson, Sydney, 1991 (Review by Diana Santleben)

Aboriginal people have been resisting white invasion of their land and culture for over two hundred years. They are sesisters par excellence. This resistance also leads to an imense amout of persecution on account of their stance.

'Can't relay on them ... they won't work' etc; such tags put upon their non cooperation with the dominating oppressive society ... they are hated because they resist. From contless centuries of practsing a far more holistic culture than ours they are not about to give in and sell their souls.

Ruby Langfor Ginbi's writings show her as a woman intent on being. She is a person who has resisted the cult of having and doing. Ruby is a mother, a daughter, a granny, aunty and a lover. She treats the important things in life as important - family, old people's wisdom, kids problems, food, friends, physical comfort, the past, money, men and home all have their proper place. None of the things Ruby has written about could be eliminated as unimportant. The fears of convention do not matter as much as relationships - that makes Ruby a heroine of the resistance.

She's been poor all her life. She grew up under the oppressive policies of the Aborigines Protection Board - who had been rounding my people up like cattle and putting them on to missions.

There you either slaved your guts out for the white manager, or lived on handouts of sugar, tea, and flour... besided the racism was a terrific burden to bear continually (p.16)

Ruby describes how she and all the Kooris have survived:
We at all times picked each other up, every time we got knocked down in the game of life. I might add that it really wasn't a game to be played for fun, though fun we made of it, every chance we got. It was the only way we could cope with all the battling, sorrow and hardships that life had to offer us. It taught us how to roll with the punches that life gave us - we got to be pretty expert at this duckin' bit! We had to all pull together to survive! (p.37)

She talks about her children with such love - none are rich or famous but each is special.
The bearing of my kids after all was the most important thing that ever happened to me. (p.23)

Anybody who can raise nine children on her own, wait ten years for housing commission and stick it out for nine years in Green Valley, isolated from family, friends and support networks is a mighty person. Ruby wouldn't want to be put on a pedestal by anybody. Most of us don't.

She finishes her story this way:
Back at the hostel that night I was thinking that my birthday, 26 January (which us Abos call shame day cause it was the day our land was taken over by the colonists in 1788), had turned out to be the best birthday I ever had in my life. I'll have to send all my kids a little thank you card, for making it so special, and show them my appreciation. Now you know why I wouldn't change places with the Queen of England, for what I've got in my own backyard, eh! (p.111)

I wish to close with an act of Reconciliation and in telling the other stories of Australia share with you, conference delegates two other flags of Australia.

The flag of the peoples of the Torres Strait:
Blue for the water, Black for the people, A traditional headdress. Five pointed white star representing the five regions of the Torres Strait

The Aboriginal flag:
Black for the people, Red for the land and the blood that has been shed on it and gold representing the sun and the hope of a new day and s better future.

Thank you for coming on this journey with me.

Dinner Address by His Excellency Mr. Bhichai Rattakul

Deputy Prime Minster of Thailand

Welcome Dinner of The Asia-Pacific Regional NGO Symposium
Asia-Pacific Women 2000:Gender Equality, Development and Peace for the Twenty-First Century
Kasetsart University, Kamphaengsan Campus, Nakoenpathom
Tuesday 31st August 1999

Excellencies, Distinguished Participants, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am very pleased to join all of you tonight!

I wish to extend to all our friends and colleagues from abroad a very warm welcome. I hope that your visit to Thailand will be both a highly productive and memorable one.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

There is an old Thai Saying that men, as those who lead, are like the forelegs of an elephant, while women, as those who follow, are the hind legs. Many of you, I am sure, would vehemently disagree... finding ways of making this otherwise majestic beast walk backwards if need be!

I, myself, would not disagree with you. Given the opportunity, women can, I believe, perform just as ably as men in most professions, particularly given the technology available today. Indeed, women today have already assumed many important and powerful posts. In several countries around the world, especially in the Asia-Pacific region, we have seen women rise above men to become heads of states and leaders of government. In the private sector, women have become captains of industry and chief executive officers. And in many of our governmental agencies and armed forces, women have been appointed as permanent secretaries, directors-generals, ambassadors and generals.

