By Azalea Azuar | The Malaysian Reserve
Malaysia is hosting the Regional Workshop on Gender Lens Perspective on Business and Human Rights in ASEAN until July 1.
It is led by Malaysia’s Representative to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) and its Chair for 2025 Edmund Bon Tai Soon as well as the Foreign Affairs Ministry (Wisma Putra).
The workshop focuses on how a regional gender lens framework can help address gender-based barriers, combat structural and cultural discrimination and improve the rights of women and girls.
It also looks at implementing the “Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: Implementing the United Nations (UN) ‘Protect, Respect and Remedy’ Framework (UNGPs)”.
This will emphasise on the progress and challenges in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) related to gender equality, decent work, economic growth and reducing inequality.
Wisma Putra stated that good practices on meeting challenges and barriers in seeking access to effective remedies on the matters will also be shared as AICHR aims to support ASEAN Member States through recommendations for governments and business enterprises to consider in their policymaking and practices.
“In line with the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, this workshop supports ASEAN’s inclusive and sustainable development efforts and reinforces Malaysia’s leadership in advancing a more gender-responsive business and human rights agenda,” it said in a statement.
The workshop is jointly supported by ASEAN Member states via the AICHR Fund, the Government of Japan through the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) with additional collaboration from Malaysian ministries, agencies and Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM).
It is part of Malaysia’s efforts as ASEAN Chair this year and highlights the nation’s strong commitment to promoting human rights under the theme of “Inclusivity and Sustainability.”
