Outcome APA_D_1.4

Women and girls in all their diversity, and representatives of the women’s rights movement, exercise their leadership, voice and agency, without fear of retaliation, in development and crises-affected contexts.

In 2024, UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP) made substantial steps in ensuring that women and girls, in all their diversity, and representatives of the women’s rights movement, could exercise their leadership, voice, and agency without fear of retaliation. These achievements were realized through concerted efforts in governance, peace, security, humanitarian action, disaster risk reduction (DRR), climate action, and gender-responsive policy advocacy, thereby creating inclusive and transformative frameworks for development and crisis-affected contexts. In pursuit of collective achievement, civil society organizations (CSOs) played a pivotal role in advancing gender-responsive anticipatory action and frameworks for GBV prevention in disaster risk reduction. Their contributions led to the development of the Sendai Gender Action Plan (GAP) , a key tool for integrating gender into DRR strategies across the Asia-Pacific region. Through active engagement in high-profile dialogues, including the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on DRR (APMCDRR) , CSOs advocated for and influenced frameworks such as the Gender Equality Call to Action. Women-led organizations, including indigenous groups, were instrumental in drafting declarations and roadmaps for equitable energy transitions. Capacity-building sessions further equipped DRR practitioners to implement the Sendai GAP and align disaster management with SDGs on gender equality and climate action. Collaborations with UN entities such as United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), along with support to national disaster management offices in countries like the Philippines, India, and Pakistan, strengthened anticipatory actions and preparedness systems, addressing the unique needs of women and marginalized groups. Regional mechanisms such as the Gender Observatory and the Gender Help Desk further institutionalized gender-responsive DRR efforts, fostering a sustainable community of practice. Additionally, the launch of the WE-Respond Dashboard , developed in partnership with the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), has strengthened coordination among humanitarian actors by mapping women- and girl-focused organizations, laying the groundwork for enhanced responses and resilience-building. UN Women also led transformative efforts in governance, peace, and security. Through the adoption of the National Action Plans on Women, Peace, and Security for Timor-Leste and Viet Nam, CEDAW General Recommendation No. 40 , and the Pasay Declaration on Women, Peace, and Security, the organization reinforced the leadership and influence of civil society organizations in shaping inclusive and resilient governance systems. These achievements were underpinned by regional consultations facilitated by UN Women, which brought together CSOs, UN agencies, and experts to address barriers to women’s inclusion in decision-making and tackle intersectionality, gender-based violence, and parity. UN Women enhanced the capacity of women’s rights organizations (WROs) through initiatives such as the PROTECT project , which strengthened advocacy for gender-responsive migration policies. In collaboration with Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada , 12 civil society and women’s rights organizations from eight countries (Thailand, the Philippines, Lao PDR, Indonesia, Myanmar, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, and Malaysia) were empowered to lead efforts in promoting gender-responsive labour migration governance. As part of the Safe and Fair programme , a desk review on gender-based violence (GBV) cross-border referral systems in the Mekong Region (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam) highlighted the need for improved coordination among service providers and the creation of safe, effective referral pathways for migrant and displaced GBV survivors in both development and humanitarian settings. These initiatives amplified the voices of women migrant workers in key intergovernmental platforms, including the Colombo Process, ASEAN Forum on Migrant Labour , and the Global Compact for Migration review, ensuring their challenges and priorities were addressed. In climate action, UN Women co-convened the transformative Gender Equality and Climate Action Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue with Asian-Pacific Resource & Research Centre for Women (ARROW) , UNFPA, and UNEP, producing a Call to Action prominently presented at COP29. It emphasizes empowering leadership by promoting evidence on the links between climate change, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), and GBV, with a focus on gender-disaggregated data. It integrates these priorities into national climate policies. Strategic dialogues advanced partnerships and developed actionable strategies for integrating gender-responsive priorities into global climate discussions, further advancing commitments to gender equality and sustainability. At the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) , UN Women demonstrated leadership in advancing gender-responsive climate action through key contributions to the UNFCCC. A 2025 submission on the Gender Action Plan (GAP) highlighted progress from initiatives like the EmPower and Women’s Resilience to Disasters Programmes, informing the Synthesis Report and COP29 decisions on gender and climate change. Another submission on gender-responsive climate financing shaped the 2024 Standing Committee on Finance (SCF) Annual Forum , where UN Women played a central role as an official partner, delivering insights and showcasing innovative financing models. These efforts reinforced UN Women’s commitment to placing women and marginalized groups at the forefront of global climate solutions. Youth engagement also featured prominently in UN Women efforts, highlighted by the Beijing+30 Young Feminist Forum , which mobilized over 150 young leaders and 300 CSOs toward actionable regional acceleration plans. Participants advocated for government accountability and developed youth-driven recommendations for the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on the Beijing+30 Review. These initiatives advanced sustained collaboration among youth leaders, Gender Equality Forum ( GEF) Commitment Makers, and CSOs, amplifying their influence on gender equality policy and practice through digital advocacy campaigns and strategic partnerships. The Centre of Excellence (COE) advanced the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Agenda, advocating for the meaningful participation of women military officers. The " Second Korea Peacekeeping Forum for Women’s Empowerment ", engaged over 150 military leaders, emphasizing women's critical role in peace operations. The forum marked the conclusion of the Uniformed Women Peacekeepers’ Training Programme, equipping 22 women military officers from 13 countries with leadership and operational skills. These officers are expected to enhance women's representation and leadership in the countries’ military forces and in UN peacekeeping. COE also co-organized a high-level panel on the intersection of climate change and WPS, empowering women as agents of peace, resilience, and transformation. Across these diverse initiatives, UN Women demonstrated a steadfast commitment to advancing gender equality and enabling women and girls to lead without fear of retaliation. By advocating for policy integration, building capacities, supporting national strategies, and fostering impactful dialogues, UN Women has created a strong stage for women and girls to exercise their leadership and agency. These achievements have significantly shaped a gender-responsive landscape in governance, humanitarian, DRR, climate action, migration, and peacebuilding, reinforcing resilience and inclusivity in both development and crises-affected contexts.

