ASEAN Conference on Gender-Responsive Budgeting
Strengthens Policies, Builds Capacities,
and Advances Inclusive Development
ASEAN Member States, members of the ASEAN Gender Mainstreaming Steering Committee (AGMSC),
and experts from ASEAN partners convened for the ASEAN Conference on Gender-Responsive Budgeting
On November 14–15, 2025, in Bohol, Philippines, officials from the ministries of women, finance, and planning of ASEAN Member States, members of the ASEAN Gender Mainstreaming Steering Committee (AGMSC), and experts from ASEAN partners convened for the ASEAN Conference on Gender-Responsive Budgeting (GRB). The two-day conference, hosted by the ACW Philippines through the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), provided a platform to share knowledge, exchange best practices, and strengthen mechanisms for integrating gender perspectives in public finance, reinforcing ASEAN’s commitment to inclusive and evidence-based policymaking.
Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro, Philippine Commission on Women Chairperson Ermelita Valdeavilla,
and Deputy Secretary General of ASEAN for the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) H.E. San Lwin during the opening ceremony of the ASEAN Conference on Gender-Responsive Budgeting.
In her welcome remarks, Secretary Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro of the Department of Foreign Affairs reflected on a milestone achievement during the Philippines’ ASEAN chairship in 2017: the Adoption of the ASEAN Declaration on the Gender-Responsive Implementation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and the Sustainable Development Goals. “This declaration strongly encourages the monitoring and evaluation of policies and programs for women and girls,” she noted, “and promotes mainstreaming gender lens in public policy, including gender-responsive budgeting, while considering cross-sectoral implementations to address resource gaps.”
PCW Chairperson Ermelita V. Valdeavilla delivered the inspirational message, highlighting the transformative potential of budgets. “Budgets are instruments of justice. They reveal what we value as societies, who we prioritize, and whose voices we choose to amplify. When we practice Gender-Responsive Budgeting, we transform cash into dignity and give life to the promise of equality.” Her message underscored the conference’s focus on actionable change—moving beyond policy to tangible results that improve lives.
In his keynote address, H.E. San Lwin, Deputy Secretary General of ASEAN for the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC), emphasized the broader impact of GRB: “Gender-responsive budgeting benefits everyone—women and men, girls and boys—and strengthens the ASEAN Community as a whole. By integrating gender perspectives into fiscal decision-making, it ensures that public spending reflects the realities and priorities of all.”
From Vision to Action: Strengthening GRB Across ASEAN
The session began with ASEAN Secretariat Senior Officer Ma. Rebecca Rafaela R. Baylosis’ presentation on advocacy strategies and lessons learned, equipping delegates with actionable insights to integrate GRB into national and sectoral policies.
Hands-on exercises led by Dr. Marieta B. Sumagaysay of University of the Philippines Tacloban College strengthened participants’ ability to apply gender analysis using sex-disaggregated data and other key information, ensuring that gaps are identified and addressed in budget planning. UN Women Consultant Margarita Ozonas Marcos highlighted the importance of aligning GRB with international commitments, showing participants how to develop gender budget statements and indicators to track measurable outcomes.
Some of the resource speakers and panelists during their presentations
Regional and sectoral experiences were shared in a panel moderated by Channe Lindstrøm Oğuzhan (UNESCAP), featuring Deputy Undersecretary Salwana Mahmood (Malaysia) on problem identification, Executive Director Nharleen Santos-Millar (Philippines) on planning and budgeting, Truong Ngoc Anh (Viet Nam) on implementation, and Ms. Chieko Yokota (Asian Development Bank) providing general insights. Additional sectoral initiatives, moderated by Nur Judy Abdullah (ACWC Brunei) with panelists Ajeng Purnama Pratiwi (ASEAN Secretariat), Koung Sorita (ACW Cambodia), Sri Danti Anwar (ACWC Indonesia), and Soukphaphone Phanit (ACW Lao PDR), addressed unpaid care work, trafficking in persons, and women’s participation in peace and security, highlighting practical strategies for financing GRB initiatives through local and international resources.
Monitoring and evaluation sessions, led by UN Women Country Coordinator Ms. Rosalyn Mesina and panelists including Director Sofia C. Gemora (Philippines), Dr. Amurwani Dwi Lestariningsih (Indonesia), Dr. Armando da Costa (Timor-Leste), and Director Sisamouth Keoxayya (Lao PDR), focused on gender-sensitive indicators and tracking outcomes, showing participants how to assess progress, reduce gender gaps, and ensure accountability in GRB implementation.
Participants engaging in the interactive workshops.
Interactive workshops allowed ASEAN Member States and sectoral bodies to prepare and strengthen draft action plans, with select participants presenting refined strategies and defined timelines.
Ways Forward and Closing Reflections
PCW Deputy Director for Operations Anita Baleda highlighted the next steps for strengthening GRB implementation and operationalizing the AGMSF Implementation Plan. Participants will apply skills and knowledge gained during the conference to advance the operationalization of the AGMSF until 2027, ensuring that gender perspectives are embedded across planning, budgeting, monitoring, and evaluation.
PCW Deputy Director for Operations Anita Baleda highlighted the next steps for strengthening GRB implementation and operationalizing the AGMSF Implementation Plan. Participants will apply skills and knowledge gained during the conference to advance the operationalization of the AGMSF until 2027, ensuring that gender perspectives are embedded across planning, budgeting, monitoring, and evaluation.
PCW Deputy Executive Director Anita Baleda and Executive Director Nharleen Santos-Millar during the conference’s concluding sessions.
Closing the conference, ED Nharleen Santos-Millar emphasized that GRB is ultimately about people: “It is about transforming systems so that they work for everyone. It is about recognizing that behind every figure in our national budgets are faces—of women farmers seeking fair access to resources, of mothers balancing work and care, of young girls dreaming of digital futures and leadership.” Her remarks underscore how the strategies shared during the conference and the Compendium will translate policy into tangible outcomes for communities.
The ASEAN Conference on Gender-Responsive Budgeting concluded with a renewed commitment to translate policy into measurable change, demonstrating that when budgets are designed through a gender lens, they become instruments of justice, equality, and opportunity for all.