Women Empowerment:ASEAN Case Studies

MS SALOME GANIBESenior Consultant and Gender Expert

Gender Equality Resource Center, Inc.

Republic of the Philippines

Women Empowerment

Increasing the economic, political or social strength of women which shall provide

them equal access to ownership, management and control of production

and of material and informational resources and benefits in the family,

community and society.

Women’s Empowerment

Empowerment from within

Three Dimensions

Empowerment from others

Empowerment from the environment

How can women be empowered?

Internal Dimension (within)

• “capacity” – self-esteem,

recognizing own rights, and not asking other people to give you rights

• “capability”- knowledge and skills

“Others” Dimension

• Raising recognition of women’s rights, capacities and capabilities

• Raising awareness about gender and awareness about women’s rights among women and men.

Women are empowered by education and training

Support organizations like banks, marketing services, corporations, business councils, government agencies, etc. should be sensitive to the needs of women

How can women be empowered?

Environment Dimension

• Making the institutions in which we all function sensitive to women’s needs

Women have to have access in decision-making

because it is decision making that creates the environment

Tools for Economic Empowerment of Women and Gender Equality

Financial Services

• Finance Institutions (Banks, government agencies, MFIs)

• Credit Unions

• Banks

• Corporations

Appropriate Technology

• Aid for income generating activities of women and family

• Community-based and uses local resources, wisdom and potentials

Solidarity groupsCo-operativesSavings mobilization groups

-seed banks, animal banks, rice banks

Handicraft productionFood technologyAlternative energy –solar, biogas

Tools for Economic Empowerment of Women and Gender Equality

Capacity and Capability Building

• Enhancing self-esteem and self-confidence

• Having competence by building knowledge and skills needed in business

Business Management, &Marketing and Trading

• Support in terms of technology and facility for women’s businesses

Women empowerment programsTraining and development for womenLeadership development for women

Business Development ServicesTwinning/ Mentoring ProgramBusiness CounselingMarketing /Trading Facility like showroomE-market or eMall, business development centers,

Tools for Economic Empowerment of Women and Gender Equality

Marketing through ICT

• Use of internet-based toolsfor doing business with others

• The challenge: poor connectivity in some ASEAN countries

Networking and Advocacy

• Networks and Linkages supporting women businesses and advocating women empowerment and gender equality

Women Co-op Productivity Center (Thailand)

E-Mall (ASEAN)IT@COOPS (Philippines, Thailand,

Indonesia)

Women business councils and networkChamber of CommerceAWEN (ASEAN Women Entrepreneurs’ Network)

The ASEAN Woman is…

Empowering a woman is empowering the household- the community- the society

resilient, creative and resourceful

loyal, family-oriented and the keeper of culture and values, and traditional enterprises

GENDER EQUALITY

GE refers to a situation in which women and men have the same value,

equal rights and commitments.

Gender Equality is a basic human right.

It is also a prerequisite for sustainable development

and reduced poverty.

Significant impacts of GE in Economic Growth?

Expands the human capital Raises labor productivity

Improves agricultural productivity

Enhanced gender equality attracts investment in physical capital

Increasing membership (M & F)Better-educated staff / members Higher value economic activity

Raising knowhow of would-beentrepreneurs

Increasing opportunity to access productive employment

Removing barriers to entrepreneurship created by laws & social norms

Removing gender discrimination in agriculture production

Provide equal distributions of resources e.g. credit extensions,labor and farm inputs

More productive workforce increases ROI which in turn generates increase investment & promotes growth

Higher household savings rates through more productive family members allow greater investment

“No nation can achieve the kind of growth that we all want and need if half of the

population never gets to compete. And we cannot afford any longer to exclude the

energy and talent that women add to our economies.”

-U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton

speech at the Singapore Management University

November 17, 2012