This, however, seems to be the exception rather than the rule. Women, particularly those in developing countries, still lag behind men in terms of economic, social, and political participation.

More often than not, they are still faced with difficulties outside of their tradition role as caretaker of the household. Women also continue to suffer disproportionally from poverty and violence, as well as from inadequacies in education and health care.

This Ladies and Gentlemen, must change. I say, as long as women's rights are violated, so too are human rights ... here and everywhere. The full implementation of the human rights and fundamental freedoms. Equality between women and men is also a condition for social justify as well as a necessary and fundamental prerequisite for equality, development and peace. Indeed, it is hard to imagine any country achieving real economic and social progress - let alone sustainable development - when half of its population is discriminated against or disadvantaged, and thus not able to contribute fully towards the societies in which they live.

We must strive for something far better than this.

I say this not because I am the Chairman of the National Commission on Women's Affairs, but because I, like all of you, have a mother. I also have a daughter and two grand-daughters. I want to ensure that all of them are given all the chances and opportunities that are rightfully theirs.

Looking towards the future, the world I envisage, or rather hope for, is therefore one in which men and women enjoy equal rights.

A world in which men and women have equal access to medical and health care. A world in which men and women are provided with equal educational opportunities and, enjoy similar employment opportunities. A world in which men and women are awarded and promoted for their work and achievements, are not discriminated against because of their sex or for any other reason. Indeed, a world in which all peoples, be they men or women, are able to live up to their full potentials and contribute meaningfully towards the societies in which they live.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Such a world will not just materialise. It will not happen by chance. But, it is up to us to make it happen. Thailand has already ratified the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women, we are committed to working hard to minimise discrimination against women in our society.

I am also pleased to inform you that the Thai constitution specifically states that men and women shall enjoy equal rights. To translate this into action, five strategies on the development of women have been formulated based upon the people-centred developmental concept of the present Eighth National Economic and Social Development Plan. They include strategies for the development of women's potential and quality of life, the improvement of an enabling environment to facilitate the advancement of women, the elimination of discrimination against women, the development of disadvantaged women, and the improvement of the administration and management systems for the advancement of women.

The Thai Government is also in the process of amending all the necessary laws as well as rules and regulations to offer equal opportunities for men and women in terms of employment as well as in management or decision-making, both in the public and private sectors. A number of laws have already been reviewed and revised, including those to address the problem of prostitution and trafficking in women and children. The new Labour Protection Law enacted two years ago also guarantees gender equality in employment and prohibition of sexual harassment.

Governments, however, can only do so much. Due to budgetary restrictions and other competing priorities, we just cannot devote as much personnel and financial resources to the issue of women as we would have liked. Civil society, including non-governmental organisations, therefore, have a very important role to play.

If we are to succeed in this very noble goal, a partnership must be established between all sectors of our societies, be it public or private. Civil society must, therefore, be actively involved in supporting and implementing government policies as well as in ensuring that changes in terms of women's status are made. the support of civil society, the enhancement and use of civil society networks, and the launching of social safety net programmes, are among some of the means available to us to strengthen this partnership.

In Thailand, NGOs have long been active on women's issues. Following the adoption of the Beijing Platform for Action, Thai NGOs have formed a network to monitor its implementation. NGO representatives have co-operated with their government counterparts to ensure that the results of Beijing are " translated" into action, at all levels, from the top down to the grassroots level. In addition, NGOs have also undertaken activities, evaluated the work of various organisations, and helped to resolve social problems arising from the economic crisis now confronting us.

Given the holistic nature of women's affairs, regional and international co-operation on the advancement of women is also important. The convening of this Asia-Pacific Regional NGO Symposium at the threshold of the 21st century is most timely. This meeting will provide you with a good opportunity to interact and exchange views and experiences with your counterparts from other countries. It will also provide you with a chance to discuss and identify the future role and direction of NGOs in working towards the advancement of women. This gathering is particularly important as our preparation for the special session of the United Nations General Assembly in June 2000, which will review the progress of the Nairobi forward looking Strategies and the Beijing Platform for Action.

