The first meeting of Asia Pacific Regional Council (APRC) for the period 2019-2021 was held on November 9, in Pune, India. More than 250 women from across the region came to Pune for this meeting. The gathering began with a half day seminar under the leadership of Rakhi Shetty, President of NCW India. The theme of this seminar centered on the ICW-CIF 2019-2021 triennial theme: Social Protection for Women and Girls, Sustainable Development for the World.

In a speech tinged with humanity and humor, the first keynote speaker, Dr. Harmish Shetty, a psychologist, put forward the view that mental illness is a disability. Dr.Shetty spoke of ways to help the sufferers and emphasized the importance of destigmatizing those with this malady. Noting that family problems accounted for 27% of suicides, he stressed that small measures of intervention and expressions of care can have a great impact on preventing suicides.

The second keynote speaker, Hon Vandana Chavan, member of parliament of the Rajya Sabha noted that the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development encompasses many of the targets and goals needed for the achievement of gender equality and women’s empowerment. She also advised that the right intervention at the appropriate time is essential for progress to be realized. She went on to contend that women’s organizations are major stakeholders and need to be involved in the process.

The afternoon session was time for the APRC business meeting. Sixty-five women were present for this session. In attendance were three from Australia, one from Korea, eight from Indonesia, two from New Zealand, six from Taiwan and many from India, including three other ICW board members and two life members.  APRC President Hean Bee Wee presided and delivered a fairly comprehensive report on her activities since the 2018 General Assembly in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

The APRC meeting saw votes to amend necessary changes to the APRC Constitution. These would align the APRC Constitution with the ICW-CIF Constitution. All amendments to the constitution were passed unanimously. Furthermore, country reports were received from Australia, Indonesia, New Zealand, Taiwan, India and Thailand.

The third session was dedicated to the APRC Workshop on “Beijing +25 Review and Evaluation of BPfA” which is due to take place next year. Members of the panel included ICW President Dr. Jung Sook Kim, President of NCW New Zealand Vanisa Dhiru, and ICW Vice President Linda Liu. They covered 12 key areas of concern and the cluster topics for the review.

National Council delegates also gave reports that reviewed and evaluated progress made in each of their countries for 25 years post BPfA. These interesting reports captured the audience’s full attention. The workshop concluded at 5:30 pm.The Gala Dinner that evening began with traditional dances from different states in India, giving the foreign delegates a taste of the rich culture of India. With each ICW member dressed in their traditional garb, they thoroughly enjoyed a feast of Indian cuisine in the company of both new and old friends.

APRC participants and ICW board members flew to Delhi to attend the 100th anniversary celebrations of the Delhi State Council of Women (DSCW) which was held on the 13th of November, 2019. We also enjoyed the programs run by NCW State Delhi at their school. We felt privileged to be so fortunate as to attend this milestone celebration. It was the perfect ending to a successful and satisfying General Assembly.