The first WAIPA Workshop, initiated the development of the Plan of Action. It brought together approximately 29 parliamentarians and legislative experts from seven ASEAN Member States, alongside speakers from the National Parliament of Timor-Leste, the ASEAN Secretariat, the ASEAN Committee on Women, and the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD). Through this cooperation, AIPA, CFLI, UN Women, and USAID, seek to increase and strengthen representation of women at the policy-making tables across ASEAN member states to generate more gender-responsive and inclusive laws and policies for the region.

See: Joint Press Release

Held under the theme ‘Fostering Gender-Responsive Parliaments for a Resilient, Connected, and Inclusive ASEAN Community’, the two-day programme featured the Women Political Leaders Forum, WAIPA Workshop 2.0, and the 3rd WAIPA Coordinating Committee Meeting. The events were made possible with support from the Government of Canada through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) and the regional project “Empowering Women for Sustainable Peace: Preventing Violence and Promoting Social Cohesion in ASEAN,” implemented by UN Women and funded by the Governments of Canada, the Republic of Korea, and the United Kingdom.

Women Political Leaders Forum

Recognising the significance of women’s political participation as essential to achieving gender equality, the Women Political Leaders Forum brought together over 50 participants, including AIPA Member Parliaments, ambassadors, prominent figures, and experts. The forum provided a vital platform to explore strategies for strengthening women’s leadership, addressing barriers to political participation, and advancing inclusive governance. Key topics included sustaining peace, building resilience, strengthening intergenerational collaboration, and increasing recognition of the care economy.

WAIPA Workshop 2.0

The second workshop focused on deliberating the Implementation Framework to operationalise the Plan of Action. AIPA Member Parliaments discussed the action lines under each pillar of the Plan of Action, which will be implemented from 2024 to 2030. The Plan of Action and Implementation Framework are set to be presented at the 45th AIPA General Assembly.

3rd Coordinating Committee Meeting of WAIPA 

The 3rd Coordinating Committee Meeting of WAIPA, chaired by Hon. Thoummaly Vongphachanh, Chairperson of the Justice Affairs Committee of the National Assembly of Lao PDR, on 6 February 2024, marked the conclusion of WAIPA Events 2024. Distinguished representatives from AIPA Member Parliaments shared insights, experiences, and strategies to advance women’s political leadership, fostering a more inclusive and resilient ASEAN community. The meeting also set the stage for the upcoming 45th General Assembly and reaffirmed collective support for the Plan of Action and Implementation Framework on Promoting Women’s Political Participation and Leadership (WPPL) 2024–2030.

See: WAIPA Events 2024 Joint Press Release,

AIPA Secretariat conducted a virtual meeting for the Final Review of the Implementation Framework on Women’s Political Participation and Leadership (WPPL). The meeting focused on deliberating and finalising the consolidated drafts of the Implementation Framework 2024–2030. The development process involved multiple rounds of consultation with AIPA Member Parliaments, ensuring that the Plan of Action and Implementation Framework are designed for active implementation. These strategic documents serve as key instruments in strengthening regional and national efforts to advance women’s political participation across ASEAN.

AIPA Secretariat and UN Women co-hosted a Roundtable Discussion in Jakarta on “Promoting Gender-Responsive Parliaments for a Resilient, Connected, and Inclusive ASEAN Community.” The event convened over 20 high-level representatives from ASEAN member states and key dialogue partners, including Permanent Representatives and Heads of Diplomatic Missions to ASEAN. It provided a platform to explore opportunities for collaboration in advancing the WPPL Plan of Action and Implementation Framework, developed by Women Parliamentarians of AIPA (WAIPA), to strengthen women’s leadership and political participation across ASEAN. Enhancing partnerships at this stage is essential to ensuring the effective implementation of these strategic documents following their anticipated adoption at the 45th AIPA General Assembly.

