Women Leaders Eye Bigger APEC Role
By Rosli Abidin Yahya

Bandar Seri Begawan - Gender-Responsive policies and practices would bring about sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction in the region and would advance a stronger APEC community, according to the joint statement issued by the 2006 APEC Women Leaders Network (WLN) Meeting held recently in Hanoi, Vietnam.

The statement, made available to the Borneo Bulletin, affirmed women's participation in the economy through entrepreneurship, management and employment has made a considerable contribution to global and regional growth over the past 10 years.

The Brunei delegation was led by the President of Brunei Darussalam Women Business Council Hjh Sopiah binti Hj Husaini. All the 21 APEC member economies sent women representatives to the meeting.

The APEC women leaders' statement offered recommendations to otherAPEC leaders aimed at bringing into full play the achievements over the - past decade aswell as ensuring the continued integration of a dual-gender perspective within APEC themes and objectives.

The statement recommended the establishment of an APEC advisory committee on women's participation in the digital economy.

Both urban and rural women would be included in the master plan of enhancing information technology and developing a database and research on women's contributions to the digital economy in the APEC region.

In terms of matters of legal frameworks, the network asked APEC ministers to review existing laws, regulations and practises relating to investment, business and credit to eliminate gender bias in impact and enforcement, in addition to strengthening compliance by increasing their awareness of micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (M/SME).

APEC member economies were also encouraged to provide gender analysis training for their government trade officials.

In addition, the statement requested that M/ SMEs owned or led by women be provided with funds as well as policies to help them expand their businesses.

To encourage these enterprises to build international trade links and enhance business networking and capacity building, APEC should provide support and funds for setting up a database, which would also afford access to sectorial gender expertise and training.

The statement also asked that APEC leaders, recognising women's heightened vulnerability to HIV/AIDS, promote the economic empowerment of women and encourage APEC enterprises to implement the International Labour Organisation Code of Practice on HIV/AIDS and the World of Work.

The establishment and implementation of effective legal protection for migrant workers at both the economic and regional levels was also listed as necessary.

The WLN statement said that the network would monitor APEC's response to WLN recommendations to see if they had been implemented, thereby integrating women into APEC's framework.

The WLN made a commitment to establish a WLN Secretariat which will be based in the Philippines, to monitor the APEC's response to the WLN's recommendations and to develop a holistic Strategic Framework for Women's Enterprise Development to buildd the capacity and support the growth of women-owned and/or women-led enterprises, at all stages of their business.

The Vietnamese Minister of Planning and Investment, Vo Hong Phuc, chairing the APEC Small and Medium Enterprise Ministerial Meeting on September 28-29, accepted the WLN's recommendations and promised to present these recommendations to the meeting for discussion.

At the closing ceremony, Diana Abruzzi, Chairwoman of the International Women's Federation of Commerce and Industry and Vice President of APEC Confederation of the Women's Business Councils assumed the presidency of the APEC WLN for 2007

The 12th WLN meeting will be held in Queensland, Australia, in 2007.  -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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