Institutions that Empower
HELPING THE WOMEN OF ASIA Text Jim Neale
The UN's fifth sustainable development
goal pledges to eliminate all forms of
discrimination and violence against womenThere is a fresh current of
optimism flowing from multilateral,
development institutions these
days and it’s taking the form of
the new 17-point, UN Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs). Of these
vital benchmarks, one in particular,
Sustainable Goal No.5, pledges to
eliminate all forms of discrimination
and violence against women and girls
throughout the world.
Ending prejudice
against women
These SDGs as they are called, have
replaced the older UN Millennium
Development Goals that expired
in 2015. This will give institutions,
humanitarian agencies and non-
government organisations (NGOs) a
15-year horizon to attempt to end all
prejudice and bias against women in
society, and replace it with an ethos
of empowerment and impartiality
by 2025. The adoption and launch
of this ambitious policy has been
enthusiastically received in Asia by all
the regional United Nations agencies
and multilateral lending institutions,
including the Asian Development
Bank (ADB).
Addressing sensitive
cultural issues
The ADB has been at the forefront
of women empowerment issues,
deploying gender and development
specialists who focus on
discrimination throughout the Asia
Pacific region. ADB has taken the
initiative in its strategy and planning
to achieve favourable results when
addressing the ills of reproductive
poverty and hunger at its roots,
by creating a safe and supporting
environment in which to elevate
gender equality and to ensure safe
access to food. It is often observed
that women are more vulnerable than
men during natural disasters and
political upheavals. Consequently,
WFP’s action plans specifically
target the inclusiveness of women
at the operational level during these
emergencies. Sustainable gender
programs like Food For Training
(FFT), which can actually chart the
income generating levels of women,
will often follow post-disasterhealth, nutrition, infant mortality
and violence against women. Many
of these issues are highly sensitive,
with traditions and cultures being a
difficult roadblock to navigate when
implementing these lofty aims. But
breaking down barriers and building
bridges of understanding are among
the core beliefs of the Manila-based
development bank, which has been
operating in communities since 1966.Severing the cycle of poverty
The United Nations World Food
Program (WFP) is another organisation
that is trying to sever the cycle ofCaRe
PHOTO © JIM NEALE