”As CWP Chairperson, I am of the view that women Parliamentarians in the region play a vital role in promoting women's participation in the economy. Their participation in Parliament is significant to legislating and to addressing issues on women's economic rights.” - - Hon'ble. Dr Dato‘ Noraini Ahmad

The Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR) celebrates its 70th anniversary on 10th December 2018. The UDHR is a milestone document consisting of international human rights law based on the ideas of freedom, equality and dignity, a living text which is universal in scope and relevant to all individuals. Also, it contains a common standard of human rights protection for all peoples and all nations. All Member States shall promote and advocate the rights and freedoms contained therein. They shall have progressive measures and mechanisms to secure the effective observance of the UDHR. Over the years, most principles stated in the UDHR have been fulfilled, many lives have been changed, history has been impacted, and people have been able to secure essential rights and freedom.

Nevertheless, there are issues around human rights that remain contentious today, including women and gender issues such as the right to participate in the economy, pay inequality and exploitation.

Thus, the primary objective of this article is to highlight the importance of ensuring human rights principles, in particular women‘s economic rights, for inclusive development.

 

Women’s Economic Rights:

The rights of women are recognised under various human rights treaties such as the /nternational Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). These documents uphold the rights to equality between men and women in the enjoyment of all rights. Besides that, other materials like The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, as well as 2030 Development Agenda for Sustainable Developmentemphasise women's economic empowerment and integrating women’s economic rights in government policies, programmes and strategic planning. it also promotes gender equality and accelerates the implementation of regional gender equality commitments including women’s economic rights.

A stronger role for women in economics will contribute to gender equality and the sustainable development of the nation. Women’s participation in the economy provides a crucial contribution to the economic growth of the country, where higher gender equality in economic participation, education, health and political empowerment has contributed to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita and development of the nation. According to the World Bank, women's participation in the economy would add up to US $28 trillion, or 26°/o, to annual global GDP by 2025 compared to business as usual. In Latin America and the Caribbean, for instance, female labour market income contributed to a 30°/o reduction in extreme poverty over a ten year period. Therefore, women played a crucial role in the reduction of the poverty rate in the region.

Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) acknowledges that Women’s entrepreneurship is a way forward for gender equality as far as economic opportunities are concerned for women. The Commonwealth is at the forefront in promoting sustainable and inclusive development. A Business Sun/ey by International Trade Centre (ITC), a company related to the implementation of the ‘SheTrades’ Commonwealth programme.

stated that one-fifth of exporting firms in 1 1 Commonwealth countries are women—owned and managed. A women-owned business tends to employ women, and the majority of the shareholders are also women. The ‘SheTrades' Commonwealth programme promotes women's participation in trade, particularly in the micro, small, medium—sized enterprises (MSMEs), as well as encouraging all governments and businesses tojoin its partnership in enhancing women‘s economic rights.

 

Women’s Participation in the Economy in the ASEAN Region:

According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the economy in the ASEAN region grew at an average of 6% annually between 1990 and 2015.ASEAN consists of 10 countries, including Malaysia and Singapore, and is the third largest labour force in the world. ASEAN‘s economy is forecasted to further grow at an average 5°/o annually until 2020, and its middle—class population is projected to increase by around 70 to 194 million by 2020. The region is also one of the most attractive destinations for foreign investment and trade corporations, and it has embarked on an economic integration project through the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) since 2015.AEC Blueprint 2025 sen/es as the main guidelines for the implementation of AEC.

The World Bank’s report on ‘Gender Dimensions of the ASEAN Economic Community published in 2016 regards gender equality as part of the ‘smart economics’ agenda. The report emphasised gender equality as an important contributing factor to economic efficiency and to achieving other key development outcomes. However, women‘s participation in economics in the region is persistently low across ASEAN, measured by the low level of human capital among women, education attainment and influenced by specific social or cultural factors that hinder women‘s participation in the economy.

The World Economic Forum disclosed that the majority of women entrepreneurs run MSMEs, with women owning more than 30% of MSMEs in the ASEAN region. A reportjointly published by OECD, the ASEAN Committee on Women (ACW) and the ASEAN Coordinating
Committee for MSMEs in September 201 7, concluded that "... to tackle remaining gaps in outcomes between men and women in the region, the AEC has begun to increase its focus on supporting women’s entrepreneurship, in particular, within the context of the ASEAN Strategic Action P/an for SME Development 207 6-2025. ” The report highlights that the average rate of self-employment for
women in ASEAN region is about 50%.

However, there are challenges that women have to face such as gaps in education, the labour market and barriers to women’s entrepreneurship. Better access to markets, financial resources, business support services and integration of lCT tools in business operations are essential to boosting women's participation in the economy in the region.

 

The Role of Women Parliamentarians:

As CWP Chairperson, l am of the view that women Parliamentarians in the region play a vital role in promoting women's participation in the economy. Their participation in Parliament is significant to legislating and to addressing issues on women’s economic rights. They shall stand togetherto discuss the barriers that impede maximising women‘s full economic potential in finance, markets, human capital development and leadership. Women Parliamentarians shall promote women‘s participation and skills development in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Empowerment of women entrepreneurs and promotion of lCT as enabling tools for the advancement of women are also crucial in their activities.

Women Parliamentarians in the region play a crucial role in promoting women to invest in programs which provide enabling environments for women MSMEs. The Parliamentarian shall address the constraints that limit their integration in the international markets and global value chains. The proper measures and mechanisms should be adopted, such as business initiatives, incentives and favourable tax regulations to assist women to participate in an inclusive and innovative business environment.

There is a need to increase women’s representation and leadership both in the workforce and at the executive and managerial positions. intensifying human capital development and capacity building programmes that empower women to bear equal roles in all sectors, enhance gender equality policies and strategies to close the gender pay gap.

Furthermore, partnerships are a meaningful way to achieve the 2030 Development Agenda for Sustainable Development and to set a direct path towards gender equality, poverty eradication and inclusive economic growth. Strengthening partnerships with other parties is significant to advancing women’s economic rights, building evidence-based and sex-disaggregated data on gender analysis in the economy. Besides that, engagement with young people which constitute 60%, or 2.4 billion, of the population of the Commonwealth is significant to promoting gender equality and women’s economic rights.

ln this regard, the CWP South East Asia Region had organised a seminar as a platform of engagement to identify strategies, to reduce the gender gap and promote gender equality in all aspects in the South East Asia Region. Members of Parliament from the Region emphasised the crucial role that CWP plays in supporting women Parliamentarians to raise issues on gender equality in their work. The CWP provides a platform for capacity building to women Parliamentarians in upholding gender equality and women's economic rights in their role to legislate, maintain oversight and represent their constituents.

Conclusion
ln conclusion, the CWP calls for all stakeholders to promote gender equality in all aspects to exercise rights over their lives that will end discriminatory norms, behaviours and regulations. Parliamentarians should play an effective role in creating enabling environments for the economic participation of women towards inclusive economic growth and implementing policies and frameworks, as well as monitoring changes from time to time in line with current developments.

Written by: Hon'ble Dr Dato‘ Noraini Ahmad,
MP, Chairperson of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) and Member of the Parliament of Malaysia.