Indonesian Minister of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Bintang Puspayoga. (Photo: antaranews.com) The Indonesian official was quoted by local media as speaking at the 67th Annual Session of Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), which is taking place from March 6-17 in New York, that the ASEAN welcomes the 67th Annual Session of the CSW with the theme 'Innovation and Change in Technology and Education in the Digital Era to Achieve Gender Equality and Empowerment for All Women and Girls”.
According to Puspayoga, the CSW meeting is a promising opportunity to share progress and challenges in achieving gender equality and empowerment for all women and girls in the digital era.
Minister Puspayoga, representing ASEAN countries, stated that during the last 55 years, the ASEAN had clocked extraordinary progress and achievements.
However, ASEAN countries continue to reel from obstacles, including the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women and girls. The minister pointed out that the biggest impacts were in the form of loss of jobs and income.
Meanwhile, other impacts were also faced in various fields, such as education, economy, health care, and other essential services for women and girls, the minister pointed out.
With these challenges, the ASEAN has strengthened close cooperation to increase the role of women in peace, stability, and sustainable development in the digital era, she said.
Puspayoga said that for Indonesia's chairmanship in the ASEAN in 2023, the country brought up the theme of "ASEAN Matters, Epicentrum of Growth".
She expressed optimism that the ASEAN will play an important role in maintaining regional and world economic growth that then requires the mainstreaming of a gender perspective in ASEAN's works./.
VNA
