There have been two recent important moments to remember in relation to women’s rights in Southeast Asia: the adoption of the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration on Nov. 18 and the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on Nov. 25. In the context of ASEAN, a fundamental issue to be borne in mind is the direction of women’s rights.

In Southeast Asia, progress in women’s rights has been quicker than other human rights, such as political and civil rights.

Women issues are maybe perceived to be “soft issues” and thus less likely to compromise the political stability of most member states. In fact, all member countries have already ratified or acceded to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), which could serve to help them comply with international human rights, especially women’s rights.