TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC) successfully concluded its sixth meeting which was convened from April 1-2 in Jakarta. The meeting updated 15 projects under the ACWC Work Plan 2012-2016 while three new projects were tabled for adoption. Projects that are on-going this year include the compilation of country of best practices in eliminating violence against women and children which will be published middle of this year. Public campaign, which was inaugurated last year, will be undertaken in conjunction with the International Day to Stop Violence against Women on November 25.
Acknowledging common issues concerning women and girls in the CEDAW and CRC concluding observations, the ACWC planned for a regional workshop to look into those common issues towards effective promotion and protection of the rights of women and children in June this year in Da Nang, Viet Nam. As part of children's rights promotion, development of guidelines for non-violent approach to child rearing and child caring in various settings has started with annotated bibliographies being compiled.
On April 3, the ACWC Representatives prepared the ground work for the establishment of a network of social service providers helping women and children victims of violence. The network is expected to spearhead, among others, trainings, exchange programs and scholarships for social service agencies, awards to recognise outstanding social workers in the region, case studies of successful rehabilitation and reintegration of victims.
The Seventh ACWC Meeting is scheduled for the later part of 2013 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.