Promoting gender equality, women's empowerment is one of the priorities during Laos’ ASEAN Chairmanship in 2024, Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone affirmed.

Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone speaks at the third ASEAN Women Leaders' Summit. (Photo: VNA)

Promoting gender equality, women's empowerment is one of the priorities during Laos’ ASEAN Chairmanship in 2024, Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone affirmed.

Chairing the third ASEAN Women Leaders' Summit held on August 23 in Vientiane, the Lao leader said that ASEAN needs to implement regional plans and action plans to realise ASEAN declarations on promoting gender equality and empowering women so that every girl can develop.

He expressed his belief that the new ASEAN Declaration on Strengthening the Care Economy and Resilience Towards ASEAN Community Post-2025 will be adopted at the 44th and 45th ASEAN summits in October, making an important contribution to addressing some of the limitations related to unpaid care work, creating unity in the continued implementation and organisation of the joint declaration, especially promoting the advancement of women, gender equality and realising the empowerment of women and girls in the ASEAN region.

The Lao PM urged ASEAN countries continue to share practical and positive lessons to improve awareness and increase investment in the fields related to the care economy.

Following Vietnam's initiative during its ASEAN Chairmanship in 2020, this year’s summit is a clear demonstration of ASEAN's commitment to and efforts in promoting gender equality and enhancing the role and great contributions of women and girls to family and society.

The summit focused on discussions about the challenges, difficulties and burdens that women face when undertaking unpaid care work, along with the multidimensional consequences on women's roles and contributions such as gender inequality, limited access to education and employment, gender-based violence, among others.

On that basis, the event has proposed many practical directions to raise awareness of the important role of women in the care economy and promote gender equality. Participants also proposed specific measures to increase investment in the care economy, solve complex and multidimensional issues, and better ensure the rights of workers, especially women./.

VNA