Republic of Korea and UN Women partner to strengthen women’s leadership in Asia

A strategic partnership between the Government of the Republic of Korea, through its Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, and UN Women is set to strengthen women’s leadership and participation in decision-making in South and South-East Asia.

The partnership comes at a critical time as the international community marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (Beijing+30) and the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women in New York this week.

Also informing the partnership is the launch of General Recommendation 40 in October 2024 by the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) on the equal and inclusive representation of women in decision-making systems.

By translating global commitments into concrete actions at national and regional levels in Asia, the partnership has a strong focus on ensuring the voices and priorities of women shape decisions; empowering all women, including young women and women from marginalized groups, to participate in public life; and strengthening the capacity of women’s civil society organizations.

An intergenerational Regional Knowledge Exchange will be convened to foster dialogue on barriers, opportunities and best practices for advancing women’s leadership, having regard to global commitments on gender equality and women’s rights.

The partnership will also enable National Dialogues in Bangladesh, Cambodia and Nepal to localize global commitments and promote the implementation of CEDAW General Recommendation 40 on equal and inclusive representation of women in decision-making systems.

Capacity building for women’s Civil Society Organizations to strengthen their advocacy for advancing gender-responsive policies is another planned activity, as the partnership continues until April 2026.

Initial activities featured the engagement of women leaders and civil society in regional intergovernmental fora, including the 12^th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development and Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on the Beijing+30 Review.

The Republic of Korea is a long-term supporter of gender equality and women’s empowerment globally, as well as in Asia and the Pacific.