Women and girls in all their diversity, and representatives of the women’s rights movement, exercise their leadership, voice and agency, without fear of retaliation, in development and crises-affected contexts.

WEE Migration: Significant progress has been made on enhancing advocacy capacity of women’s rights organizations (WROs) and coordination between them and regional civil society organizations to increase their engagement in migration policy dialogues, particularly in regional and international fora. Through the project " Enhancing Engagement of Women’s Rights Organizations in Labour Migration Governance ” which is the partnership between UN Women and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, 12 civil society and women’s rights organizations (CSOs/WROs) from 8 countries in Southeast Asia (Thailand, the Philippines, Lao PDR, Indonesia, Myanmar, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Malaysia), and one country from East Asia (Republic of China (Taiwan)) have been empowered to exercise leadership roles in advocating for gender-responsive labour migration governance and advancing the gender equality and women’s empowerment agenda. During the reporting period, the capacity-building project significantly enhanced participants' technical knowledge of migration frameworks and equipped them with practical skills to effectively advocate for and amplify the voices of women migrant workers in intergovernmental discussions. Post-activity evaluation surveys demonstrated measurable progress, with participants achieving an average score of 92% across the implementation in 2024. Noting the efforts were made through collaboration with strategic partners which include IOM and ILO and regional prominent migration CSOs who provided technical support on the key migration policies and frameworks and good practices in engaging with intergovernmental processes. Building on the achieved progress, UN Women will continue supporting women’s rights organizations to amplify their voices, as well as needs and challenges at the intergovernmental migration mechanisms.

Women and girls in all their diversity, and representatives of the women’s rights movement, exercise their leadership, voice and agency, without fear of retaliation, in development and crises-affected contexts.

