The Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement organized a national-level workshop on mid-term review of the ASEAN Regional Plan of Action on the Elimination of Violence against Women (ASEAN RPA on EVAW) on 22 October.

Union Minister Dr Win Myat Aye and Deputy Minister U Soe Aung participated in the meeting together with representatives from the Women and Children Rights Committee of parliament, UN agencies, INGOs, NGOs and civil society organizations.

At the meeting, Union Minister talked about the ASEAN RPA on EVAW which was approved in November 2015 during the ASEAN Summit and its implementation began in the following year.

The Phase I is Desk Review and the Phase II national level. Currently, the ministry is serving as Focal Point for ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Women in addition to the ASEAN Committee on Women and the ASEAN Commission on Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children.

The Union Minister continued saying that the review is aimed at finding solution to solve the challenges and gaps for the country and the government drafted National Strategic Plan for the Advancement of Women (2013-2022), organized technical work group on preventing and protecting women from violence among four technical work groups, drafted law for protection from violence against women bill, organized National Committee on Prevention and Response to Conflict-Related Sexual Violence and arranged to collect data of women’s lifelong experiences.

He also discussed 24 hours Help Line for women, six One Stop Women Support Centres, cash assistance for legal affairs and livelihood assistance, training for social affairs management sectors, effective suggestions, measures to prevent violence against women and challenges of the attendees to meeting.

Director-General for Social Welfare Department Dr Daw San San Aye later briefed the reasons of national-level workshop on mid-term review of ASEAN RPA on EVAW while UN Women Regional Consultant Ms Katherine Belen about five priority sectors and eight action plans of ASEAN RPA on EVAW.

MNA

(Translated by Khine Thazin Han)

Photo:MNA

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