It is also my hope that you will discuss new issues confronting us today, issues brought about by the process of globalisation. Women must have equitable access to new technologies as well as equal chance to learn to use these new tools so that they will have more opportunities to exchange information as well as to receive training and expand their networks world-wide. Encouraging women to use these new communication tools and information technologies can also help to strengthen their level of participation and leadership in our societies.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Much progress has already been achieved over the years. Much more, however, remains to be done and this will take time. The road before you is not easy. In some countries, even though gender equality has been incorporated into legislation, there still remains a lack of effective implementation and enforcement of these laws. For too many people, gender inequality continues to be a fact of life perhaps due to differences in the role and status of men and women so ingrained in many cultures since time immemorial.

Greater efforts must, therefore, be made to increase public awareness and understanding about women's issues. This is necessary if our peoples, particularly men, are to absorb-both consciously and sub-consciously-all the nuances of gender issues and achieve a deeper understanding of the role, the status and the rights of women in our societies.

At the same time, women too must also change the way they think. Men and women are different. They should, therefore, play complementary roles in society, without one dominating the other. Such an understanding by both men and women is indeed essential if they are to realise what role they can personally play to help promote greater equality for all.

Yes, you have succeed, our children and grand-children, be they boys and girls, will be assured of a better world-one in which they are provided with the same opportunities to succeed and, one in which they can live up to their full potentials.

It is my earnest hope that during the next century, we will no longer be arguing about who is an elephant's foreleg or hind leg, but rather who is its tusks and trunks--both of which, and I hope you agree with me, are equally powerful, effective and attractive.

I wish you and your meeting every success. And when the time you have to depart arrives may you have a safe journey back home. Above all, I sincerely hope that you will not leave us the same way as you came, but you will take a part of us with you and, that someday, somehow you will be back to this land again whose homes and hearts and hospitality are always opened for all to share!

Closing Address by Mr.Adrianus Mooy

Executive Secretary
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)

Closing Ceremony of The Asia-Pacific Regional NGO Symposium
Asia-Pacific Women 2000:Gender Equality, Development and Peace for the Twenty-First Century
Kasetsart University, Kamphaengsan Campus, Nakornpathom
Friday 3rd September 1999

Thanpuying Sumalee, Dr. Patricia Licuanan, Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

It gives me great pleasure to be here today to deliver the keynote address at the closing of this important Asia-Pacific NGO Regional Symposium. I would first of all like to congratulate the Organizing Committee and the Secretariat for the tremendous efforts in coordinating a series of national and subregional Beijing plus 5 review meetings culminating in this significant meeting which has resulted in one harmonious voice of NGOs in the Asia and the Pacific region. Your commitment towards working for regional solidarity and cooperation, bringing together over 300 participants from around 30 countries is indeed admirable.

Over the years, NGOs have been recognized as significant players in the global effort to ensure gender equality and sustainable development. They have played a valuable role in facilitating the promotion of the Beijing Platform for Action at all levels. In view of the significant roles played by NGOs in advancing the status of women, ESCAP has been cooperating closely with NGOs in the promotion and implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and has been undertaking various activities with many of you present here today. NGOs have come a long way since ESCAP organized NGO Forum '95 in Manila for the pre-Beijing process in collaboration with the Asian and Pacific NGO working group. We are pleased that for this symposium, planning coordination has been done entirely by Asia and Pacific NGO networks with the United Nations organizations and donor agencies serving as supportive partners. Just as the outcome of the NGO Forum'95 became a significant contribution for the regional Jakarta Plan of Action, and thereafter the Beijing Platform for Action, I expect that the outcome of this Forum would be a crucial input to the forthcoming ESCAP High-level Intergovernmental Meeting to Review the Implementation of the Jakarta Declaration and Plan of Action and the Regional Implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action of the Fourth World Conference on Women, which will be held from 26 to 29 October 1999 at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok, and also to the special session of the General Assembly in June 2000 to review implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action.

