ASEAN high-level policy dialogue on women migrant workers in the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC)

The ASEAN Inter-Pillar Policy Dialogue on the Impact of ASEAN Economic Integration in labour sector was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 21 March 2016. It examined the impact of economic integration in labour sector specifically, upon the creation of the AEC and was organised by Malaysia as country coordinator for this work programme with the support of the ASEAN Secretariat (ASEC), the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES).

The upcoming Policy Dialogue will be organised by the Indonesian Ministry of Manpower, with the support of the ASEC, UN Women (with funding support from Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) of Australia) and FES. It will be held as a one-day event in Jakarta, Indonesia on 7 July 2017. It is part of the 2016-2020 Work Plan of the ASEAN Committee on the Implementation of the ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers (ACMW).

The Policy Dialogue this year will focus on how the AEC affects women migrant workers, based on the key findings of the aforementioned study. This will be steered by the UN Women’s expert through a presentation. The presentation will be based on the key findings of the undertaken study and is important in order to set the right tone of deliberation for the participants to contribute in a fruitful manner.

After the brief presentation, key stakeholders consisting of senior civil servants of ASEAN Member States and regional representatives of ACE, ATUC, ASETUC and civil society organisations will be responding to the issues. Prior identification of the respective civil servants of AMS and regional representatives of ACE, ATUC, ASETUC and civil society organisations will facilitate smooth deliberations.

Objectives of the Policy Dialogue

A number of lessons can be drawn from the different trajectories and experiences of AMS. These are important to articulate in order to consider the impact of the AEC related labour mobility on the migration of women workers in ASEAN.

The Policy Dialogue provides a platform for collaborative problem solving, which clearly moves beyond the simple sharing of information. The joint resolution of problems can enable deliberative discussions in which AMS work together to influence the market policies of both sending and receiving countries, to support policy advocacy at the regional and national level to protect and advance the rights of women migrant workers.

As the AEC and ASCC pillars are dealt with by different government agencies of AMS, this policy dialogue will assist to consolidate, where possible and appropriate, common government procedures that apply across departments, such as application and evaluation. The consolidation of procedures is relevant for the action lines in supporting common goals under the respective pillars. Read more

Resources

• Concept note
• Executive Summary
• Agenda
• Registration form