The workshop reviewed the implementation of AWCF's past strategic plan, and drew up a new one for years 2005-2009, with focus on: documentation of good practices in co-ops; development of advanced leadership modules for women in co-ops; monitoring of the actualization of the AWCF vision, mission, and goals; building up of programs for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs); and strengthening of policy research and advocacy.

This regional TOT allowed 20 participants from AWCF's five members to share their expertise and enhance their training skills to promote TL in co-operatives.

TL is a democratic, consultative and collective kind of leadership where men and women, members and leaders participate equally in decision-making, upholding the values and principles of co-operatives. Transformative leaders are development-oriented, issue-focused, gender-sensitive (DO-IF-GS) people who bring about change in individuals.

In this TOT, the participants engaged in a multitude of activities designed to help them explore their assumptions about power, influence, and leadership; and to rediscover their responsibilities as trainers and advocates. They were also encouraged to think about the impact of globalization and how co-ops should adapt to the changes that the new millennium brings.

The training was funded by the Southeast Asian Gender Equity Program-Canadian International Development Agency (SEAGEP-CIDA).

AWCF reviewed its “Five-Year (1999-2003) Strategic Plan” and gained insights into the effectiveness of AWCF's role and nature as a resource body for gender mainstreaming and co-operative development.

The Regional Forum brought together 109 participants (81 women and 28 men) from the 10 nation states of Southeast Asia and from Nepal, India, and Canada. The participating key actors from government, international development agencies, civil society, co-operatives, women's organizations, business, and social development agencies examined and looked critically at the economic condition of women vis-à-vis men, and the state of gender equality in Asia in the light of the effects of globalization. The participants explored possibilities for collaboration in achieving the goals of gender equality and equity in the context of globalization.

The Forum was a follow up to AWCF's 2000 Regional Conference on "Gender Impact of Globalization of the Economy: Challenges to Co-operatives in the New Millennium." While the 2000 Regional Conference had a broader range of topics—from the effects of globalization on women's economic, social and political participation in society and in co-ops, to effects on the family—the 2001 Regional Forum had a more specific focus, that is, the issues of women's economic empowerment and gender equality in the era of globalization. The intention of focusing on these two issues as themes for the forum was to stress the importance of women's economic empowerment as a key and first step towards improvement in women's condition, and overall gender equality. As a result, there was a sharing of a range of ideas and experiences, lessons learned and best practices on women's economic empowerment and gender equality. All this served well the Forum's end-goal of enabling the participants to select from the conference’s inputs what they think can be applied to their own situations and context.

Assistance for the forum came from the ASEAN Foundation.

This Regional TOT had 22 participants from all five member-countries of AWCF who were already trained as trainers in gender-sensitivity training (GST) and other types of gender training in co-ops. Thus this training meant to further improve their knowledge and skills on gender training, advocacy, and mainstreaming. Resource persons shared inputs and led discussions among participants on feminism; gender, culture and religion; and gender mainstreaming in training and education programs, and development work/co-op.

The participants drew up gender action plans for their respective organizations, based on the gender and development strategic plan that each AWCF member had already done. These actions plans will be presented by the participants to their respective organizations.

MISEREOR and the European Commission funded the regional training.

Twenty-six trainers of GST from four member-countries of AWCF took part in this activity. Although GST trainers' training events were held in each AWCF member, this was the first regional-level training for them. It was an opportunity for the trainers to exchange and share resources and different training methods, thereby further increasing their knowledge and skills, and developing more their positive attitudes and values that they can transfer to participants of the gender sensitivity or awareness training that they conduct. Being also gender advocates, the co-op trainers were also expected to integrate the gender perspective in all types of education and training activities that they conduct for co-op leaders, staff, and members. They are counted on to lead in correcting gender stereotypes and other messages that reinforce gender bias.

The Regional Training was also a step for the formation of the AWCF regional pool of GST trainers to help conduct training in different Asian countries, aside from the AWCF staff doing such work.

