Representatives of ASEAN member-countries have been meeting to craft ways to jointly address the many concerns raised by the continuing global economic crisis. It is hoped that in their meetings the government representatives have women and children, as well as men, on their minds. After all, when hard times hit, women and children have been shown to bear an extraordinary share of the burden and hardship, from reduced food intake to forced stoppage of schooling.
And yet, points out the Committee on Asian Women (CAW) in a statement, “the predominant government response to the crisis has been stimulus packages focused on physical infrastructure, creating stop-gap employment and refinancing bad loans.” None of these measures, the group points out, “have targeted women, although the burden of the financial crisis has fallen heavily on them.”
CAW is calling on Southeast Asian governments to consider a number of initiatives designed to ease the burdens of women and their families in the wake of the worldwide economic downturn. Among these are “to recognize the labor market disadvantage facing women and to consider ‘decent work’ targets for women.” They likewise encourage governments to “include migrant and informal workers in the labor protection system, as well as invest in social infrastructure—education, public health, childcare and community services to stimulate growth.”
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“WOMEN must be central to crafting solutions to the financial crisis, particularly since 70 percent of the world’s poor are female, who make up 80 percent of the work force at the lowest and unskilled level of the economy, and yet are the primary food providers for their families and communities especially in Southeast Asia,” reminds CAW. “Gender equality should be a key principle in any policy response on finance, trade, economic development and labor.”
CAW trains a particular focus on export processing zones, which were conceived as engines for economic growth in the last two decades, but which have come under fire for the unjust conditions in which workers, predominantly women, are forced to work.
“ASEAN governments should revamp (the zones),” declares the CAW statement, “incorporating ILO labor standards, ILO gender equality conventions, and protection of union rights.” CAW also urges the “immediate and total repudiation of unfair and unequal ‘Free Trade Agreements’ in favor of local investment generation and building self-sufficient economies (where women thrive).”
It also recommends the nationalization of public services “so that basic healthcare, medicines, transport, childcare, retirement and other provisions benefit women.” And, flying in the face of current trends towards privatization, it also demands that “essential goods such as food and fuel must be returned to public supervision so as not to be affected by constant market inflation.”
CAW likewise recommends that “unpaid family work, reproductive and health care work” contributed by women be recognized and protected by law.
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TO SUPPLEMENT these points, the CAW Statement urges ASEAN to, among others:
• Engage women’s genuine participation in economic reconstruction and in seeking sustainable solutions.
• Address the disadvantaged position women occupy in today’s financial crisis; invest in social infrastructure—education, public health, childcare, social insurance—where these benefit women, this leads to benefit whole communities.
• Invest in rural infrastructure that creates employment for women towards sustainable growth and a long term employment for rural women.
• Adopt and implement the UN Convention on Migrant Workers, ILO Conventions 97 (1949) and 143 (1975), and the Durban Declaration and Program of Action on Racism, Racial Discrimination and Xenophobia.
• Enforce a moratorium on trade agreements. Assess Free Trade Agreements in Southeast Asia in relation to the impact on local and migrant labor, access to equal rights in employment and extension of social protection measures.
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GABRIELA turns 25 years old this year, and as the organizers note, even as they pause to celebrate this milestone, “we recognize nonetheless that the struggle for a just and free society for women and men must continue.”
“Gab” will hold a “Grand Anniversary Gathering” on Oct. 28 at the Amoranto Theater in Quezon City from 1 to 6 p.m. The gathering serves as the culmination of Gabriela’s 10th National Congress, which will be held in the two days prior to the anniversary. It opens with a brief program, followed by the opening of booths offering various services and products for women, as well as exhibits on the history, victories and challenges of Gabriela. The main program will be held from 4 to 6 p.m., and will include a tribute to women who have been integral to Gabriela’s history.
Theme of the anniversary celebration is “Sulong Gabriela, Sama-samang Bumangon! (Forward Gabriela, Let’s Rise Together!),” partly in reference to the plight of many Gabriela members, mostly women from grassroots communities, who were gravely affected by Typhoons “Ondoy” and “Pepeng.” The occasion will also be used to amplify the group’s appeal for the relief, rehabilitation and rebuilding efforts in the various urban and rural poor communities gravely affected by both typhoons.
Guests are requested to bring with them any relief items, goods or cash in support of the rebuilding work ahead.
