Empowering women for sustainable peace: preventing violence and promoting social cohesion in ASEAN

The project aims to advance and strengthen the women peace and security (WPS) agenda in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) It also seeks to prevent violence against women and promote regional social cohesion. Over the next five years the implementing partner - UN Women will support ASEAN to become a knowledge and innovation centre on women peace and security (WPS) and lead the advancement of the WPS agenda in the region. The programme’s primary beneficiaries include women and girls in ASEAN particularly those vulnerable to violence conflict and crisis in the region. The immediate beneficiaries include the ASEAN Secretariat and relevant ASEAN sectoral bodies ASEAN Committee on Women (ACW) and ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC). It also includes Member States of ASEAN (duty bearers) and gender advocates civil society women’s organizations and associations at regional and national levels (rights holders).

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) increased access to gender and women peace and security (WPS) expertise by ASEAN Secretariat and inter-sectoral bodies to develop regional policies on WPS and related frameworks; (2) ASEAN sectoral bodies and institutions have strengthened their capacity to implement the WPS agenda; (3) strengthened a regional platform for cooperation and advocacy among ASEAN Member States to promote good practices and evidence on WPS; and (4) increased the knowledge and capacity to test and upscale innovative approaches by ASEAN Member States to implement WPS agenda and conflict prevention at the national level.