Apart from learning from one another, the participants in the Regional Training gained much from the resource persons tapped by AWCF who were most knowledgeable in their various fields—adult education, active training process, gender concepts and issues, gender and development approaches and initiatives, gender analysis tools and initiatives, gender issues and co-ops in globalization, and using theater arts in GST. The training was supported by MISEREOR and the European Commission.

Primary co-op leaders from Indonesia (three leaders) and Thailand (three leaders) were exposed to primary co-ops in the Philippines. The exposure program was meant to enable women co-op leaders at the grassroots level to observe first-hand the dynamics and approaches of economically successful and gender-responsive co-operatives in the Philippines, and to learn from these and apply these on their own contexts. Women primary co-op leaders from Malaysia (three leaders), and women primary and national level co-op leaders from the Philippines (six participants) were exposed to credit unions in Thailand as well as to international development agencies and institutions in Bangkok that assist and/or work with or on co-ops and GAD. This exposure to Thailand was to give the women co-op leaders a first-hand view of a co-op movement in another country and to interact with individuals who work with/on gender and on co-operatives at the broader and international level. The exposure was an empowering experience for the participants.

AWCF members met and drew up a five-year regional strategic plan (1999-2003). Prior to the regional strategic planning, each member went through a review and strategic planning workshop with their affiliates and partners. The results of the national strategic planning workshops became a source and reference for the regional strategic planning.

This Regional Conference tackled the age-old issue of women's marginalization in the leadership and decision-making in co-operatives. The Conference objectives were to present analysis of women's and men's styles of leading, why women are marginalized in decision-making in society and in co-ops (from women's and men's perspectives), and to present practical actions on how to increase the number and participation of women in decision-making in co-ops. A "Declaration and a Platform of Action for the Enhancement of Women's Participation in Leadership and Decision-Making in Co-operatives" was drawn up based on the ideas from participants and resource speakers. The "Declaration and Platform of Action" serves as guide for action to achieve the goal of increasing the number and participation of women in co-operatives.

The Conference had 119 participants (103 women and 16 men) representing national co-operative federations, primary co-ops, and NGOs from 14 countries in Asia, Europe, and North America.

The conference was made possible with assistance from MISEREOR, European Union, SEAGEP-CIDA, and the Japanese Consumers Co-operative Union (JCCU).

AWCF and trainers from NATCCO in the Philippines conducted this TOT using NATCCO "GST Trainer's Manual for Cooperators." AWCF’s Executive Committee (ExeCom) members and also trainers from AWCF member-organizations benefited from the training.

A gathering of female and male co-operators from different countries in which gender issues in co-operatives were discussed, and various approaches to address these issues were shared by resource speakers from how co-ops address various Asian countries. A symposium on how co-ops address gender issues was conducted during the “NGO Forum on Women,” a parallel forum of the “Fourth World Conference on Women” in Beijing, China. Resource speakers from AWCF members, Japan, and the ICA shared their approaches.

In this Regional Conference, four showcases of gender-responsive co-operatives were presented from Japan, Malaysia, Philippines and Sri Lanka. Creative presentations of the showcases were made with the use of video, popular theater, and slide and sound. The JCCU of Japan, CUPC of Malaysia, Malita Multi-Purpose Co-op of the Philippines, and SANASA of Sri Lanka shared their respective organizations' efforts in addressing gender issues.

The showcases featured examples of effective gender-integrated and women-specific strategies, policies, and projects. The increasing number of women entrepreneurs in co-operatives, and how co-op can respond to the women’s financial and social needs was a major and highly stimulating topic of the Conference.

The Conference was an opportunity for women in co-ops as a sector to discuss issues affecting them as well as to talk of strategies in preparation for the "Fourth World Conference on Women" and "NGO Forum on Women" in Beijing, China in September 1995. A "Declaration" on the prevalent condition of gender inequality and women's disadvantaged position in society and the role of co-operatives was the concrete and immediate output of the conference. The "Declaration" was shared with the organizers of the Beijing conference and participants of the “Women in Co-ops Forum” held in the "NGO Forum on Women.”

