Articles Category: Social Protection

Highlights of the Policy Brief The empowerment of persons with disabilities (PWDs) holds immense potential for ASEAN’s economic and social development. Yet, significant challenges often leave them confined to informal, low-wage employment with no job s

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2023, persons with disabilities— including physical, intellectual, and mental disabilities—represent 16 per cent of the world’s population. This is equivalent to 1.3 billion people, 80 per cent of wh

On the bustling streets of cities like Bangkok, amidst the vibrant markets and towering skyscrapers, lies a hidden crisis: human trafficking. Human trafficking is a grave violation of human rights that affects millions across the ASEAN region. Within t

The ASEAN Enabling Masterplan 2025 is a game changer for persons with disabilities in ASEAN. It is the first rights-based initiative to mainstream their rights in the ASEAN Community 2025.

Viet Nam is firmly committed to advancing the rights of persons with disabilities, with over 6.2 million people, or 7.06 per cent of its population, living with disabilities. At the regional level, Viet Nam’s leadership role in promoting disability rig

Ambassador Vicky Singmin shared her perspectives on ASEAN-Canada cooperation and outlined strategic partnership priorities for the coming decade, focusing on people-to-people connection and free trade partnership. She also emphasised Canada’s global le

MALAYSIA ASEAN CHAIRMANSHIP 2025 INCLUSIVITY AND SUSTAINABILITY On 1 January 2025, Malaysia assumed the Chairmanship of ASEAN for the fifth time, marking a decade since its last leadership role. Coincidentally, this year marks the end of the ASEAN Comm

Ambassador Urawadee Sriphiromya served as the Permanent Representative of Thailand to ASEAN from 2021 to 2024. Ambassador Urawadee gave this interview shortly before she left Jakarta on March 2024 for her next assignment as Ambassador of Thailand to Vi

Women in ASEAN in the Era of Digitalisation: Facing Challenges and Seizing Opportunities The celebration of Women’s Month this year resonated deeply with the priorities and commitments of ASEAN to forge ahead with gender equality and the empowerment of

Minister I Gusti Ayu Bintang Darmawati talks to The ASEAN about the regional frameworks and plans that embody ASEAN’s strategies for empowering and improving the well-being of women and girls in the region. She also talks about why Indonesia is encoura

A group of mothers and grandmothers from Wates village, Majalengka, West Java, who bear the financial responsibility of keeping their households afloat, have banded together to form Mother Bank. Co-created by the artist Bunga Siagian, 37, Mother Bank i

At 76, Ngai Hin Kwok knows every turn of the trail at Singapore’s MacRitchie Reservoir. On even-numbered days, he laces up his running shoes and moves along the familiar path beneath a canopy of green. On odd-numbered days, he trades his running shoes

Sixty-eight-year-old Vanda Ou leads the Cambodian Ageing Network (CAN), a platform uniting organisations and stakeholders to improve the lives of older people in Cambodia.

It was a sweltering day in Brunei Darussalam in early May 2025. The “feels like” temperature in areas such as Bangar and Pekan Tutong reaches as high as 44 degrees Celsius. The Brunei Darussalam Meteorological Department posted social media warnings an

Since its inception in 2007, Maya Dance Theatre (MDT) has been faithful to its philosophy: bridging the space between audience and artist to provoke thought and dialogue about pressing social issues. In 2018, MDT’s artistic director and co-founder, Kav

Nguyễn Văn Cử is the Deputy Director of Disability Research and Capacity Development Center (DRD) and Director of Doi Rat Dep Social Enterprise. Doi Rat Dep, or “Life is Beautiful” in Vietnamese, is a non-profit social enterprise dedicated to promoting