IMPLEMENTATION OF THE
FRAMEWORK FOR THE INTEGRATION OF WOMEN IN APEC:
A PROPOSAL FOR THE TRANSPORTATION WORKING GROUP

BACKGROUND

A) The Framework for the Integration of Women in APEC:

The Framework, which was approved by Leaders in Auckland, September 1999 is an APEC-specific approach to integrating women into the mainstream of APEC processes and activities. It aims to strengthen the capacity of APEC to develop and implement gender sensitive policies, programs and projects by drawing attention to and encouraging activities involving three interrelated elements:

1. Gender Analysis: a methodology for examining the differences in women's and men's lives;
2. Collection and Use of Sex-Disagregated Data: data classified by sex and presented separately for men and women;
3. Involvement of Women in APEC: the increased participation of women in APEC fora.

The Framework responds directly to the recommendations of the 1998 Ministerial Meeting on Women, and the subsequent APEC Leaders' directive to develop such a framework. This document is directed at and applies to APEC as an institution, and implementation is the responsibility of all women and men involved in APEC processes, projects and activities.

An Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Gender Integration has been established to assist the SOM and other APEC fora in understanding and meeting the objectives of the Framework during a two year transition period (2000-2001).

Key objectives of the Framework include:

1. to develop capacity within APEC working groups, task forces and committees to apply the three elements of the Framework (for example, through the delivery of gender information sessions to APEC fora);
2. to develop better understanding among members of APEC fora of gender analysis and why it is an important tool for improved policy and project outcomes;
3. to identify and train a group of gender specialists in the Asia-Pacific region to serve as trainers and experts for APEC fora;
4. to develop a format for information sessions that can be adapted to each APEC forum, and specific training material that will be provided to all APEC fora.

B) To Whom does it Apply?

"The implementation of the Framework is the responsibility of all APEC fora and of all women and men involved in APEC processes, policies, projects and activities, including Leaders, Ministers, Senior Officials, Chairs, Lead Shepherds and the APEC Secretariat."

- The Framework

Furthermore, it is incumbent on each APEC Working Group to develop its own Implementation Plan so that by November 2000, each will be in a position to report to Leaders, as per their directive.

It is therefore important that future work undertaken by the Transportation Working Group complement the Framework, serve to advance its objectives, and enable the Working Group to develop its own expertise while developing the necessary means to effectively promote and apply all elements of the Framework.

C) The TPT-WG Gender Project Team

The TPT-WG Gender Project Team was responsible for overseeing a project (Compendium of Success Stories), which has recently been completed. At its meeting in Hong Kong in November 1999 (TPT-WG-16), the TPT-WG agreed to preserve this Project Team, and tasked it with the development of a plan to implement the Framework within the TPT-WG.

It is a goal of the Project Team to expand its membership to include a representative from each APEC economy, to ensure maximum participation in this undertaking.

PROPOSAL

As an important first step in familiarizing the TPT-WG with the Framework, the Project Team recommends that any implementation plan focus on capacity building, primarily through training. TPT-WG has very little expertise on gender issues in general, and on gender analysis in particular. Several economies at TPT-WG-16 noted the complexity of the issue, and identified some difficulties that TPT-WG will need to overcome during and beyond the Transition period.

In addition, the implementation strategy should incorporate activities related to the three elements that are the centrepeices of the Framework: Gender Analysis, Sex-disaggregated data and the Involvement of Women in APEC. It should also use the Framework itself as a guide: the Framework indicates a number of areas on which specific APEC fora should focus, and also contains recommendations for "All APEC Fora". The following Implementation Strategy is centred on these recommendations.

AN IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY FOR THE TPT-WG

The Framework for the Integration of Women in APEC calls for various activities to take place in specific APEC bodies under two broad objectives:

1. To maximize the effectiveness of APEC policies and activities and enhance the role and contribution of women in economic development; and
2. To co-ordinate, facilitate and monitor progress in the implementation of the Framework.

