Workshop for Policymakers in ASEAN Countries

The workshop in 2024 took place under the theme of “Gender Mainstreaming”.
The workshop started by reviewing at the action points set by each country in the workshop in 2021 for formulating policies to promote gender equality. This workshop highlighted the importance of including measures to tackle gender issues in each country's policies through informative sessions and group work on the necessary topics and points to be considered for their policy formulation.

In the informative sessions, the experts shared the link between national master plans and plans on policies relating to gender equality, the introduction of a framework and evaluation indicators for assessing results (concept and framework of gender mainstreaming in sport), gender mainstreaming on the media (media representation) and on gender-based violence and harassment (gender based violence), by experts. The importance of identifying gender issues in each country's context, the need to collaborate with relevant organizations and use the media were emphasized.

At the end of the workshop, each country presented its action plan. Japan and ASEAN countries will continue to work together to promote gender equality through sports moving forward.

Place: Hanoi, Vietnam (co-organized by Viet Nam Sports Authority)
Dates: Wednesday, January 10 - Thursday, January 11, 2024
Theme: Incorporating a gender perspective into sports policy
Content: Understand the structure of gender issues and reflect gender perspectives in policy
Participants: 2 people from each of the10 Southeast Asian countries (1 government official, 1 National Olympic Committee official), 2 people from the ASEAN Secretariat

Program:
Day 1 (January 10, 2024)
■　Opening remarks
ー　Mr. Dang Ha Viet (Chairman, Viet Nam Sports Authority)
ー　Ms. Aya Noguchi (Deputy Director, International Research Center for Sport and Gender Equality, Seijo University)
ー　Ms. Larasati Indrawagita (Senior Officer of Education Youth and Sports Division at ASEAN Secretariat)
■　Introduction of Gender Mainstreaming & Gender Issues in Sport
ー　Ms. Aya Noguchi (Deputy Director, International Research Center for Sport and Gender Equality, Seijo University)
■　Concept and Framework of Gender Mainstreaming in Sport
ー　Ms. Aya Noguchi (Deputy Director, International Research Center for Sport and Gender Equality, Seijo University)
■　Presentations on the current status of gender-related topics in sports in each country
■　Media representation
ー　Dr. Lombe Mwambwa (Research Director, Global Observatory for Gender Equality & Sport)

Day 2 (January 11)
■　Gender-based violence
ー　Ms. Brenda Matafwali Chipande
■　Group work and discussion by country
■　Closing remarks
ー　Ms. Le Thi Hoang Yen (Vietnam Sports Authority)
ー　Ms. Aya Noguchi (Deputy Director, International Research Center for Sport and Gender Equality, Seijo University)
ー　Mr. Sho Sato（Secretarist of Sport for Tomorrow Consortium, JAPAN SPORT COUNCIL）

For more information about the workshop, please visit the following page.
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The issues and needs behind women and girls participation in sports

The ASEAN Work Plan on Sports 2021-2025 lists three key points in gender-related projects: (1) Leadership, (2) Accessibility, and (3) Safety. In this research project, we will use the above mentioned points to analyze the challenges faced by girls and women taking up sports in the following context: (1) cultural and social, (2) organizational, (3) relational, and (4) individual. The purpose of this study is to clarify for each country the importance for women to participate in sports, and what factors hinders women and girls' participation.

Survey target countries: Viet Nam, Philippines, Indonesia
Survey period: Approximately 3 days
Survey target: Government officials from each country, officials from NOCs and various sports organizations, University student (female), local NGOs

??Viet Nam
　Survey dates: Monday, January 15th to Friday, January 19th 2024

??Philippines
　Survey dates: Thursday, January 25th to Monday, January 29th 2024

??Indonesia
　Survey dates: Sunday, November 26th to Thursday, November 30th 2023
　*Based on the request by the Indonesian government, there will be no surveys conducted by the government officials.

