Women's rights
- Photo by jankie, Flickr Creative Commons
Women make up just over half of all people in the Asia Pacific region. However, they continue to suffer disproportionate discrimination and barriers to equal participation in society.
For example, women in the region experience some of the lowest rates of political representation, employment and property ownership in the world.
Those women who do work earn considerably less than men. Despite laws guaranteeing equal pay for equal work, the pay gap for women in the region ranges from 54 to 90 percent.
They also face many examples of serious human rights abuses, such as domestic violence and trafficking.
However, nearly half of the countries in South Asia, and more than 60 per cent of those in the Pacific, have no laws against domestic violence.
Nor are there many provisions against sexual harassment in workplaces, even though between 30 and 40 per cent of working women report experiencing verbal, physical or sexual abuse.
Long-term change is also made more difficult when women in the Asia Pacific region continue to be significantly underrepresented in political decision-making.
Role of the APF
The APF will support the participation of five member institutions – Afghanistan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Nepal and the Philippines – in a major conference and capacity building workshop (Sydney, Australia; February 2012) on the role of the International Criminal Court, with a specific focus on gender justice.
Addressing the unequal status of women is one of the region’s most important human rights challenges. It is also one of the primary responsibilities of national human rights institutions (NHRIs).
The core functions of NHRIs – such as complaint handling, human rights education and making recommendations on law reform – can all contribute significantly to the elimination of discrimination against women and advancement of their rights.
NHRIs can also engage with the international human rights system, such as the UN human rights treaty bodies and other mechanisms, to raise issues and follow-up on recommendations made to governments.
To equip our members in this work, the APF supports training programs on the Equal Status of Women, presented by the Raoul Wallenberg Institute.
We have also established a program with the United Nations Population Fund that aims to provide practical strategies for NHRIs in the region to incorporate reproductive rights into their work.
In addition to specific projects to advance women's rights, the APF Gender Policy ensures that a focus on the rights of women is integrated across all our program areas.
At the international level, the APF is helping coordinate a major advocacy campaign to secure independent participation for NHRIs at the Commission on the Status of Women, the United Nations’ global policy-making forum for women and girls.
In 2000, we brought together APF members, governments and NGOs for a major regional workshop on Women and International Human Rights: The Role of National Human Rights Institutions.
More information
UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
UN Commission on the Status of Women
