Asia in Transformation: Visions and Policies for a Gender Just Future
Background
The Asia-Pacific region is one the most diverse regions in the world in terms of politics, economy and culture. Despite significant economic growth and improved educational opportunities in recent decades, multiple socio-economic inequalities persist in the region, with ‘gender’ being a central axis of discrimination. While some countries have made significant progress in promoting gender justice, others still face considerable challenges. Issues such as wage gaps, workplace discrimination, limited safety nets, gender-based violence and underrepresentation persist in varying degrees.
To address these challenges, transformative and sustainable change that fundamentally shifts power is required. One effective way to achieve this is by exploring and implementing transformative policies. Systemic change demands forward-thinking policies crafted to address the root causes of gender injustices comprehensively.
Against this background, in 2022, the FES Regional Gender Justice Project initiated a policy lab titled Rebuild beyond exploitation: Visions and policies for a gender just future. The policy lab aimed to assess the impacts of multiple crises on gender justice and envision a gender-just future for Asia. It convened policy analysts, trade unionist, academics, environmentalists, activists and other stakeholders from across Asia.
Facilitated by Moritz Gekeler and Silke Steinhilber, the policy lab spanned two and a half years and featured two virtual workshops and two design workshops. Experts were organised into five working groups to develop their vision and forward policy options for a gender-just future in the areas of care work, climate and energy justice, social security, wellbeing and the world of work.
Outputs from the Policy Lab
Highlights from the Policy Lab
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Policy lab members share their perspectives on how crises affect gender dynamics and what is required to rebuild effectively.
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What is needed to rebuild a gender-just future after a crisis? Policy lab members share their perspectives on how crises impact gender justice and identify the key components essential for transformation.
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Explore the journey of the policy lab over the past two years with this engaging summary video.
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The Kathmandu Workshop in 2022 led to the formation of five working groups, focusing on social security, care work, climate and energy justice, wellbeing and world of work.
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The Manila Workshop in 2023 fostered collaboration within the working groups, leading them to develop a collective vision for gender justice in their respective themes.
Organizing Team
Concept and Program
Natalia Figge is the Resident Representative of the FES Nepal Office and Director of the Regional Gender Justice Project in Asia. Prior to her work in Nepal, she was the Policy Officer for Gender Justice and Feminism at the Global and European Policy Department at FES Berlin, where she coordinated FES’s international efforts on gender justice. She has over 20 years of extensive experience in gender justice, labor migration, and democratization processes. Natalia has lived in Germany, Singapore, Japan, Indonesia, and Nepal.
Priyanka Kapar is the Program Officer for the Regional Gender Justice Project at FES Nepal. Her interests include politics, conflict analysis, peacebuilding, international relations, diplomacy, and gender and social justice, with a commitment to inclusive and intersectional approaches. She received the Nepal Bidhya Bhusan ‘Kha’ academic award by the President of Nepal for achieving the top position in her Master’s in Conflict, Peace, and Development Studies from Tribhuvan University.
Facilitation
Silke Steinhilber is a dedicated advocate for social justice and gender equality with over 20 years of experience in social policy, program evaluation, and capacity development. Her work covers both developed and developing countries, with a focus on non-discrimination and socio-ecological transformation. She is an ILO-certified Gender Audit Facilitator, conducting gender evaluations and training for organizations, and has collaborated with UN agencies, trade unions, and civil society groups.
Dr. Moritz Gekeler is a facilitator, coach, and strategic consultant specializing in future-ready work and co-creation. He co-founded Mermaid & Broccoli in 2018 to offer learning formats for executives and facilitator training. He also runs Dolaborate, supporting NGOs and startups. Gekeler co-created the innovation card game Game of Conflicts, a game that designed to help players analyze complex problems and overcome them using approaches form the theory of inventive problem-solving.