Jakarta (VNA) - Indonesian Minister ofWomen's Empowerment and Child Protection Bintang Puspayoga has affirmed thatASEAN is looking forward to intensifying cooperation with the United Nations(UN), especially to achieve gender equality and empowerment for all women andgirls.

The Indonesian official was quoted by local media as speaking at the 67th AnnualSession of Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), which is taking place fromMarch 6-17 in New York, that the ASEAN welcomes the 67th Annual Session of the CSWwith the theme 'Innovation and Change in Technology and Education in the DigitalEra to Achieve Gender Equality and Empowerment for All Women and Girls”.

According to Puspayoga, the CSW meeting is a promising opportunity to shareprogress and challenges in achieving gender equality and empowerment for allwomen and girls in the digital era.

Minister Puspayoga, representing ASEAN countries, stated thatduring the last 55 years, the ASEAN had clocked extraordinary progress andachievements.

However, ASEAN countries continue to reel from obstacles, including thedisproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women and girls. The minister pointedout that the biggest impacts were in the form of loss of jobs and income.

Meanwhile, other impacts were also faced in various fields, such as education,economy, health care, and other essential services for women and girls, theminister pointed out.

With these challenges, the ASEAN has strengthened close cooperation to increasethe role of women in peace, stability, and sustainable development in thedigital era, she said.

Puspayoga said that for Indonesia's chairmanship in the ASEAN in 2023, the countrybrought up the theme of "ASEAN Matters, Epicentrum of Growth".

She expressed optimism that the ASEAN will play an important role inmaintaining regional and world economic growth that then requires themainstreaming of a gender perspective in ASEAN's works./.