Women, Leadership and Change: Shaping the Future of Gender-Responsive Cooperatives

Three decades after cooperative leaders first gathered in Tagaytay in 1997 to advance women’s participation in decision-making, Tagaytay +30 returns to the Philippines to take stock of progress, examine the gaps that remain, and shape the next chapter for gender-responsive cooperatives. The Fourth Regional Conference on the Status of Women in Asia-Pacific will bring together women cooperative leaders, board members, young women leaders, policymakers, researchers, development partners and representatives of cooperative federations and apex bodies to reflect on the Tagaytay agenda and chart a shared vision for the future.

Held on 1–2 December 2026 in Tagaytay City, the conference will connect three decades of experience with practical action for the years ahead. Discussions will focus on women’s leadership and decision-making, gender-responsive governance and budgeting, gender-disaggregated data, policy and institutional frameworks, and pathways towards greater accountability. The conference will also introduce the proposed Cooperative Gender Equality Index (ICA-AP CGEI) Framework 2026 and facilitate a Future Lab 2035 to envision what a genuinely gender-responsive cooperative sector should look like by 2035. The conference will culminate in the Tagaytay 2026 Commitment Statement, capturing priority actions and commitments to advance gender equality and women’s leadership across cooperatives in Asia and the Pacific.