Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry will be the chair and host of the 4th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Women (AMMW), which is scheduled to be held from October 11-15, 2021.

"This is the right momentum to create opportunities, start dialogue and diplomacy to jointly build collaborations with various countries in supporting women's empowerment and gender equality, especially in relation to digital economy and financial inclusion," Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Bintang Puspayoga said here on Thursday.

The 4th AMMW symbolizes the regional grouping's commitment to realizing gender equality and empowering women, she added. The event will be themed 'Digital Economy and Financial Inclusion for Improving ASEAN Women's Competitiveness'.

She said the ministry has carried out several activities and pre-trial coordination meetings involving the ASEAN Secretariat, the Government of Vietnam, which is the chair of AMMW, and related ministries and institutions.

"In addition, we have also collaborated with academics, NGOs, and the business world to enliven the AMMW side event series with webinars and exhibitions of women's MSME products," the minister added.

The 4th AMMW session will be attended by the Women's Affairs Minister and members of the ASEAN Committee on Women (ACW), who are high-ranking officials in the women's affairs ministries of all ASEAN member countries, she said.

"This meeting is very strategic because Indonesia will only be the host, and the AMMW chair makes its return in the next 30 years," Puspayoga said.

The meeting will feature five series of sessions, starting from October 11, 2021, which will discuss cooperation programs for resolving women's issues and facilitate the exchange of practical experiences within the theme of digital economy and financial inclusion, she disclosed.

The five series of activities are the 20th ACW Meeting, 13th ACW+3 Meeting, 23rd ACWC Meeting, 8th ACWC – ACW Consultation Meeting, and 4th AMMW, she informed.

"At the 4th AMMW session on October 15, 2021, the ministers will discuss the theme 'Digital Economy and Financial Inclusion for Improving ASEAN Women's Competitiveness'. The meeting is expected to produce a Joint Statement of the 4th AMMW Meeting," the minister added.

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Translator: Anita P D, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Sri Haryati
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