Regional Workshop on Women’s Participation in Local Governance

Regional Workshop on Women’s Participation in Local Governance

June 17, 2015

The Asia-Pacific Regional Workshop on Women’s Participation in Local Governance ‘Exploring the way forward’ held in Bangkok on 17-19 November brought together 120 women leaders and practitioners of women’s rights and governance.

The workshop sought to reinforce cross-regional partnership by bringing together governments, multilateral and bilateral agencies and civil society leaders to jointly determine a course of action to achieve greater and more effective women’s leadership in improving participatory local governance. The regional workshop, co-hosted by the USAID Regional Mission in Asia (RDMA) and United Nations Development Programme Bangkok Regional Hub (BRH) demonstrated the collective commitment to build momentum for joint action on enhancing women’s participation in local governance.

The presentations and discussions during the workshop focused on four main areas and objectives:

1. Present and discuss the report ‘Gender Equality: Women’s Participation and Leadership in Governments at the Local Level Asia and the Pacific 2013’

2. Identify and prioritize strategies for institutional reform measures and capacity development of women’s leadership in government and civil society

3. Discuss and identify best practices, options and strategies for improving key aspects of women’s participation in local governance, especially as leaders on issues that empower women and girls; electoral systems, framework and methodology for measuring effectiveness of women’s participation in governance policy solutions to addressing prevention of violence against women, gender‐sensitive budgeting; and political environment and its impact on women leadership at the local level

4. Identify concrete opportunities and encourage enriched regional co‐operation, exchange of knowledge, experiences and best practices and cross‐fertilization of efforts for enhancing women  participation in local governance, especially in advocacy efforts that have a significant impact on the lives of women and girls