Articles Category: Social Protection

According to the 2020 Global Digital Report, the average internet penetration rate in Southeast Asia is 66 per cent. The COVID-19 pandemic only accelerated digital adoption in the region, making its citizens more reliant on the Internet than ever. The

In cities, it is common to see people, young and old, glued to their cellphones and reaping the benefits of various apps in the market. It is not always the case for small and micro-entrepreneurs living on the outskirts of the cities. Although these en

Across Southeast Asia, the digital landscape has become a contested arena, as governments and private companies seek to both drive economic growth and protect and control data flows. This fragmented regional environment tends to widen the digital divid

ASEAN’s aspiration to produce a highly skilled and productive workforce to prop up economic growth may be in peril.

Creating Jobs, Bringing ASEAN Closer to SDGs

A child shall have the right to Children have the right to think for The ASEAN Ministers of Social Welfare and freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontie

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