AGENDA at 2019 AICHR Regional Dialogue

On December 3 – 5, General Election Network for Disability Access (AGENDA) participated in the 2019 ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) Regional Dialogue on the Mainstreaming the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the ASEAN Community (Gender Perspectives on Disability Rights). The dialogue’s first activity, concurrent with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3, was a visit to the Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD) in Bangkok, Thailand, where participants learned about employment and the opportunities for persons with disabilities. Thailand Minister of Social Development and Human Security, Mr. Juti Krairiksh, provided opening remarks aside Representative of Thailand to AICHR, Dr. Amara Pongsapich. Risnawati Utami, member of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), gave a keynote speech which emphasized that gender equality is a cardinal principle of human rights that is enshrined in the international human rights instruments. AGENDA Disability Rights Advisor, Tolhas Damanik, spoke at the event, where he shared information on IFES best practices in empowering women with disabilities. He also emphasized the importance of having a clear understanding on the concept of ‘intersectionality’ to create solutions to remove intersectional barriers that persons with disabilities may encounter. Ahead of the dialogue, AGENDA wrote five gender-focused position papers on access to justice, political and public life, disaster risk reduction, education and business, which then were then discussed by the participants. AGENDA then finalized the position papers to include feedback from the DPOs.