Lesson learnt
The Rural and Indigenous Women Programme is different from the rest of the other programmes of APWLD as it is sector-based. While the other programmes are issue-based, RIW is supposed to cover any issues affecting or particular to RIW. RIW, in itself as a sector, is multi-sectoral, as well. Rural and indigenous women are peasants, fishers, agricultural workers, herders, vegetable growers, housewives.  Thus, the range of possibilities of issues, as well as actual issues and problems being faced by the women from the rural and indigenous women are so broad. This is a big challenge for the task force in terms of focus.

So for the past three years, the RIW programme has been focusing on providing enabling support to the TF members.  Movement building has been the main contribution of the programme – the assistance in the convening of the second Asian Indigenous Women’s Network (AIWN); the Asian Peasant Women’s Network (APWN), and the most recent is the Regional Forum on the Women in Fisheries. 

While the AIWN and APWN are established networks already, though would need continuing support, the women in fisheries network is one that has not yet been established. But work, though slowly, is being done. The work is at both fronts - in trying to consolidate women from different fishing communities in the region, but also in bringing women in fisheries issues in the food sovereignty network and women’s movement. 

As planned last year, two seats now in the TF are being occupied by groups working on fisheries issues.  While these are not solidly women’s groups, it is the task of RIW TF to strengthen the women’s programmes they have started.  These are sure steps contributing towards an establishment of a network of women in fisheries in the region.

Future Plans
Facilitating young women lawyers’ active involvement in the RIW Programme is still in the objective of the TF, where a lot of work has to be done, in a more programmatic way. Follow up actions from the “war against terror” policies research will create a space for collaboration with them. Follow up actions will be related to the WHRD campaigns as most of the repressive policies are being legitimised under the anti-terrorism policy.

Another venue where collaboration between the TF members and young women lawyers can take place is in the planned activities of the TF related to women’s rights and international instruments which embody these, e.g. CEDAW.

This and more creative enabling support and creation of spaces for the participation in relevant and significant regional and international forums are the continuing tasks of the RIW programme. The WTO MC 6th was one of the more recent displays of the growing organised voices of the rural and indigenous women. Their active involvement at the national level in the lead up of activities to WTO, and their actual presence in Hong Kong was indeed a promising indication of the contribution of RIW TF in the movement building within the rural and indigenous women sector, and its intensifying collective strength.

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