I understand that discussions on the critical areas of concern of the Beijing Platform for Action during the last five days have been very intensive and that strategies and action to accelerate implementation of the Platform for Action have been formulated with the tireless effort of all participants, especially those who were in the drafting committee. I look forward to learning of the results of your sympoisum which would be reflected in the outcome of the High-level Meeting in October.

The adoption of the Beijing Platform for Action in September 1995 marked a watershed in the region's quest for advancing the cause of women. As we all know, it identified twelve critical areas where actions were needed to advance the status of women. At the fifty-fourth session of ESCAP in 1998, the Commission decided to convene a High-level Intergovernmental Meeting in 1999 to review the implementation of the Jakarta Declaration and Plan of Action and the regional implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action of the Fourth World Conference on Women. The High-level Meeting would also contribute in national capacity building to overcome the constraints and obstacles faced by the countries of the region, contribute towards developing a common vision for the future and constitute the regional input to the special session of the General Assembly in 2000 to review implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action.

At the High-level Meeting, we will review the progress made by countries, and from this diagnostic review, derive lessons learned from successful practices, and identify the gaps which need to be filled and the challenges which lie ahead. Under the guidance of an expert group convened in April this year, key issues have been identified for the High-level Meeting to focus on, within the context of global trends and demographic changes in the region.

Firstly, under economic empowerment, issues such as the impact of globalization on women especially with regard to global economic trends and women's employment and work (both paid and unpaid), the Asian economic crisis and its impact on women, and the feminization of poverty would be covered. Here I may add that in addition to viewing poverty from the perspective of economic growth, we should also analyze poverty from the viewpoint of empowering women to make their rightful claim for redistribution and access to resources.

Secondly, under political empowerment, issues and concerns relating to the decision-making process particularly women's participation in politics, government and local governance would be high-lighted. Issues related to sociocultural and institutional barriers which hamper women's political empowerment would be analyzed. In addition to increasing the quantitative participation and representation of women, we should also seek to address the need for women's leadership to be "transformative", and to promote the inclusion of gender equality issues on the public policy agenda.

Thirdly, under a rights-based approach to empowerment, issues and concerns related to women's rights as human rights would be covered. These would also include integrated approaches to combat violence against women (of which some of the most regrettable forms are found in this region), trafficking of women and children (which is prevalent in three of our subregions - South-east Asia, South Asia and Central Asia), and promoting greater implementation and utilization of international legal instruments especially the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Furthermore, issues of communal violence, armed conflict and reactive traditionalistic movements will need to be addressed.

Lastly, to create an enabling environment and to have the tools and methodologies to handle all these pressing priority issues, effective strategies for empowerment, would be essential. Emphasis would have to be given to three key areas. The first is monitoring and evaluation of the Beijing Platform for Action linked to the crucial issue of accountability to ensure that plans and policies aimed at ensuring gender equality and securing women's rights are being translated into action and reality. The next empowerment strategy would be capacity building and gender mainstreaming and this in our view is an essential issue to which more attention must be devoted and which must be vigorously pursued. The final empowerment strategy would be building partnerships and I do not have to elaborate on the importance of increased dialogue and cooperation between governments, NGOs and all civil society groups and of men and women. However, the challenge is to enable all parties to work in greater partnership and to encourage the emergence of a more participatory system of governance at the national, regional and international levels.

We should also be mindful of new challenges that will be brought about by technological changes especially in information technology, and looming problems such as gender ageing.

Ladies and gentlemen,

As you can see, we have an ambitious and challenging agenda planned for the High-level Meeting. The meeting will bring us together to address the task of accelerating the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action with a strategic action plan. The regional Jakarta Plan of Action was an important building block for the Beijing Platform for Action. I am optimistic that our regional strategic action plan will also be an important contribution to the outcome of Women 2000.

