Blog of Theresa Devasahayam, SI Representative to the UN in Bangkok.
2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA). In November 2024, the Asia-Pacific Regional Review of the 30th Anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action was held in Bangkok, convened by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and UN Women.
Stakeholders from the public and private sectors, international community, and non-governmental entities gathered to (a) share progress on the BPfA; (b) review current and emerging challenges, good practices, lessons learned, and priority actions; (c) explore policy and strategy options; (d) build regional consensus on priority actions; and (e) consolidate regional inputs to the 69th Commission on the Status of Women.
New Paths for Gender Equality and Empowerment
The report: Charting New Paths for Gender Equality and Empowerment: Asia-Pacific Regional Report on Beijing+30 Review was launched; providing in-depth analysis of the progress made, and identifying gaps in implementing the BPfA, and opportunities and strategies to accelerate progress in achieving gender equality.
Statements made at the Conference revealed that women and girls have made significant progress across the last three decades: more girls attend school today than ever before; maternal mortality has dropped by a third; and women in decision-making positions have increased, both in politics and in business. Timor-Leste is exemplary: 39 percent of its Parliamentarians are women, surpassing the global average of 21 percent. In Thailand, women comprise 24 percent of the country’s CEOs (the global figure is 20 percent).
But progress has been uneven and even fragile. In the region, one in four women have faced intimate partner violence (IPV). In the Pacific, numbers are higher at one-third. Unpaid care work continues to be a stumbling block for women, limiting educational, waged work, and leisure opportunities. Also, employed women face gender stereotypes and countless barriers in accessing resources. One speaker highlighted how in 12 out of 20 Asia Pacific countries, women make up less than 40 percent of employees in STEM sectors, despite growing numbers of educated young women. Additionally, rural women in poorer countries face barriers of illiteracy and possessing relevant skills. Three in five women of productive age work in the informal labour sector, losing out on social protections. Labour migration is a survival mechanism for many rural communities; but gender inclusive migratory pathways need to be strengthened to protect women migrant rights and safety to prevent trafficking. Moreover, fewer than a quarter of Parliamentary seats are held by women.
Further Barriers to Progress
Asia Pacific countries were making impressive progress on poverty reduction. But COVID-19 deepened poverty levels pushing an estimated 47 million women into extreme poverty: older women and female-headed households bear the greatest brunt. While actions to reduce poverty and accelerate advancement for women are urgent, challenges persist such as the lack of capacities across governments, lack of data, and lack of gender budgeting and basic training in gender.
In the Asia Pacific, a region plagued with natural disasters, women should fill decision-making roles in community relief efforts so that their voices and concerns are taken into account. Other areas where women’s concerns need to be considered are: the triple planetary crisis (climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss), food security, the energy crisis, digitalisation, and geopolitical tensions.
Feasible strategies and solutions were discussed. Priority areas derived from the country-level voluntary national reports include: (a) accelerating gender parity and equal decision-making in government and state institutions; (2) ensuring women are at the heart of economic, development and sustainable approaches, and the green economy; (3) investing in comprehensive and gender-responsive care systems; (4) committing towards developing, implementing, and resourcing national action plans to end violence against women; (5) prioritising bridging the digital and technological gender gap; and (6) increasing accountability to women and girls in efforts related to peace, security and humanitarian aid.
Key Areas to Consider
The BPfA has 12 key areas: education and training, human rights, institutional mechanisms, the girl child, Violence against women, women and armed conflict, the economy, the environment, health, the media, poverty, power and decision-making. Because SI’s mandate concerns girls, the following statement was delivered:
“Honourable guests, it is a privilege to address you today. I am Theresa Devasahayam, representing Soroptimist International, a global network of dedicated women volunteers committed to empowering women and girls through impactful community projects across 118 countries.
Since 1921, Soroptimist International has remained steadfast in our mission to empower girls through educational opportunities; vital to enabling them in their adulthood to live through the “golden age”, in order that they might pursue their ambitions – the first step towards women’s liberation.
Educating a girl brings lifelong benefits: in adulthood, she is more likely to become financially independent, raise healthier children, gain community respect, and seek help, if in an abusive relationship. So, we advocate for gender equality in schools to give girls an equal opportunity to succeed in education and beyond.
While the world has made significant strides in bridging the gender gap in education, there is still crucial work to be done: especially in advancing this goal across the Global South. The high dropout rate among girls remains a critical issue, with many facing early marriage and increased risks of violence and abuse.
In 2019, one in five women married before 18. Raising the legal marriage age and keeping girls in school longer are key to reducing child marriage, exploitation, and violence.
A multifaceted approach is essential to keep girls in school. Policies should support retention, allowing girls to repeat a grade, if needed. Cultural perceptions of girls must shift, with governments playing a key role in challenging gender stereotypes through campaigns, media, and education. Building more schools in rural areas, ensuring facilities like toilets, and employing more female teachers can make schools safer and more accessible for girls.
Women are the heartbeat of this world. Throughout history, they have played a central role in a nation’s progress, stability, and long-term development. For girls from the Global South who encounter higher levels of poverty and gender discrimination, investing in their education is ever more paramount.
The opportunity to receive an education is the first step a girl child will take in the public sphere. With education, there is the potential for barriers working against her to be mitigated. Doors will open as she grows mentally, emotionally and physically, enabling her to strive to reach her fullest potential and to stand up for her rights. I would like to emphasize once again “Educate a girl, and we will raise a nation—when girls advance, generations will thrive.”
It was agreed that the work of CSOs is central to bridging the gender gap. The SDGs cannot be achieved unless we take gender considerations into account. To this end, our work as Soroptimists remains unfinished. As we press on in the projects we undertake at the community level, let’s all continue to actively work towards empowering women and girls in all our projects and to ensure that gender equality is not only a vision but a reality for all women and girls.