|
 5-16 October 2009—Dr. Bernadette Gumba of the Department of Social Sciences attended a 12-day seminar in Phnom Pen, Cambodia. Titled “Training Programme on Equal Status and Human Rights of Women in South East Asia,” the event was organized by Raoul Wallenberg Institute (RWI), and Gender Development in Cambodia (GAD/C) under the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). Twenty-six (26) representatives from nine (9) countries in South East Asia coming from different sectors such as government, academe, national human rights institutions, non-government organizations, both domestic and international, and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees participated.
The program hoped to improve the practical application of international and regional standards for the promotion and protection of gender equality and human rights of women in South East Asia, which is envisaged to contribute to the empowerment of women in economic, legal and political spheres in the region. Particular attention was paid to regional initiatives and the current debate regarding the implementation of human rights of women in South East Asia.
Regional in scope, the program offered an opportunity for participants to exchange views and ideas based on their national and regional experiences. As such, the program aimed at providing a regional forum for debate on human rights of women. Topics covered:
- Development of international human rights standards: legal instruments, the UN-system, regional systems, and monitoring mechanisms
- Civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights
- Equal rights, non-discrimination and special measures
- Political and economic participation of women
- The right to health and reproductive health
- In-depth studies of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and its application in South East Asia
- Examination of gender-discriminatory provisions in domestic laws in South East Asian countries
- Human rights in the South East Asian context: the issue of universality and cultural relativism
- Gender based violence
- The possibility of a South East Asian regional human rights mechanism
 During the event, Dr. Gumba took part and presented a Country Gender Profile of the Philippines. She also presented an assessment of the implementation of CEDAW in the country which was prepared by the Philippine delegation in the program.
Aside from having workshops and group discussions on policies, programs and experiences of participating countries on gender issues and concerns, there was also a review and orientation on gender, gender equality, gender mainstreaming and gender-based violence and sharing of programs and strategies on women’s participation in politics, Cambodian Men’s Network for gender equality, Cambodian Women’s Crisis Center, Cambodian Ministry on Women’s Affairs, Australian Program Against Trafficking of Persons.
Inputs on UN Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review, UN Convention on Human Rights, UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, and the ASEAN Commission on Human Right were also given.
|