The Conference participants were 42 women (21 leaders and 21 staff) and 13 men (7 leaders and 6 staff) from 13 national co-operative federations and 2 NGOs, representing at least 27 primary co-operatives from 11 countries in Asia.

This activity was organized by AWCF with the Association of Asian Confederation of Credit Unions (ACCU), and supported by MISEREOR, the Canadian High Commission in Singapore through its Women's Initiative Support Program, and the Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA). CULT hosted the Conference.

The purpose of the workshop was to assist AWCF's member-organizations in drawing up their respective gender and co-op development frameworks. The frameworks were to guide the member-organizations in addressing gender issues, and improving the conditions of women in and through co-operatives in a more systematic and effective way. The member-organizations requested to produce a gender and co-operative development framework to aid them in addressing gender issues, which are mostly complex and interwoven.

Each framework contained five elements, namely: gender issues that were operating in the organization and which it chose to address, the vision the organization wanted to pursue, the objectives to reach the vision, strategies to achieve the objectives, and the indicators to show that change actually occurred in three levels—the co-operative, the community and the household. AWCF member-organizations made sure that their programs, including gender-specific programs, were within or consistent with their gender and co-operative development framework. The workshop was attended by 30 female and male leaders and staff from the member-organizations, and guests from the ACCU, the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU), the Women's Support Project-Indonesia, and CCA. The workshop was part of a two-year project on "Consolidating AWCF's Initiatives and Gains" supported by CCA.  

These two regional workshop/training seminars were the first-ever to be held by AWCF, and these were held simultaneously and parallel to each other, one for women only and the other for men only.

The women's training seminar was on strategizing and organizing techniques to help women co-op leaders and gender advocates lobby and work for the mainstreaming of gender concerns in co-ops. Because the women were not in positions of power and decision-making in their organizations, the mainstreaming of gender concerns required the support and cooperation of male leaders.

The men's training sensitized and made male co-op leaders aware of gender issues. This awareness convinced the men to use their power and authority to make policy changes in their organizations for the purpose of mainstreaming gender concerns. The two training seminars culminated in a joint visioning process by both the female and male participants. The visioning process became an opportunity for the female co-op leaders and gender advocates to describe to the male co-op leaders the women's situation and to articulate their needs .

As a consequence of these seminars, changes were instituted in the participating organizations. Some of these changes were: installing a policy that mandates the organization to pursue gender issues, implementing women-specific and gender-related programs, allocating funds for these programs, and organizing a pool of gender advocates in co-operatives in Asia.

Thirty-two leaders and staff participated in the women's training; 21 key leaders participated in the men's training. Six Asian countries, Canada, and Costa Rica were represented in the training seminars. The seminars were funded by the CCA and the Canadian High Commission in Singapore through its Women's Initiative Fund.

For the Philippines's Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), AWCF engaged in the development and packaging of the "Guidebook on the Conduct of Gender-Based Effectiveness Skills (G-BEST) Training Program" for Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARB) and its accompanying "Resource Book," based on the conduct by DAR of four batches of G-BEST for regional and provincial ARB Training Officers. The Guidebook and Resource Book are designed for the ARB Training Officers, Agrarian Reform Community (ARC) Core Trainers, and members of the Education Committee of the co-ops/organizations in Agrarian Reform Areas (ARAs), and other gender and development (GAD) trainers. These trainers, in turn, will train ARBs and other members of the ARAs. Another output of AWCF's work with DAR is the "Handbook on Mainstreaming Gender Concerns in ARAs" and its accompanying "Resource Book," which captures the content, processes, methodologies, experiences, reflections, results, and lessons learned based on the conduct of two batches of G-BEST for ARB leaders.

