The “Tagaytay+20” Third Regional Conference on Status of Women in Co-operatives in Asia-Pacific, kicked off last week in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines. The event held in collaboration with the cooperative movement of Philippines is to review the situation 10 years after the second conference in 2006 and look ahead to see how gender mainstreaming can be further consolidated in cooperatives.
The Conference focused on recent initiatives by governments, international agencies, and cooperatives in addressing issues affecting gender equality; the progress made in establishing policies, laws and regulations; and in increasing awareness about gender equality and women’s contribution in economic development by cooperatives.
The discussions leading to recommendations and resolutions will be presented at the forthcoming Asia-Pacific Cooperative Ministers Conference for adoption and implementation. The conference is being attended by participants from India, Iran, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, and Sri Lanka.
Since the 1990s, the International Co-operative Alliance – Asia and the Pacific (ICA-AP) has endeavoured to promote women empowerment and mainstream gender in cooperatives. In May 1997, ICA-AP and the Asian Women in Co-operative Development Forum (AWCF) jointly convened the first Regional Conference on “Women in Decision-Making in Co-operatives,” in Tagatay, Philippines.
The conference culminated in the “Declaration and Platform of Action for the Enhancement of Women’s Participation in Leadership and Decision-Making in Co-operatives.” Ten years after the first Conference, ICA-AP and AWCF organized the second Regional Conference in Tagatay in November 2006 to review and assess the gains in empowering women in co-operatives within the AP region.
The backdrop to the conference was the first data study carried out by ICA-AP in 2005, “Engendering Database in Co-operatives.” The study showed that much work still needed to be done to improve visibility of women and gender integration in co-operatives. The “Declaration and Platform of Action” coming out of the second conference asked co-operatives to focus on education and training; capability building; and development of policies to promote gender mainstreaming and women empowerment. The ICA-AP committee on Women for its part has since organized a number of programs to train, build capacity and sensitize co-operative members and leaders.
In order to assess the status of women in cooperatives, ICA-AP commissioned the second data study to look at the state of affairs as it relates to participation of women and their role indecision-making in co-operatives.
Presenting the initial findings of the study, Dr. Nandini Azad, President of The Indian Co-operative Network for Women, Chennai and author of the Study said that, “women are enhancing bargaining power or rural women and in the informal sector. While women representation at higher reaches is still not significant; the new trends and issues indicate new threshold of change is happening.”
At the opening ceremony, “Ms.Masako Shimbo, Chair, ICA-AP Committee on Women in her opening remarks traced the history of the Women Committee and its activities to enhance participation of women, gender equality, and women in leadership. Ms. Pacita U. Juan, President, Women’s Business Council of the Philippines in her keynote address remarked that cooperatives are instrumental in doing the institution and capacity building. Ms. Mercedes Castillo, Board of Administrator, Co-op Development Authority, Philippines in her solidarity message said that in 1997, when the first women conference took place, participation of women participation in Boards was 10%; today it is 40%. This is a significant achievement, however we need to examine the quality in decision making. Ms. Luvy Villanueva, Project Manager, GREAT Women Project2, Philippine Commission spoke of cooperatives as enablers/ facilitators for Women’s Economic Empowerment.