I look forward to welcoming you to the High-level Meeting in October, where your knowledge, wisdom and dynamism will undoubtedly be needed and appreciated. On our part, we will endeavour to facilitate your participation, working together with all of you as partners in advancing the status of women in the region.

In conclusion, let me wish you a safe journey home and thank you for giving me the honour of delivering these closing remarks.

Conclusion

While attending the symposium one could not help but notice the many beautiful fabrics of our region. They were worn by participants and the market place was full of magnificent cloth.

In many ways these fabrics can be seen as symbolic of the Symposium. They represent the many threads which have run through the work we have undertaken here, the threads in the twelve critical areas of concern and the threads which are common to our lives as women in the region. Together we have woven wonderful fabric from these threads.

At first glance, the fabric might seem sombre and dark with the suffering of the women of the region, with threads of disadvantage, of discrimination and of pain. It is splashed with our tears as we grieved together, and streaked with our blood from violence and conflict. It is still a fabric with dignity and with beauty, because nothing can take away the basic dignity of women, but it is still a fabric that speaks of great sadness .

But this is not the only fabric that we have woven. At the Symposium we have also woven a tapestry that is bright, and beautiful and joyful. This fabric has gold threads, which are the combined strength and wisdom of all the women gathered here, the silver threads which represent the incredible energy which drives us along, and the knowledge we have shared and gained.

The bursts of brilliant colours which are the laughter the jokes, the fun and the joy we have shared together, the new friendships formed and the old ones renewed.

We have woven in some strands of leather, to symbolise the way we drive each other to work all hours of the day and night to achieve our goals. We have added some threads of silk, to remind us of the peaceful beauty of the setting for this symposium, and the tremendous amount of work that has been done by our Thai hosts to make us feel so welcome and comfortable. This provided a wonderful environment for our work.

The hard work of the workshops on the twelve critical areas of concern has produced an excellent document, and a strong Conference Declaration which reflects many of the issues in the body of the report.

Important themes have emerged, or been restated, which cut across several or even all areas of critical concern. These include the continuing feminisation of poverty in the region, the negative effects of globalisation on women's lives, the escalation of armed conflict and military violence, in particular the systematic rape and sexual torture of women in situations of conflict. It is a strong document because it not only names the problems, but it puts forward strong and achievable recommendations to redress these, and also celebrates the many gains we have made since the Beijing process began. It reminds us that many of these were made by women NGO's for women.

Of special note at this symposium was the inclusion of the youth. Which provided a forum in which young people could learn and become familiar with issues and systems and begin to participate in shaping civil society.

What a rich tapestry we have woven together to take forward to Women 2000. The challenge for us now is what to do with it.

We could use it as a blanket to hide under, away from the problems we have discussed.
We could use it as a shield, to stop us knowing the truth.

But we won't.

We will use it a banner to help us claim our rights and equal space as women in the world, and
We will wrap it around each other as we work together in solidarity for women everywhere.

Eileen Pittaway

Committees for the Asia Pacific Regional NGO Symposium: Asia Pacific Women 2000: Gender Equality, Development and Peace for the Twenty-First Century

STEERING COMMITTEE
Dr. Patricia Licuanan-Chair, SEAWatch
Thanpuying Sumalee Chartikavanij, Vice-Chair and Chair of Fundraising Committee, Thai Women's Watch (TW2)
Velvy Holden, Programme Committee, Coalition of Australian Participating Organisations of Women (CAPOW) and Australian National Committee on Refugee Women (ANCROW)
Luz Maria Martinez-Communications Committee, Isis International-Manila
Dr. Eileen Pittaway, Drafting Committee, Australian National Committee on Refugee Women (ANCROW)
Amelia Rokotuivuna, Programme Committee, Pacific YWCA
Heisoo Shin, Lobbying Committee, Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD)
Thara Sawanyathipat, Youth, Thai Women's Watch
Vanitha Subramaniam, Youth, Asia-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (ARROW)
Dr. Pawadee Tonguthai, Participation Committee, Thai Women's Watch
Dr. Pam Rajput, Asia Pacific Watch (APW)
Virada Somswasdi, Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD)
Dr. Chaiskarn Hiranpruk, Secretariat, Kasetstart University