AWCF provided technical assistance to the Philippines's Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for the Project “Assessment of Organizational Stability of Participating People's Organizations (POs)/Co-ops in the Community-Based Forest Management (CBFM) Program and Extent of Gender Integration Therein.” The assessment looked into the POs'/co-ops' organizational stability and strength, financial and business management capability, extent of gender awareness and integration within the organization, and their forest management capability. Likewise, the assessment looked into the CBFM staff's knowledge and skills needs vis-a-vis co-op organizing and strengthening. AWCF's technical assistance included the development of a handbook on assessing CBFM POs/co-ops, which includes the diagnostic tools developed by AWCF composed of the framework, user's guide, and interview schedule. The CBFM taps the POs/co-ops for the efficient and effective management and safeguarding of the forest and its resources. Assessing the POs/co-ops will help the DENR in identifying what further technical assistance it can provide to these organizations to become viable, strong, and, in the long term, sustainable community-based organizations that manage collectively owned, forest-based business enterprises.

With NORLU CEDEC (Northern Luzon Federation of Co-operatives and Development Center), then an affiliate of NATCCO, AWCF conducted the “A Gender-Based Study of Four Co-operatives in Four Communities for the Diocesan Co-operatives Development Council, Inc. (DCDCI).” The purpose was to help DCDCI know the gender-based and gender-differentiated needs of the individual members of its affiliate-primary co-ops. The study was used by DCDCI, together with its Belgian donor, to determine ways to improve, alter or develop co-op programs, services and activities that address these needs.

AWCF provided the “Gender Consultancy for the EU-funded Western Samar Agricultural Resources Development (WESAMAR) Project, Western Samar, Visayas Region,” specifically for the WESAMAR project management and partner non-government and people’s organizations. The services provided included a series of consultancy meetings with the management team and key implementors; designing and facilitating workshops to generate ideas and develop mechanisms on gender integration; providing ideas to WESAMAR management through a series of gender-related training to WESAMAR project managers, staff, and partner-institutions; and development of a Gender Integration Plan and System (GIPS) for the project in the areas of community organizing, project appraisal, and monitoring and evaluation.

AWCF conducted the “Evaluation and Documentation Study of the ILO-DANIDA Sub-Regional Project on Women Workers in the Putting-Out System,” entitled "From Homeworkers to Co-operatives: An Assessment of the Suitability of the Co-operative Model as a Mechanism for Sustainability of Three Women Homeworkers' Associations in Indonesia." AWCF services were requested by the ILO Regional office for Asia and Pacific in Bangkok.

The study involved the writing of three case studies, assessment of the sustainability of social protection schemes for women homeworkers, and assessment of the suitability of the co-op model for sustainability.

The "Basic Gender Awareness Seminar" was held for five partner-organizations of the Indonesia Co-operative Development Assistance Program (INCODAP) Phase II, a project funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and executed by the Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA), Puncak Pass, Bogor.

With a training team, AWCF contributed to the design of the seminar and handled the "Gender Issues in Co-operatives" session. Then, AWCF reviewed and edited the proceedings of the seminar, and submitted an analytical report to CCA containing the assessment of the partners' readiness and capacity for a gender program in their respective organizations as well as recommendations for CCA's overall gender strategy in the INCODAP II project.

For the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women (NCRFW), Philippines, AWCF supervised the conduct of the “Training of Trainers on Gender Analysis," a regional activity of the "Gender-Responsive Development Planning in the MHA," a UNDP-funded project for the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) of Indonesia. AWCF made sure that the training was conducted with the Indonesian context taken into account. AWCF supervised and provided input in the documentation and production of proceedings of the training.

AWCF led a project team in the design and conduct of the gender awareness training component of the “ILO-DANIDA Project on Co-op Enterprises on Rural Development.” AWCF contributed the article "Gender Issues in Co-operative Entrepreneurship" and a case study on one community-based, multi-purpose co-op for the final project report published by the ILO.

AWCF organized and conducted a training course for ILO-Philippines’s fellowship program for Pakistani nationals. The "Organization and Management of Training, Employment and Income-generating Projects for Rural Women" training course was held for six weeks. The course had lectures, field and exposure visits to co-ops, women's organizations and non-government organizations (NGOs) with income-generating projects for women; and government agencies providing skills training on small business, practical skills and non-traditional trades for women.

For the CCA and as commissioned by CIDA, AWCF evaluated the Women's World Banking's effectiveness in providing appropriate programs and services to its affiliates in Asia. Visits were made to three affiliates in India and in the Philippines.