Jakarta: To identify emerging challenges and strategic priorities for the second Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Plan of Action on the Elimination of Violence against Women, for 2026-2035, Indonesia hosted a national consultation from 2-3 July 2025 in Jakarta. About 150 Indonesian Government officials, parliamentarians, members of women's organizations, civil society, and academics attended the consultation.
According to UN Women, the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection convened the consultation in collaboration with the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children. UN Women and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) supported the event through the UN Joint Programme on Gender-Based Violence Prevention in Southeast Asia, funded by Australia, and the PROTECT project, funded by the European Union.
Speaking at the event, Desi Andriani, Deputy for the Protection of Women's Rights, Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection, stated that the consultation would promote a stronger ASEAN policy on women's rights as well as the empowered women, protected children goal of the Golden Indonesia 2045 vision.
According to the report of the Indonesia consultation, legal reforms have strengthened protections and shaped new social norms, although stigma against women survivors and the normalization of violence continue to hinder progress. Service units and referral systems have been established, but challenges remain in staffing and ensuring inclusive, sustained service delivery. The report also says national prevalence data are now available, but gaps in quality and disaggregation persist. On financing, budget commitments exist, but gender-responsive planning remains limited.
A consultation session on the interconnections between violence against women and violence against children discussed the common root causes of violence, including gender inequality and intergenerational trauma. Participants contributed insights for the first-ever common chapter to be included in both the ASEAN regional plan on eliminating violence against women and that on eliminating violence against children — a move to promote an integrated approach.
ASEAN Vision 2045 can only be fulfilled when women are fully on board as leaders, innovators, change-makers, and agents, as employers and employees, and in all of their capacities. Most importantly, as women who are able to fulfill their own rights, said Ulziisuren Jamsran, UN Women Country Representative to Indonesia and Liaison to ASEAN, who praised ASEAN for developing laws, policies, and institutional frameworks on ending violence against women.
After Indonesia, the other ASEAN Member States will hold their own national consultations on the new ASEAN regional plan, which is expected to be endorsed at the 2026 ASEAN Summit.