On 19 March, the ICA-AP and its Committee on Women organized a virtual side event at the NGO CSW69 Forum. It was the third such event at the NGO CSW Forum organised by the office and its Women’s Committee. Themed, ‘Policy Actions Matter: Cooperatives in Asia-Pacific and Their Initiatives to Foster SDG 5: (Gender Equality)’, Expert speakers from cooperatives in Australia, India, and the Philippines shared insights into policy initiatives undertaken by cooperatives to promote gender equality and foster women’s empowerment. The program was attended by 59 participants across Asia.

The Committee Chairperson, Ms. Chitose Arai, highlighted the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day, “For All Women and Girls: Rights, Equality, and Empowerment“. The theme calls for actions to provide equal rights, power, and opportunities to achieve a feminist future where no one is left behind. She observed that 2025 is a very special year because the UN has declared this year as the second International Year of Cooperatives, and it also marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPfA), adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing in 1995. She added that the Committee has focused on women’s capacity development through various programs aligned with the BPfA since its establishment. She outlined four strategic objectives of the Committee – 1) Economic Empowerment, 2) Social Empowerment, 3) Knowledge, Education, and Training, and 4) Solidarity. She provided a brief overview of the parallel event and hoped that the Committee and the entire cooperative movement could create environments where women and girls are not left behind in their communities.

Ms. Ida Suhanya Jesu, Gender and Inclusion Specialist, International Labour Organization (ILO), Sri Lanka, in her keynote address, emphasized the role of cooperatives in advancing gender equality and fostering SDG 5 in the Asia-Pacific region. She highlighted the significance of BPfA as a global framework guiding gender-responsive policies. She shared that the ILO has actively supported cooperatives as vehicles for women’s economic empowerment through initiatives like Coop 4 Decent Work and Gender Equality; and Women’s Empowerment Strategy. Various countries, including India, Indonesia, and the Philippines have implemented gender-inclusive policies in the cooperative sector and the cooperative model of business with its democratic and inclusive structure, plays a crucial role in promoting financial access, leadership, and skills development for women. However, challenges such as limited access to finance, legal barriers, societal resistance, and climate change continue to hinder progress in achieving gender equality. To address these issues, Ms. Jesu stressed the need for stronger policy support, capacity-building programs, public-private partnerships, inclusive leadership, and the use of digital tools. She concluded by calling for collective action to strengthen policies in cooperatives, ensuring that cooperatives remain a powerful force for gender equality and sustainable development in local communities.

Ms. Priti Patel, Vice Chairperson of the ICA-AP Committee on Women and Gujarat Mahila Credit Cooperative (GMCC), and member of the Women’s Committee of the National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI) presented the role of cooperatives in India in fostering SDG 5. Her presentation highlighted the importance of eliminating discrimination, violence, and economic disparities while promoting women’s leadership and equal opportunities. Cooperatives, with their democratic and inclusive structure, play a crucial role in empowering women economically and socially by ensuring equal access to resources, leadership roles, fair wages, and skill development opportunities. Her presentation showcased key examples of successful gender-sensitive cooperatives in India. GMCC provides financial assistance, organizes training seminars, and offers skill development programs to promote women’s economic independence. She shared initiatives taken by NCUI, such as Kamadhenu Self-Help Group and Women SHG Cooperative Industrial Society in Goa, to empower rural women through entrepreneurship and self-reliance, contributing to economic stability. Her presentation emphasized the need for further gender-inclusive policies, financial support, and skill development programs to enhance women’s empowerment through cooperatives for fostering economic resilience and gender equity.

Ms. Linda Seaborn, Senior Policy Advisor from the Business Council of Cooperatives and Mutuals (BCCM), Australia presented the case of cooperatives and gender in Australia. She highlighted the role of BCCM in fostering gender equality within the cooperatives and mutual enterprises (CME) sector. The BCCM, formed in 2013, represents over 1,800 CMEs across diverse industries, employing 89,000 people and generating $43.2 billion in revenue (FY22-23). She added that while 8 in 10 Australians are members of a cooperative, gender disparities persist in the CME sector, particularly in leadership roles. A research, conducted by BCCM and Per Capita, on understanding gender diversity and inclusion in the Australian CME sector confirmed that while women are well-represented as employees and members in CMEs, they remain underrepresented in top leadership positions. To address these gaps, she added that their study report has provided key recommendations: embedding flexible work policies, enhancing leadership training and sponsorship for women, and fostering top-down commitment to gender inclusion. She also shared that data from BCCM’s National Mutual Economy report (2016–2022) shows gradual improvement in gender diversity among cooperative leaders, yet significant disparities remain when compared to ASX (Australian Stock Exchange) listed companies. Her presentation underscored the need for structural reforms, cultural shifts, and sustained leadership efforts to ensure gender equality in Australia’s CME sector.

Ms. Hermes Vergara, Chairperson, Gender and Development Committee, National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO) and Vice-Chairperson, Oro Integrated Cooperative from the Philippines shared about the Government’s CDA-MC 2013-22 Guidelines that mandate cooperatives to integrate Gender and Development (GAD) policies in their plans, budgets, and programs, ensuring gender mainstreaming in decision-making and operations. Key mechanisms under these guidelines include forming GAD Committees, appointing GAD Focal Persons, and implementing education and training programs on gender sensitivity, financial literacy, and leadership, among others. She noted that NATCCO has institutionalized gender equality by allocating a Board seat for a women’s representative and dedicating 5% of the Cooperative Education and Training Fund (CETF) to GAD programs. NATCCO’s capacity-building efforts have empowered women with entrepreneurial, financial, and leadership skills, leading to increased participation in cooperative governance. Additionally, NATCCO is developing a Gender Mainstreaming Manual to guide member cooperatives in sustaining gender equality initiatives. She emphasized that gender equality is a human issue, not just a women’s issue, urging continuous policy actions to drive inclusive cooperative development.

During the open discussion, the participants focused on the critical question of why gender-based policies matter in cooperatives. Some of the key points that accrued from the discussion are:

1. Formal gender-based policy instruments in cooperatives matter because they can be incorporated as guidelines to guide primary cooperatives on how to integrate gender inclusion and equality. Formal policy instruments are required because leaders change but good policies remain and they provide a valuable framework for governance, accountability, and transparency.
2. It is important to have women in gender-based policy-making decisions because their voices and perspectives are critical to making informed and inclusive policies.
3. Good gender-based policies become successful when cooperatives develop guidelines for implementation and train cooperatives on how to implement them. The success of good gender-based policies is guaranteed when they are aimed at the growth and development of women cooperators – members and employees.
4. Good policies should be well-aligned with government policies or national laws. People who are involved in gender-based policy-making should be aware of what they are doing and why they are doing it because this impacts the final policy product and its implementation success rate.
5. Speakers and participants highlighted the need and importance of having women-friendly policies in cooperatives in terms of work flexibility and work-life balance so that they are encouraged to assume leadership roles.

Fare wages, paternal leaves, child-care facilities, loan facilities, flexible working hours, education, training, and mentorship give women the required confidence and adequate skills to take up leadership roles. Otherwise, they are burdened with dual responsibilities of career development and family care and do not have sufficient time to contribute any longer or take up leadership roles.

Ms. Arai thanked the speakers and noted this event highlighted the current state and challenges of gender equality in Asian cooperatives that still prevail after 30 years of the BPfA. The presentations and discussions during the open forum have deepened our insights on the role that cooperatives should play in the future to expedite their commitment and actions to SDG 5. She encouraged the participants to create an environment within the cooperatives where women can fully utilize their abilities and strengthen the collective efforts towards gender equality.