Baku, Azerbaijan
14 April 2026
Madam Chairperson,
Excellencies,
Distinguished participants,
Ladies and gentlemen,
I would like to convey my sincere gratitude to Madam Bahar Muradova, the State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the CICA Chairmanship of Azerbaijan for its leadership and initiative in convening this timely event on the important theme “Amplifying women’s voices across CICA for sustainable growth”.
Esteemed participants,
International and regional organizations are essential partners in the global effort to advance women’s empowerment and cannot be left outside this process. Multilateral platforms, including CICA, help shape norms, facilitate dialogue and enable the exchange of best practices among Member States. They also play an important role in linking global commitments with national implementation. These efforts are guided by universally recognized frameworks, including the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which remain key references for achieving gender equality and the full participation of women in all spheres of life.
At the same time, our discussions must be grounded in realities. CICA, with its major focus on enhancing regional integration, confidence building, economic growth and cooperation, brings together 28 Member States across Asia. The membership represents significant diversity in terms of economic development, demographic trends, cultural dynamics and social structures, comprising nearly half of the world’s population. Within this vast and vibrant CICA community, women represent not only half of our societies but also an immense potential force, which, however, remains underutilized for growth and sustainable development.
While there has been some notable progress over the past decades across Asia, women’s voices remain underrepresented in many areas of decision-making, be it in politics, economic leadership, peacebuilding or climate change discourses. This makes the theme of our Conference today even more relevant. Common challenges persist in achieving full and meaningful empowerment of women.
Women’s labour force participation, for instance, remains consistently lower than that of men. Across Asia, the gender gap in labour participation averages around 20 percentage points and is significantly higher in some countries. This represents not only a social imbalance but also a substantial economic loss. In empowering women to contribute meaningfully to the economies of the region, we must invest more in education, and ensure their access, especially to science, technology, engineering and mathematics, namely STEM subjects.
Representation in leadership and decision-making in our region has seen gradual progress in recent years. Women in several countries have made important advances through targeted policies and institutional reforms. Women are also increasingly contributing to public administration, diplomacy, business, and entrepreneurship, strengthening governance and economic resilience. At the same time, there remains clear potential to further expand women’s participation in areas such as peace and security, mediation and economic governance. Building on current progress will be key to ensuring more inclusive and effective decision-making at all levels.
Excellencies,
Gender equality and the protection of the rights and interests of women and girls are officially part of the updated CICA Catalogue of Confidence Building Measures (CBMs). CICA focuses on the economic role of women as a "strategic imperative" for regional growth and sustainable development. To this end, emphasizes linking women's empowerment to poverty eradication and the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through their effective and meaningful participation in decision-making processes. Furthermore, CICA highlights women's crucial roles in agriculture, climate change discourses, water conservation, renewable energy and food security. Generally speaking, CICA favours integrated and intersectional approaches in mainstreaming Gender Equality and Women Empowerment (GEWE) issues across relevant sectors, under its mandate. The CICA Business Council has been focusing on the role of women in the economy, particularly within small and medium enterprises (SMEs); leveraging digital platforms for empowerment and using technology for opening new opportunities for women’s entrepreneurship training in digital skills and e-commerce is being emphasized.
I would also like to highlight CICA’s growing engagement in the global dialogue on women’s empowerment and sustainable development. Earlier in March, CICA contributed to discussions on the margins of the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, in New York, where the importance of regional platforms in advancing practical solutions and sharing experiences was clearly reaffirmed.
A key step forward in recent years has been the establishment of the CICA Women Council under the Azerbaijani Chairmanship. This initiative represents an important institutional development for our organization. It creates a dedicated platform for dialogue, coordination and the development of joint initiatives aimed at strengthening the role of women across our region. I greatly appreciate the Azerbaijan Chairmanship for this initiative and for hosting the inaugural meeting of the CICA Women Council, which I very much look forward to joining later today.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Amplifying women’s voices is not simply a matter of equality. It is essential to achieving sustainable development, economic resilience, peace and social stability across the CICA region and beyond.
Looking ahead, to truly amplify women’s voices across our region, it is essential that we build on this momentum. We must undertake collective and concrete actions. Strengthening partnerships among Member States, relevant regional and international organizations, and other stakeholders and advocacy groups will be key to translating commitments into tangible outcomes. CICA stands ready to support these efforts by providing a platform for continued dialogue and practical cooperation.
I am confident that today’s discussions will contribute to shaping a more inclusive and forward-looking agenda.
Thank you.
