24 March 2025
NTS Bulletin March 2025
5 Years to 2030: The Need for Domestic Prioritisation of SDG 5
By S. Nanthini
International Women’s Day brings with it an opportunity to reflect on the progress of gender equality around the world. This year is especially pivotal. Not only does 2025 mark the 25th anniversary of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda – a seminal resolution formally recognising the role of gender in peace and security processes – but it also highlights the five years remaining for the deadline of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). This year provides an opportunity to reflect on the progress that has been made – as well as – the work still to be done.
There has been progress made worldwide. For example, women now hold approximately a quarter of parliamentary seats worldwide, a significant increase from even a decade ago. In Southeast Asian countries overall, 23 per cent of seats are held by women with the highest participation rate in Timor-Leste at 38 per cent. In terms of official development assistance (ODA) to the region, ODA specifically to support gender equality has increased substantially from 12 per cent in 2013 to 47 percent in 2022 – which has clearly translated into better outcomes for women from the region.
However, progress is not linear. The continued polarisation of the international community and a growing backlash against women’s rights are having a chilling effect on its progress. In fact, in some countries around the world, women’s rights are even being rolled back, worsening gender disparities. One of the world’s largest development agencies, USAID is being dismantled in an effort to “reevaluat[e] and realig[n] United States Foreign Aid”. Considering USAID contributions last year made up nearly 40 per cent of all aid worldwide, this is devastating to programmes around the world. Moreover, considering the US push to reintroduce the global gag order on abortion and erase policies that favour “gender ideology”, women are likely to be disproportionately affected by this disruption in the global humanitarian and development sector.
What can then be done? While the impacts of these policies are likely to be felt far and wide, this may also be a chance to revamp the global humanitarian system. In particular, by allowing recipient countries to take over formerly USAID-supported activities and fill this gap on their own. In Southeast Asia, this can be done at both the regional level – through ASAN – or the national level. ASEAN member states could work together to increase their domestic investment to support gender equality. This includes identifying opportunities to invest in gender-responsive social protection, expanding care infrastructure and improve gender – specific data availability in the region – overall, prioritising gender parity as a key issue area for ASEAN.
This is not new for ASEAN. In fact, there has already been significant work in this area as demonstrated by several regional commitments over the years such as the 2004 Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women in the ASEAN Region, the 2017 Joint Statement on Promoting Women, Peace and Security in ASEAN and the 2022 ASEAN Regional Plan of Action on WPS. As such, this may prove to be an opportune topic on which for ASEAN to take domestic ownership and continue to progress regionally, regardless of international support.
In order for humanity to have any hope of achieving SDGs in a timeframe that not only meets the 2030 deadline, half the global population cannot be disregarded. Considering global headwinds, it may now be necessary for recipient countries to look towards their own needs; to internalise gender equality as a significant domestic priority and work towards the achievement of SDG 5.
5 Years to 2030: The Need for Domestic Prioritisation of SDG 5
By S. Nanthini
International Women’s Day brings with it an opportunity to reflect on the progress of gender equality around the world. This year is especially pivotal. Not only does 2025 mark the 25th anniversary of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda – a seminal resolution formally recognising the role of gender in peace and security processes – but it also highlights the five years remaining for the deadline of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). This year provides an opportunity to reflect on the progress that has been made – as well as – the work still to be done.
There has been progress made worldwide. For example, women now hold approximately a quarter of parliamentary seats worldwide, a significant increase from even a decade ago. In Southeast Asian countries overall, 23 per cent of seats are held by women with the highest participation rate in Timor-Leste at 38 per cent. In terms of official development assistance (ODA) to the region, ODA specifically to support gender equality has increased substantially from 12 per cent in 2013 to 47 percent in 2022 – which has clearly translated into better outcomes for women from the region.
However, progress is not linear. The continued polarisation of the international community and a growing backlash against women’s rights are having a chilling effect on its progress. In fact, in some countries around the world, women’s rights are even being rolled back, worsening gender disparities. One of the world’s largest development agencies, USAID is being dismantled in an effort to “reevaluat[e] and realig[n] United States Foreign Aid”. Considering USAID contributions last year made up nearly 40 per cent of all aid worldwide, this is devastating to programmes around the world. Moreover, considering the US push to reintroduce the global gag order on abortion and erase policies that favour “gender ideology”, women are likely to be disproportionately affected by this disruption in the global humanitarian and development sector.
What can then be done? While the impacts of these policies are likely to be felt far and wide, this may also be a chance to revamp the global humanitarian system. In particular, by allowing recipient countries to take over formerly USAID-supported activities and fill this gap on their own. In Southeast Asia, this can be done at both the regional level – through ASAN – or the national level. ASEAN member states could work together to increase their domestic investment to support gender equality. This includes identifying opportunities to invest in gender-responsive social protection, expanding care infrastructure and improve gender – specific data availability in the region – overall, prioritising gender parity as a key issue area for ASEAN.
This is not new for ASEAN. In fact, there has already been significant work in this area as demonstrated by several regional commitments over the years such as the 2004 Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women in the ASEAN Region, the 2017 Joint Statement on Promoting Women, Peace and Security in ASEAN and the 2022 ASEAN Regional Plan of Action on WPS. As such, this may prove to be an opportune topic on which for ASEAN to take domestic ownership and continue to progress regionally, regardless of international support.
In order for humanity to have any hope of achieving SDGs in a timeframe that not only meets the 2030 deadline, half the global population cannot be disregarded. Considering global headwinds, it may now be necessary for recipient countries to look towards their own needs; to internalise gender equality as a significant domestic priority and work towards the achievement of SDG 5.
