Minister urges greated ASEAN women's participation, leadership

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Minister of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Arifatul Choiri Fauzi has advocated for the meaningful participation of women across various development sectors and stronger women’s leadership in ASEAN.

In a statement issued in Jakarta on Monday, Fauzi said Indonesia is fully committed to advancing women’s leadership through strong policies and concrete action.

“To build an inclusive ASEAN community, we must transform our shared commitments into tangible and sustainable impacts for women and girls. Indonesia sees immense potential in ASEAN cooperation rooted in equality, mutual respect, and mutual learning,” Fauzi said.

At the closing of the 4th ASEAN Women Leaders Summit in the Philippines, Fauzi emphasized that women’s involvement must go beyond mere representation and involve meaningful participation and substantive leadership at all levels.

“Together, we can ensure that women across the ASEAN region have equal opportunities to shape our shared future,” she said.

According to Fauzi, women’s meaningful participation contributes positively to building a better, more inclusive, and sustainable future for communities across the ASEAN region.

“Highlighting issues of women’s leadership is crucial and requires greater attention across the region, particularly in areas such as climate action, STEM, the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda, and other non-traditional sectors,” Fauzi said.

“Through the summit, we have come to realize even more clearly that women’s involvement is not limited to representation; it must entail meaningful participation and support for substantive leadership across all levels and sectors,” she added.

She commended the Philippines for its leadership as ASEAN Chair and for hosting the 4th ASEAN Women Leaders Summit, which has strengthened the platform for dialogue and collaboration on women’s leadership in the region.

According to Fauzi, this momentum must be sustained through concrete action and cross-border cooperation so that the commitment to women’s meaningful participation can be translated into more inclusive policies, practices, and leadership opportunities across various sectors.

The outcomes of the ASEAN Women Leaders Summit discussions will serve as input for drafting the Joint Ministerial Statement on Women’s Leadership for Inclusive Prosperity, which will be followed up by the government.

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Translator: Anita Permata Dewi, Cindy Frishanti Octavia
Editor: Primayanti
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