APWLD is the leading network of feminist organisations and individual advocates in Asia Pacific. Their 211 members represent groups of diverse women from 26 countries in Asia Pacific. Over the past 30 years, APWLD has actively worked towards advancing women’s human rights and Development Justice. They are an independent, non-governmental, non-profit organisation and hold consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council.
APWLD fosters feminist movements in Asia Pacific to influence laws, policies and practices at the local, national, regional and international levels. They develop capacities, produce and disseminate feminist analyses, conduct advocacy and foster networks and spaces for movement building to claim and strengthen women’s human rights. APWLD empowers women in the region to use law as an instrument of change for equality, justice, peace and development justice.
They believe that advances in women’s rights are achieved and sustained when autonomous feminist movements exist and have an enabling environment to work. They believe that law can be repressive as well as transformative. They use feminist analysis to dissect, engage with and transform laws, legal practices and the systems that shape and inform them. They believe that the nexus of patriarchy with militarism, fundamentalisms and neo-liberal economic globalisation is responsible for gross violations of women’s rights. They believe that equality, development justice and the realisation of human rights can only happen when women, particularly marginalised women, are empowered to lead policy and legal debates and determine solutions. They believe, to achieve lasting and sustainable change, engagement with women themselves, both at the grassroots and policy making levels, is needed to bring a feminist approach and perspective to their advocacy.
Their diverse and active membership provides the strength and expertise that drives and executes their work. Members are actively involved in APWLD’s programme work through taking part in Programme Organising Committees. APWLD is governed by a Programme and Management Committee comprised from a larger Regional Council of active members. Their Secretariat in Chiang Mai carries out day-to-day operations and provides for programme implementation as well as financial and technical support.