The Organizing Committee
Thanpuying Sumalee Chartikavanij, Chairperson
Khunying Suchada Sripen, Vice-Chairperson
Assoc. Dr. Vichai Korpraditskul, Vice-Chairperson
Dr.Chaiskran Hiranpruk, Vice-Chairperson
Mrs. Putalee Jirathun, Treasuer
Asst. Chukiet Ruksorn, Secretary
Ms. Thara Sawanyathipat, Assistant Secretary

Members
Mrs.Chainarin Hutasingh
Ms.Cholros Nongpa
Dr.Gassinee Trakoontivikorn
Mrs.Kamala Nakasiri
Mrs.Kanoknart Titapura
Mrs.Krongkeo Satabutr
Dr. Mathana Santiwat
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nawarat Udomprasert
Mrs.Oranutda Bulyalert
Mrs.Ornwimol Ariyaprajya
Ms.Pakamas Chalernchitta
Ms.Phacharavadee Paerattakul
Dr.Puthachart Chunasakorn
Mrs.Ratana Aungkasit
Dr.Saipin Maneepun
Dr.Saowaporn Muangkoe
Ms.Sermsuk Liewlom
Ms.Sasitara Prasomsab
Mr.Sirisak Pramsopee
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Somkiat Wanthana
Mr.Somsakdi Tabtimthong
Asst. Prof. Tasnee Anaman
Mr.Vatana Swanyathipat
Mr.Wasan Chomsiritrakool
Mr.Yongyuth Piemkamdi

Advisory Board to the Organizing Committee
Prof. Dr. Phaitoon Ingkasuwan
H.E. Mr. Amphol Senanarong
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Samarng Srinilta
Prof. Dr. Thira Sutabutra

Fundraising Committee
Chair: Thanpuying Sumalee Chartikavanij
Mitchiko Nakamura of Japan NGO Report Preparatory Committee

Programme Committee

Chairs: Amelia Rokotuivuna, Pacific Regional YWCA, Velvy Holden
Shagufta Ali Zai, Shirkat Gah
Mathana Santiwat, Thai Women's Watch
Caridad Tharan, ANWIM

Communications Committee
Chair: Luz Maria Martinez
Cheekay Cinco, Asian Women's Resource Exchange (AWORC)
Oyuna Oidov, Women's Information and Research Centre of Mongolia

Computer Public Access Center
Reiko Aiko, Asia Japan Women's Resource Centre (ASWRC)
Rhona Bautista, Isis International-Manila
Cheekay Cinco, Asian Women's Resource Exchange (AWORC)
yukika matsumoto, femnet
Hyunjeong Moon, Asia Pacific Women's Information Network (APWIN)
Sankyung Rhee, Asia Pacific Women's Information Network (APWIN)

Drafting Committee
Chair: Dr. Eileen Pittaway
Caroline Lambert
Chat Garcia Ramilo, Isis International-Manila
Cheekay Cinco
Donna Prebble
Eleanor Conda
Farida Shaheed, Shirkat Gah
Huang Shu
Jennifer Romero Liaguno
Manthana Santiwat, Thai Women's Watch
Razia Sultan Ismali
Robyn Kennedy
Tyrell Haberkorn
Vanitha Subramamian, ARROW
Yew Bee Yee
Yukika Matisumoto

Lobbying Committee
Chair: Heisoo Shin
Sjamsiah Achmad, Indonesian Institute of Science
Ramani Gurusamy, National Council of Women's Organizations of Malaysia (NCWO)
Ruth Manorama, National Alliance of Women (NAWO)

