Across Asia, Stock Exchanges “Ring the Bell” to Advance Gender Equality

Date: Thursday, March 5, 2020

[Joint regional press release ] The bell ringing ceremonies will start in Kuala Lumpur on 6 March, in partnership with Bursa Malaysia, followed by Mumbai and Manila on 11 March with the National Stock Exchange of India and the Philippines Stock Exchange, respectively. The series will conclude on 13 March with bell ringing ceremony in Mumbai with the Bombay Stock Exchange. Both the Indonesia Stock Exchange and the Stock Exchange of Thailand have expressed their commitment to organize similar events later this year.

CSW 64 Advisory

Date: Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Following the UN Secretary-General’s recommendation to Member States to amend the format of the 64th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women in light of the current concerns regarding coronavirus disease (COVID-19), an informal meeting took place today. The Commission decided that the 64th session of the Commission will convene on 9 March, at 10.00 a.m. (EST), for a procedural meeting. The meeting will include opening statements, followed by the adoption of the draft Political Declaration and action on any other draft resolutions. The session will then suspend until further notification. No general debate will take place and all side events planned by Member States and the UN system in conjunction with CSW 64 will be cancelled.

#Women2020 Summit: Women in the next decade

Date: Tuesday, March 3, 2020

[Press release] In observance of International Women’s Day, #Women2020 Summit: Women in the Next Decade is a convergence of women’s rights advocates, human rights activists, civil society partners, and individuals from both public and private sectors to converse about significant issues that affect women’s active, effective, and productive participation in nation-building and global progress. #Women2020 is organized by SPARK! Philippines and UN Women Asia and the Pacific and co-presented by Terre des Hommes Netherlands - Girls Advocacy Alliance, Philippine Business Coalition for Women Empowerment, Austrian Embassy, British Embassy Manila, Embassy of France in the Philippines and Micronesia, Embassy of Sweden Manila, and the United Nations Population Fund.

Small actions with big impact for Generation Equality

Date: Monday, March 2, 2020

From the Liberian women’s sex strike paving the way for peace to the Icelandic “Women’s Day Off” demading economic equality to the global impact of the #MeToo movement, history has taught us that change can happen through collective activism. Change, however, isn’t just about big headline moments, legal victories and international agreements: the way we talk, think, and act every day can create a ripple effect that benefits everyone. As we usher in the new decade and take stock of global progress on women’s rights, join us, as Generation Equality, in getting to gender equality through these simple everyday actions.

Young change-makers take the lead on realizing women’s rights in Asia and the Pacific

Date: Monday, March 2, 2020

2020 is a pivotal year for advancing gender equality worldwide as the global community takes stock of the progress made for women’s rights. Despite some progress being made in the 25 years since the adoption of the landmark Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, real change remains agonizingly slow for the majority of women and girls in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. Today, not a single country can claim to have achieved gender equality.

Stock Exchanges ‘Ring the Bell’ for Gender Equality across Asia

Date: Friday, February 28, 2020

[Updated] Over the course of two weeks in early March, stock exchanges across Asia, in partnership with the joint European Union-UN Women programme, WeEmpowerAsia, will hold a series of “Ring the Bell for Gender Equality” events in a symbolic gesture to mark International Women’s Day (8 March).

I am Generation Equality: Cindy Sirinya Bishop, celebrity and activist

Date: Thursday, February 27, 2020

I have always spoken up for women’s right, even though I didn’t always brand myself as an activist. I was told from an early age that I could be whatever I wanted to be. When I saw a newspaper headline about how officials were telling women how to dress, I started using my social media platform to speak out against the idea that what women wear could be the reason for sexual assault.

My take, your take: Women’s rights in Thailand, and men’s role in advancing them

Date: Wednesday, February 26, 2020

In this new intergenerational series for the Generation Equality campaign, young people take the lead to shape the conversations. Zaak Garrett, 25, a US student and gender activist currently based in Thailand, talks with Jaded Chouwilai, 57, the founder of Thailand’s Women and Men Progressive Movement Foundation.

Thai student photo exhibition shows that female entertainers are ‘NOT OBJECTS’

Date: Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Many people may adore the young female singers who enjoy the bright lights and legions of fans. But there’s another side that few people ever think about: These “idols” often are treated by society as mere sexual objects and not human beings with dignity and rights. Undergraduates from two leading universities in Bangkok created a photo exhibition called GIRLS, NOT OBJECTS to try to raise awareness about this harmful “objectification culture” in Thailand’s entertainment industry.

The European Union and UN Women Call for Accelerating Progress towards Ending Violence against Women and Girls

Date: Wednesday, February 12, 2020

To mark the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence, the European Union in Indonesia together with UN Women organized a public discussion on 25 November 2019 on women’s rights to live free from violence. In line with this year’s theme for the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence, Orange the world: Generation Equality Stands Against Rape, it was also highlighted how everyone can contribute to making a world that is equal and violence free, from supporting and believing survivors, to speaking out to end the rape culture that allows sexual violence to be normalized.