Aligned with the United Nations theme "Count Her In: Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress" for International Women's Day 2024, the ICA-AP Committee on Youth Cooperation (ICYC) convened an online forum titled “INSPIRE INCLUSION: An International Forum on Youth, Women, and Cooperatives” on 8 March 2024 to commemorate International Women's Day.
The forum focused on advancing women's economic empowerment in the cooperative sector, recognizing the transformative impact women can have on the growth of cooperatives, inclusivity, gender balance, and the importance of youth and women in cooperatives.
Ms. Gelizabeth Cabuhat, Vice-Chairperson of ICYC from the Philippines, outlined the agenda for the forum. She noted that this forum will emphasize the pivotal role of women in cooperatives and acknowledge the exemplary contributions of women and youth in the cooperatives.
In her opening remarks, Chairperson Atty. Dulce Bustamante extended a warm welcome to participants hailing from diverse countries across the Asia Pacific region. She reiterated ICYC's unwavering commitment to fostering empowerment and inclusivity for women and youth.
Mr. Balasubramanian Iyer, Regional Director of ICA-AP, conveyed his appreciation for initiatives promoting women and youth empowerment, reaffirming his support for ICYC's youth-centric programs.
The forum was also graced by Ms. Ana Aguirre, President of the ICA Youth Committee (Global), who likewise expressed her support for the advocacy of ICYC for women and youth empowerment.
The forum was then moderated by Ms. Simren Singh, the Secretary of the ICA-AP Women’s Committee. She expressed her gratitude for this collaborative program, on behalf of the ICA-AP Women Committee.
Ms. Nelusha Deshani of the National Cooperative Council of Sri Lanka, as the guest speaker, elucidated “Sri Lanka’s Initiatives to Engage Young Women in the Cooperative Sector” to inspire greater youth involvement in cooperatives. Ms. Deshani highlighted the historical significance of women and youth in achieving the establishment and sustainability of cooperativism in Sri Lanka, noting the predominant female membership within Sri Lankan cooperatives. She emphasized cooperatives' role in promoting gender balance, inclusivity, and enhanced opportunities for women and youth.
Another speaker, Ms. Salonie Muralidhara, Strategic Consultant of SEWA Cooperative Federation, India also discussed women’s involvement in developing the Indian cooperative movement. SEWA has 106-member co-operatives, with around 300,000 women members; truly an embodiment of women empowerment and cooperativism in India. Adapting the words of SEWA’s Chairperson, Ms. Mirai Chatterjee, she noted “But we need to do much more. Sustainability—both financial and in terms of women running their own cooperatives—is an ongoing challenge. As the external world of work changes, so also do our cooperatives need to change, adapt and re-orient their economic activities. The challenges are enormous and so are the opportunities. The SEWA Cooperative Federation is fully committed to supporting our sister cooperatives, and ultimately our members, strengthening their work in every possible way that would help them become sustainable, develop young leaders and continue their path-breaking work.”
In closing, Ms. Kiran Kattel, representing Nepal within ICYC, extended gratitude to the forum's speakers and participants. She thanked ICYC members for their attendance, as well as the ICA-AP Officers and Secretary, Mr. Shree Padmanabhan, for organizing the event.
The ICYC looks forward to further collaborative programs aimed at advocating for women and youth inclusivity and empowerment.