This implementation strategy for the TPT-WG will focus on each of the tasks assigned to "All APEC Fora" under these broad headings, and will attempt to illustrate how the TPT-WG can undertake activities that will contribute both to an understanding of the Framework and to an implementation of its goals.

1. ACTIVITIES TO MAXIMIZE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF APEC POLICIES AND ACTIVITIES AND ENHANCE THE ROLE AND CONTRIBUTION OF WOMEN IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:

Task: Examine the role and contribution of women, identify barriers to their contribution and take appropriate measures to eliminate these barriers consistent with the Framework (for example, building on the analysis undertaken in preparation for the 1998 Ministerial Meeting on Women in the areas of small and medium enterprises, science and technology and human resource development)

TPT-WG ACTION: The Project Team believes that, by undertaking activities related to the following tasks, we will come to a better understanding of this task.

Task: Encourage the increased involvement and participation of women in projects and activities, especially in decision-making.

TPT-WG ACTION: This task addresses two separate but related issues: encouraging the increased involvement and participation of women in projects and activities; and encouraging the increased involvement and participation of women in decision-making. As a first step, Project Leaders could undertake an analysis of the participants and beneficiaries of their projects, based on gender, and identify any changes that could or should be made to encourage greater participation by women. This information could be used in the development of future projects to ensure that women are increasingly becoming involved in APEC projects and activities.

Task: Collect and utilise, as appropriate, sex-disaggregated data in their respective subject areas, as well as on the participation of women in meetings, projects and other activities.

TPT-WG ACTION:

a) Participation of Women in Meetings, Projects and other Activities: Starting at TPT-WG-18, the Project Team could request meeting hosts to include a section on the registration form for the participant to identify their sex – this information could then be included on the full participants list circulated at the meeting. The Project Team could monitor participation by women in TPT-WG and expert group / project team meetings, and present this information to the Lead Shepherd on a bi-annual basis. Based on this data, the Lead Shepherd could encourage economies to include senior woman officials on their delegations, or make other recommendations. In addition, where appropriate, TPT-WG Projects should collect gender-disaggregated data related to their project, and allow for a measure of the impact of this data.

b) Sex-disaggregated Data in the area of Transportation: The Project Team could ask APEC economies if they are currently collecting transportation data that is disaggregated by sex. As part of this information-seeking exercise, economies could also be asked to provide information regarding who (which agency) is responsible for this data collection. If it is deemed appropriate and practical, a project could be developed, whereby statisticians would identify concrete examples that demonstrate the value of collecting sex-disaggregated data.

Task: Incorporate the principles and methodology of gender analysis as an on-going part of work plans, and in activities such as project design, implementation, evaluation and reports, including recommendations, as appropriate.

TPT-WG ACTION: The Project Team organized a Workshop on Gender Analysis during TPT-WG-17. The purpose of this was to acquaint participants with the dual concepts of gender analysis and sex-disaggregated data. The Project Team encourages the TPT-WG to invite a representative of the AGGI to speak to the Plenary during TPT-WG-18 to review these concepts, and remark on developments within the TPT-WG and other APEC fora

Task: Document and share good practices of policies, programs and projects that demonstrate effective gender integration in APEC, and at economy level.

TPT-WG ACTION: Project leaders could be encouraged to report on good gender integration practices and policies to Lead Shepherds. This information could then be posted on the TPT-WG website for all to access (building upon the Compendium of Success Stories that already exists).

2. ACTIVITIES TO CO-ORDINATE, FACILITATE AND MONITOR PROGRESS IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FRAMEWORK.

Task: Promote and implement the Framework for the Integration of Women.

TPT-WG ACTION: The TPT-WG Gender Project Team has drafted this implementation plan and will endeavour, with the support of the Ad Hoc Advisory Group, to increase awareness of the Framework within the TPT-WG.

Task: Ensure capacity building through the provision of information sessions on gender analysis.

TPT-WG ACTION: As per above, the TPT-WG Gender Project Team participated in a Gender Information Session. The AGGI has advised that it would make itself available to present other Information Sessions to the various groups within the TPT-WG, should they request it.

This page was last updated on 12 March, 2008