Asia and the Pacific

There have been two recent important moments to remember in relation to women’s rights in Southeast Asia: the adoption of the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration on Nov. 18 and the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on Nov. 25. In the context of ASEAN, a fundamental issue to be borne in mind is the direction of women’s rights.

In Southeast Asia, progress in women’s rights has been quicker than other human rights, such as political and civil rights.

In the elections sprinkled across Asia from Japan to Indonesia to Sri Lanka this year, perhaps the most intriguing candidate is Park Geun-Hye, who seeks to be the first woman elected president of South Korea.

As she has risen in prominence over the last decade, Ms. Park, 60, has joined an elite sisterhood of Asian women who have gotten their starts on the road to political power as the daughters or widows of well-known men. Most of the women were educated in Western universities either at home or in Europe or the U.S.

The proposed Protection of Women against Sexual Harassment at Workplace Bill introduced in the Lower House of Parliament has been termed as an anti-men legislation by a non-government organisation.

The All India Men's Welfare Association (AIMWA) said that proposed inquiry proceedings in the 2010 Bill were designed to deny justice to men, Press Trust of India (PTI) reported.

In order to discuss the role and responsibilities of the government, political parties, media, lawyers and civil society in ensuring women’s right to vote in coming general elections, Aurat Foundation organised a focussed group discussion Wednesday.

Research conducted by the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) found that local values impede women’s progression and participation in the country’s politics.

LIPI found that cultural barriers, founded on patriarchal values adhered to by traditional ethnic communities in the country had limited women at the local political level.

There is no doubt that much is being done politically to tackle gender inequality in Timor-Leste. The government is redressing the power imbalance with a quota system that sees more women in parliament than anywhere else in south-east Asia, though whether this has any impact on policy remains to be seen. And even at a village level, foreign and local NGOs are helping women set up their own advocacy groups to champion specific rights and needs.

New legislation supporting gender equality in the workplace has passed through the both houses of Federal Parliament.

The passage of the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Bill 2012 was welcomed by Minister for the Status of Women, Julie Collins, as “another key reform to advance gender equality”.

“This legislation will go a long way to promoting the cultural change necessary to create true gender equality in our workplaces,” Collins said.

Malaysian lawmakers on Tuesday approved a ban on sexist remarks in parliament after a number of cases in which male MPs in the mostly Muslim country have drawn anger with their comments on the floor.

The amendment to the rules of conduct in the Dewan Rakyat, or lower house of parliament, bars lawmakers from making “a sexist remark”, opposition lawmaker Fong Po Kuan told AFP, with violators facing a reprimand or even suspension.