e ngaging ASEANSome reflections from the Women’s Caucus

Outline

The Women’s Caucus In Engaging ASEAN Key Activities Challenges Lessons Learned

The Women’s Caucus Formed in 2008, ASEAN Human Rights

Body meetings on the then ASEAN Declaration on Human Rights (ADHR

Absence of women’s network, following the approval of the ASEAN Charter

Initially convened by the Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD) and International Women’s Rights-Action Watch (IWRAW-AP)

The Women’s Caucus Key areas of work:

Violence against women Discriminatory laws and practices Migration Economic participation Political participation

Leadership structure – Mentoring system Past, Present, Future Chairs of ASEAN plus APWLD and

IWRAW-AP Linkage between national and regional

Membership Over 60 organizations in 11 countries, including East Timor

Engages ASEAN bodies – AICHR, ACWC and ACMW

In Engaging ASEAN… ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on

Human Rights (AICHR) ROPs, Work Plan and thematic studies Dialogue

ASEAN Human Rights Declaration ASEAN Commission for the Promotion and

Protection of Women and Children (ACWC) ROPs, Work Plan CSO Institutionalization

Internal strengthening Collaborating with broader civil society

In Engaging ASEAN… Building up on internal resources – members

as resource persons themselves, with their own expertise on different issues

Strengthening community ownership Strong information – gathering and sharing National consultations – focal organizations Coordinating group – national and regional

Regular consultation – online and face to face

Capacity-building – emphasis on CLMV and Brunei and young women and new faces

In Engaging ASEAN… Clear communications – Emphasis on formal

communications In a still largely adhoc environment

Building relationships – Emphasis on formal means ASEAN Secretariat and national

representatives Content/ submissions Communications Prepared for backlash

In Engaging ASEAN… Content/ Position

Sources recognized by ASEAN Ex. For AHRD – national laws, ASEAN declarations,

regional and int’l HR mechanisms Existing expertise within the Caucus Ensuring consultation within the membership

Coordination with other civil society groups Identifying and pursuing common positions

Ex. Women’s Caucus and child rights groups on ACWC “Claiming” spaces

Key Activities: AICHR Submission on the ASEAN Human Rights

Declaration 1st and 2nd Addenda

Were acknowledged Relatively good response from a few AICHR reps Some inputs were taken, some were not Informal meeting with a few AICHR reps

Capacity-building opportunity: APWLD – Informal meeting between ASEAN representatives and UN Independent Expert on Cultural Rights

Key Activities: AICHR Submission on the ASEAN Human Rights

Declaration – October 2011 3. Everyone has the right to access the public

sphere, social protection measures, financial resources, information and technologies on the basis of justiciable, fair and equal access. c. Everyone has the right to access social protec-

tion services such as affordable and effective health care, including sexual and reproductive health, adequate and affordable housing and education be it formal, informal and traditional.

Key Activities: AICHR

Submission on the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration – October 2011 14. Every individual and community has the

right to self determination. a. Every individual is free to decide over one’s

identities, body such as the exercise of one’s exercise of one’s sexual and reproductive rights, relationships, mobility and future.

Key Activities: AICHR 1st and 2nd Addenda

Due diligence and state obligation Non-derogation and Non-retrogression of Human Rights Duties and Limitation of Human Rights

“PUBLIC MORALITY” Women as “Marginalized” rather than “Vulnerable” Group Right to citizenship (beyond nationality) Refugees, undocumented migrants, asylum seekers Responsibilities of labor-receiving countries

Key Activities: AICHR 1st and 2nd Addenda

Sexual orientation and gender identity Right to found a family and family as a social unit Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Rights related to work and maternity Access to Justice Right to Development PUBLIC MORALITY

Key Campaign: Public Morality

Key Activities: ACWC Submission on ACWC’s ROP and Work Plan

Was acknowledged Relatively good response from a few ACWC reps Some inputs were taken (e.g. CSO participation) Major downside – Migration excluded in the work

plan Participation in the Informal Dialogues with ACWC

– February and September 2011 Participation in the Formal Dialogue with ACWC –

January 2012 Participation in the 2nd Formal Dialogue with ACWC –

July 2012 - APWLD – playing a coordination role in the CSO-ACWC dialogue

Key Activities: ACWC Submission on Due Diligence and VAW

(Jan2012) Good and bad practices – prevention,

protection, punishment and reparations Towards a “Convention on VAW” Letter (Jan2012)

Inquiry on VAW women domestic workers Interpreting its mandate more boldly

Participation in the Task Forces Mapping of regional resource persons Institutionalization of CSO participation

Clear processes and definition

Key Activities: ACWC Declaration on VAW and VAC

VAWC – VAW and VAC Rights vs. “corporate social responsibility” Due diligence – all the four areas, including

reparations Harmonization of national laws Harmonization with international human rights

standards – CEDAW and CRC Civil society participation

Work Plans

Challenges Different understanding of women’s human rights

by different ASEAN bodies and representatives ASEAN – despite CEDAW and CRC - Reservations

Strong resistance against SOGI and the S and R of SRHR Heteronormative, welfare approach Resurgence of fundamentalisms “Particularities,” making HR conditional

Civil society General public

Challenges

Uneven interest in ASEAN Slow pace of opening up/ confidence

building Ignorance?

Political limitations esp. in CMLV and Brunei

Dynamics within ASEAN

Challenges CSO participation is not institutionalized

What are the entry points? Confidence-building - adhoc and personal

Struggles within civil society Varying civil society cultures – including language Women being relegated to “women’s issues” Challenges in sharing spaces – HR and WHR National – regional – international Who is civil society?

Capacity and Resources, i.e. emerging patterns of funding

Lessons Learned National as the key arena of struggle Creatively pursuing and interpreting CEDAW

and CRC Need for non-threatening dialogue but an

effective and institutionalized mechanism for engagement, including capacity-building How to introduce cultural rights viz. individual

rights, SOGI etc? How can individuals and groups with security

issues go to ASEAN without going through formal channels (ex. National govt) that are not safe?

Lessons Learned Developing allies from within Flexibility in defining civil society

Ensuring inclusivity, esp . In countries where there is no CSO culture as we know it

Keeping, expanding and diversifying the spaces for women and girls Capacity building Women’s Leadership

THANK YOU!

womenscaucusonasean.wordpress.com

facebook.com/seawomenscaucus