Participation Committee
Chair: Dr. Pawadee Tonguthai
Anjana Shakya, Asia Pacific Watch
Barbara McKenzie, National Council of Women on New Zealand
Fatimah Hamid Don, Shirkat Gah
Heisoo Shin, Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD)
Manthana Santiwat, Thai Women's Watch
Mitchiko Nakamura, Japan NGO Prepratory Committee
Shagufta Ali Zai, Shirkat Gah

Secretariat
Chair: Dr.Chaiskran Hiranpruk
Achara Charnsethikul
Achara Jirathun Kooprasert
Amporn Pipatsuporn
Boonchoo Sithong
Jittra Intachan
Naruemon Tiyasangthong
Nopparat Chalepoch
Pakorn Chotsukrat
Pranuda Thammapapoj
Prapa Kitchana
Tuenjai Saisangthong
Viset Khongsamarn
Worachai Photibutra

SONG OF NGO SYMPOSIUM WOMEN 2000

We gonna keep on moving forward
We gonna keep on moving forward
We gonna keep on moving forward
Never turning back
Never turning back
We gonna working for women's freedom
We gonna working for women's freedom
We gonna working for women's freedom
Never turning back
Never turning back

GOOD-BYE

Good-bye my dear friends
Good-bye my dear friends
Good bye Good bye
We will meet again
We will meet again
Good bye Good bye

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	Copyright (C) 2000 Asian Women's Resource Exchange (AWORC)

Final Report of the Asia-Pacific NGO Symposium: Part B Asia-Pacific Women 2000: Gender Equality, Development and Peace

Youth Forum Report

Report from the Parallel Workshop on Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resource Management

Stakeholders Panel

Monitoring Group Panel

The Women's Movement in Future

Sub-regional Reports Summaries

South East Asia

South Asia

East Asia

Central Asia

Pacific Region

The Pacific Island States

New Zealand

Australia

Reports from some of the Special Interest Groups, Countries and Regions

Special Interest Group on Sub- Contracted Women in the Global Economy

Special Interest Group on State Violence Against Women in Indonesia and East Timor: A Critical Concern

Special Interest Group on Lobbying

Special Interest group on Lesbian Rights

Special Interest Group on Violence Against Dalit Women in India

Special Interest Group on The UN working with NGOs and GOs in the Mekong Subregion

Special Interest Group on Networking on Women in Politics for Southeast Asia Countries

Special Interest Group on Information and Communication Technologies: An Agenda for Women

Report from Special Interest Group: Peace: A Call to Women's Leadership

Women and Migration Report Special Interest Group

Special Interest Group on Sexual Harassment of Women in the Work Place

Special Interest Group on Women in Power and Decision-Making

Special Interest Group on Young Women

Special Interest Group on Female Genital Mutilation

Special Interest Group on Women's Health, Family Welfare and Population Management.

Special Interest Group on The Continued And Persistent Violence And Discrimination Against Tibetan Women Living In Occupied Tibet

Special Interest group on Women in Taiwan

Special Interest Group on Violence Against Women in Bangladesh

Statement From The Bridgebuilders International Consultation, Suva

India Country Statement

The Women's Role in Food Security Workshop

Summary of the Women & Health Workshop

Gender and Family Well-being

Tree of life pledges

Opening Welcome Address by Thanpuying Sumalee Chartikavanij

Welcome Remark by Professor Dr. Thira Sutabutra

Welcome Remark by Mrs.Suchada Sudhisanronakorn

Inaugural Address by Khunying Supatra Masdit

Keynote Address: Challenges for Women in the 21st Century

Dinner Address by His Excellency Mr. Bhichai Rattakul

Closing Address by Mr.Adrianus Mooy

Conclusion

Committees for the Asia Pacific Regional NGO Symposium: Asia Pacific Women 2000: Gender Equality, Development and Peace for the Twenty-First Century

SONG OF NGO SYMPOSIUM WOMEN 2000

Final Report of the Asia-Pacific NGO Symposium: Part B
Asia-Pacific Women 2000: Gender Equality, Development and Peace