The first cohort of young thought leaders have been recruited through UN Women’s flagship 30 for 2030 Network. The talented group of 32 gender-equality leaders aged 14-35 were recruited from 15 countries across Asia and the Pacific, and will engage with the regional and country offices to provide expertise on youth and gender issues and will be supported by UN Women to co-design new campaigns and initiatives.

Reti Khatun is a mother who lives in Kulpala village in Chuadanga, a district in southwest Bangladesh that is extremely vulnerable to climate change and long, devastating droughts in the summer. Her husband cannot work because of a disability, so she is the breadwinner of the family as well as caregiver. She used to clean houses for a living, but people stopped calling her during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Today, the Australian Government in collaboration with UN Women launched a new programme to tackle gender inequality in procurement systems.

A roadmap for Thailand’s journey to gender equality in business was presented in Bangkok on March 16, laying out guidelines for policies and business practices to improve women’s empowerment in the workplace and, by extension, the country’s progress towards sustainable social and economic development as a whole.

UN Women spoke with two of the winners, Thai female university students Raweekarn Amarachgul and Asmanee Chesuemae. Raweekarn spent the day with Sarah Knibbs, officer-in-charge of UN Women Asia and Pacific, and Asmanee with Maria Holtsberg, the office’s humanitarian and disaster risk reduction advisor. The students talked about the climate crisis and gender inequality, and the importance of technology and education in possible solutions.

I believe in a world where everyone is equal. I also believe in the power of our generation. We have come to an era when youths are empowered to speak up for themselves and for others. I believe in changes that include everyone in our communities, leaving no one behind, and I am confident that we, all together, can build a better world for us all.

Thailand’s stock exchange opened with a ceremonial bell-ringing event on March 8 in celebration of International Women’s Day.

[Press release] Rising violence and insecurity are forcing women in Myanmar to stay away from jobs and healthcare services, says a new UN survey of over 2,200 women, which signals a deterioration of development gains in the country.

Private sector industry leaders from around Asia came together for the Asia Gender-Smart Investing Forum, presented by Gobi Partners and co-organized with UN Women's WeEmpowerAsia programme funded by the European Union.

Seven distinguished companies and individuals were named winners in the latest edition of the EU-supported UN Women 2021 Thailand Women’s Empowerment Principles Awards, which recognize outstanding initiatives and practices that promote gender inclusivity in the business sector. The event marked the first time that the Awards were held in Thailand at a national level.

Pannapa (Aimee) Na Nan has more than 14 years of experience coordinating disaster management at national, regional and international levels. As the director of International Cooperation Section at the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), Ministry of Interior of Thailand, she co-chairs the Technical Working Group on Protection, Gender and Inclusion (TWG-PGI) convened by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Committee on Disaster Management.

Ramida Juengpaisal, 24, from Thailand, is a digital product designer and front-end developer from 5 Lab Group co., ltd. a creative software company that created the COVID-19 Tracker in Thailand. She aims to bridge design and technology to make a better society.

Migration can be a life-changing experience, but migrant workers are especially vulnerable to human trafficking and gender-based violence. San May Khine, a social worker in Thailand who was once a migrant worker herself, is supporting her fellow women migrant workers to move past experiences of violence and build a stable and bright future in a COVID-19 world.

[Press release] Generation Equality Forum to drive major policy reforms and generate over USD 40 billion in new investments. Heads of State and Government, heads of international organizations, activists from civil society and youth-led organizations, philanthropists and CEOs of private sector companies gathered today for the opening of the Generation Equality Forum held from 30 June to 2 July in Paris. The Forum launched a Global Acceleration Plan for Gender Equality, driven by six Action Coalitions, and launched a Compact on Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action.

The event marked the culmination of a collaboration between UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific and the Embassies of France and Mexico in the context of the Generation Equality Forum which culminates in Paris from 30 June – 2 July 2021.

Upon her return to Myanmar in 2019, she invested her savings of MMK 200,000 (USD 122) in her online business. “Doing business was not really in my plan while I was in Thailand,” she said. “But I knew that I am good at using phones and social media. I knew the area and some people. When I returned to Myanmar, I felt certain I could start my online shop. I am still young and can get around easily to take orders to customers, especially with my motorbike,” she said.

After working in Thailand for almost two years as a migrant domestic worker, Douang Keomouangluang returned to her home in Nong Kae Village in the southern province of Salavan in Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) in September 2020. She wanted to be with her husband and parents during the COVID-19 pandemic, but admits she had no clear plan of what to do for work. “I did not prepare to set up a business,” she said. “I just wanted to be back home. With the THB 50,000 (USD 1,500) that I saved, I built a house and bought appliances and a motorbike.”

After 11 years away, Aye returned to Myanmar in 2014 pregnant and with around 10 million MMK (USD 6,075) in savings. She spent most of that on a house and used 1,500,000 MMK to start her sewing business in 2015. She felt that she was at her best when sewing, and also felt confident that she had learned to be punctual, systematic and disciplined. Ni Ni Aye says she dreamed of starting a clothing business back in Thailand ever since she started working in Thailand. “I remitted half of my salary to my parents and I saved the other half for my dream business.”

UN Women began accepting nominations today for its annual Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) Awards, which award Asia-Pacific business action and leaders that champion gender equality. The awards are organised by WeEmpowerAsia, a UN Women programme funded by the European Union that promotes women’s participation and leadership in the workplace, marketplace and community.

The annual Responsible Business and Human Rights Forum in Asia and the Pacific is meeting this week to address serious concerns about the achievement of social justice and development priorities by businesses and the international community.