Kuala Lumpur (VNA) - The ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) on June 30 opened a regional workshop aimed at advancing inclusive business and human rights practices with a focus on gender equality.
The two-day regional workshop on gender lens perspective on business and human rights in ASEAN is chaired by Malaysia as ASEAN 2025 Chair.
The event explores how a regional gender lens framework can address gender-based barriers, tackle structural and cultural discrimination and strengthen the protection of the human rights of women and girls. It examines the implementation of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: Implementing the United Nations “Protect, Respect and Remedy” Framework (UNGPs), with emphasis on progress and challenges in realising the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) on gender equality, decent work and economic growth, and reduced inequalities.
Good practices on meeting challenges and barriers in seeking access to effective remedies on the matters will also be shared as AICHR aims to support ASEAN member states through recommendations for governments and business enterprises to consider in their policymaking and practices.
Speaking at the workshop, Dr. Pichamon Yeophantong, Chair of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights, emphasised the importance of awareness and the integration of gender perspectives in business and human rights practices.
In addition to the opening and concluding consultation sessions, the workshop features five discussion panels, including one chaired by Vietnam’s representative to AICHR, Nguyen Thanh Trung, focusing on mainstreaming gender perspectives into policies, processes, mechanisms, and business operations.
The workshop marks the first in a series of AICHR activities leading up to the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) and related events, scheduled for July 8-11 in Kuala Lumpur./.