In 2023, Asia Pacific region made good progress towards empowering women and girls, along with women's rights movement representatives, to exercise their leadership, voice, and agency without fear of retaliation in both development and crisis-affected contexts. The progress spans critical thematic areas, including: Migration: Significant progress was achieved by empowering regional and national Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in countries such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Viet Nam. These CSOs were equipped with technical knowledge on migration policies and advocacy skills, enabling their active participation in five ongoing inter-governmental mechanism/thematic meetings. UN Women provided crucial technical and financial support for this engagement. In collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the International Labour Organization (ILO), CSOs, including women's rights organisations, played a pivotal role in the thematic area working groups of the Colombo Process. Their participation in Technical Advisory Working Group (TAWG) meetings allowed them to contribute significantly to discussions and developing work plans, and share expertise with government representatives from the mentioned countries. Positive shifts were observed in the attitudes of Colombo Process Member States (CPMS) towards the participation of CSOs, including women's rights organisations. The CPMS demonstrated willingness to incorporate suggestions from CSOs into the work plans of TAWGs during 2023. For the ASEAN Forum on Migrant Labour (AFML), where CSOs are formally recognised for their role, UN Women ensured their active involvement throughout the planning and organisation of the 16th AFML held in 2023, which enhanced the multi-stakeholder process and inclusiveness in line with the Global Compact for Migration’s Whole of Society approach. Humanitarian and climate change: Active participation of youth leaders who had innovative and unique ideas in and contribution to COP28 as well as the Climate Change and GBV Learning Exchange, both facilitated by ROAP, helped broaden the scope of discussion on climate change, gender-based violence, and youth participation in global environmental dialogues thereafter. Social media campaigns during the 16 days of activism and the dissemination of information on GBV and climate change interlinkages amplified reach and impact, fostering a deeper understanding of these critical issues among a wider audience. Center of Excellence: The Center of Excellence (COE) and ROAP were crucial in empowering youth leaders in the Asia-Pacific region through the "30 for 2030 Network”, which consisted of a diverse group of 48 young leaders across the region to amplify their voices in ending violence against women and girls (VAWG) and other issues. ROAP’s support led to establishing the network (before 2023), fostering solidarity and joint advocacy for various human rights issues. They became empowered to be able to actively and meaningfully participate in and contribute to decision-making fora, including the 8th Asia-Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Forum, UN Women Regional COVID-19 Recovery Dialogue, COP28, International Women’s Day, CSW67, 16 Days to End Violence Against Women and Girls regional and global consultations, among others. The success story from COP28 highlights the impact and contributions of youth champions in making significant waves at the conference, their active engagement, and advocacy on critical global issues. In one instance, they gathered for cross-country learning on addressing technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TF GBV). This network, established by ROAP, brought together young decision-makers, innovators, feminists, entrepreneurs, educators, activists, and more to influence social change and policymaking. During the event, youth leaders had the opportunity to reflect on and prepare for the release of the second edition of the Youth Guide to End Online Gender-Based Violence Toolkit, a valuable resource addressing online GBV. The Advocacy team enhanced the network's capabilities, organising over 46 meetings in 2023. These included workshops, mentorship sessions, and discussions covering key issues such as violence against women, climate change, humanitarian efforts, and peace and security, focusing on developing leadership skills. The team secured essential funding and resources for over 45 young leaders from the 30 for 2030 network, ensuring their active participation in critical fora at national and global levels. This inclusive advocacy approach emphasised the importance of supporting marginalised groups. Ending violence against women UN Women's efforts to end violence against women (EVAW) focused on providing technical, capacity-building, and financial support to women’s rights organisations and CSO networks, including 47 CSO participants from 15 countries across Asia and the Pacific region, with SVRI Forum (Sexual Violence Research Initiative), one of the critical global platforms on prevention of GBV. Engagement with global platforms like the SVRI Forum facilitated collaboration between CSOs and global initiatives. Women, Peace, and Cybersecurity Digital safety and cyber resilience of women human rights defenders (WHRDs) and women’s rights organisations in Southeast Asia got strengthened and they became able to exercise its leadership, voice, and agency without fear of retaliation, which allowed women to sustain their civic engagement efforts in a safe and sustained manner Under the "Women, Peace and Cybersecurity project," the digital rights movement is supported and equipped with the knowledge and capacity to exercise leadership and voice. ROAP developed research on the cybersecurity posture for WHRDs and women’s rights organisations in Southeast Asia and e-learning material for WHRDs and gender equality advocates. A total of 10 trainings was conducted in Thailand, Viet Nam and the Philippines to support the digital safety and cyber-resilience of WHRDs/ women’s rights organizations, and benefited a total of 521 persons (436 women, 57 men; 28 non-categorised). Six Women’s CSOs’ cybersecurity posture improved particularly in cybersecurity audits, by ROAP providing tailored support. They raised awareness on digital harms and strengthened resilience against cyberattacks, which are systematically used to attack, silence and discredit women, including WHRDs.