Report on Women's and Girls' Participation in Sports in Indonesia

In Indonesia, several factors hinder women's participation in sports, including a lack of self-confidence, misconceptions about menstruation, expectations regarding household roles, and pressure to maintain "femininity." Within households, men are often the primary decision-makers, and it has been revealed that women's and girls' participation in sports is heavily influenced by their guardians or husbands.
At the organizational level, challenges such as the absence of gender equality policies, violence against women, a lack of safe facilities, unequal budget allocation, and a shortage of female role models have been reported.
On the other hand, the significance of sports participation is recognized in various aspects, including the protection of women's rights, transformation of gender norms, health maintenance, increased self-confidence, and the creation of employment opportunities.

Report on Women's and Girls' Participation in Sports in Vietnam

In Vietnam, several personal factors hinder women's and girls' participation in sports, including a lack of self-confidence, time constraints due to household chores and childcare, societal expectations of "femininity" (such as avoiding tanning to maintain fair skin), and the perception that sports are merely a form of entertainment.
At the organizational level, challenges include the absence of gender equality policies, insufficient funding for women's sports, a lack of safe facilities, a shortage of female role models, and significant disparities between urban and rural areas.
From a sociocultural perspective, barriers include a male-dominated sports culture, the underrepresentation of female athletes in the media (where their "cuteness" is often emphasized over their athletic ability), and the gender-based segregation of sports.
On the other hand, the significance of sports participation is recognized in various aspects, including the protection of women's rights, community revitalization, the cultivation of national pride, health maintenance, beauty preservation, increased self-confidence, the improvement of women's social status, and the creation of employment opportunities.

Report on Women's and Girls' Participation in Sports in the Philippines

In the Philippines, the association between "sports" and "women" is still rather rare. At the individual level, barriers include traditional gender roles that prioritize household and childcare responsibilities and position women as supporters of men, as well as economic constraints. Given the country's significant economic disparities, there is a prevailing belief that "sports cannot provide a livelihood," leading families to prioritize education for girls over sports participation. The influence of the Catholic Church also plays a significant role in shaping these values.
At the organizational level, key challenges include the difficulty women athletes face in continuing their careers, especially after pregnancy and childbirth, the lack of safe sports spaces for women and girls, and gender norms embedded in physical education curricula in schools. Additionally, male-dominated decision-making structures, the scarcity of female coaches, and the lack of facilities and equipment designed for women further hinder their participation in sports.
From a sociocultural perspective, the media often portrays female athletes as sexualized figures rather than highlighting their athletic achievements, and there is a shortage of female role models in sports.
Sports are a fundamental right for all, and women's participation contributes to gender equality, the demonstration of women's capabilities, and the improvement of their social status. Moreover, sports participation enhances health, expands career opportunities, boosts confidence and self-esteem, and fosters social cohesion. Local NGOs, in particular, have been implementing programs that use sports to develop life skills and help women and girls overcome psychological trauma.

In collaboration with the Global Observatory for Gender and Sport (GO), who has a cooperation agreement with SGE, we will share information about this project at an international forum. Additionally, we will collaborate with the ASEAN Secretariat to share information to each ASEAN country and disseminate information about this project within Japan as well.

June 26th - 29th, 2023
At the side event "Counting the Steps" of the MINEPS VII conference hosted by UNESCO, we announced the project "ASEAN-Japan Actions on Sport Gender Equality" as an Asian initiative.

August 30th, 2023
At the Japan-ASEAN Sports Senior Officials Meeting, we explained the contents of the 2023 "ASEAN-Japan Actions on Sport Gender Equality" project and received approval from the ASEAN countries.

October 26th, 2023
A press conference was held for the Japanese media regarding the subcontracting of the Post Sports For Tomorrow Promotion Project and "ASEAN-Japan Actions on Sport Gender Equality."
SGE Press Conference

November 27th - 28th, 2023
At a stakeholder meeting held in Paris, France by the Global Observatory for Gender and Sport (GO) in cooperation with UNESCO, we joined major organizations promoting gender equality internationally to discuss the evaluation indicators of the promotion of gender equality through sport. The information on this project was also shared at this discussion.