AIPA hosted the WAIPA Women Political Leaders Forum alongside the 45th AIPA General Assembly, marking a key milestone and a flagship initiative of the National Assembly of Lao PDR’s AIPA Presidency. Bringing together over 100 participants, including representatives from AIPA Member and Observer Parliaments, Development Partners, and Guests of the Host Parliament, the forum focused on “Enhancing Women’s Political Participation and Leadership: Transforming Challenges into Opportunities Towards an Inclusive Future for All.” It featured two panel discussions—“Breaking Barriers: Strategies for Increasing Women’s Representation in Parliaments,” which explored solutions to enhance women’s parliamentary representation, and “Collaborative Partnerships for Advancing Women’s Political Participation and Inclusive Governance,” which highlighted the role of multi-stakeholder efforts in fostering inclusive governance. This landmark event reaffirmed AIPA’s commitment to strengthening women’s political participation and leadership across the region.

Under its AIPA Presidency in 2025, Malaysia emerged as a key regional champion in advancing the WAIPA Frameworks. By convening high-level political dialogues and flagship leadership platforms, Malaysia transformed regional commitments on women’s political participation and leadership into visible, action-oriented outcomes, setting the pace for WPPL implementation across ASEAN.

Dialogue Sessions at the 4th Meeting of the Coordinating Committee of WAIPA (Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia | 22 April 2025)

Key Highlights: 

• Local Governments at the table: The Dialogue deliberately engaged local government authorities from Sarawak, Malaysia alongside AIPA Member Parliaments, civil society organisations, and development partners, highlighting Malaysia’s emphasis on advancing WPPL across multiple levels of governance.
• Policy relevance: Key insights from the Dialogue contributed to Malaysia’s sponsored resolution on “Championing Collaborative Efforts on Women’s Political Participation and Leadership,” which was adopted by AIPA in 2025.

Participants:

• 28 Delegates (44 Women, 14 Men) 

2nd WAIPA Women Political Leaders Forum (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 17 September 2025)

Key Highlights: 

• A growing flagship platform: Building on the inaugural Forum in Lao PDR, the 2nd WPLF reaffirmed its role as a central WAIPA platform for regional leadership exchange.
• Rising regional engagement: The Forum convened 105 participants, including parliamentarians, observers, and strategic partners, reflecting growing momentum on women’s political leadership across ASEAN.

Participants:

• 105 Delegates (71 participants from ASEAN region, 34 participants from other region)

Brunei Darussalam set an important precedent in 2025 by becoming the first AIPA Member Parliament to implement the WAIPA Frameworks at the national level. By anchoring the WPPL agenda within a national parliamentary dialogue, the initiative showcased how regional frameworks can be brought closer to domestic policy discussions and decision-making.

National Parliamentary Dialogue on Promoting WPPL (Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam | 18 June 2025)

Key Highlights:

• Multi Stakeholder Engagement: The Dialogue convened 99 participants, including Members of the Legislative Council, relevant ministries, women-focused civil society organisations, and academic institutions, creating a space for cross-sectoral exchange on women’s political participation and leadership.
• Aligned with national priorities: Held alongside Brunei Mid-Year Convention and Exhibition (MYCE) 2025, the Dialogue was embedded within Brunei Darussalam’s broader national agenda on inclusive and gender-responsive governance.

Participants:

• 99 Delegates (90 Women, 9 Men) 

See: Press Release National Parliamentary Dialogue on Promoting WPPL 

Recognising the importance of direct engagement between communities and their policymakers, Indonesia built that bridge through the WAIPA Townhall and AIPA ConNEXT, bringing grassroots voices together with Members of the House of Representatives of Indonesia to share aspirations, challenges, priorities, and insights.

WAIPA Townhall: From Participation to Leadership – Empowering Women in Shaping the Political Landscape (Bogor, Indonesia | 25 November 2025)

Key Highlights:

• Outcome: A consolidated set of policy recommendations was produced and formally submitted to the House of Representatives of Indonesia for consideration in future parliamentary deliberations.
• By the numbers: 8 recommendations, across 4 thematic areas, supported by 34 consolidated action items to advance women’s political participation and leadership.

AIPA ConNEXT: Connecting Leaders, Building Next Path of Leadership (Bogor, Indonesia | 25 November 2025)

• Who it connected: Experienced women leaders and emerging young women leaders were brought together through interactive speed-mentoring sessions.
• Outcome: Participants reported stronger confidence, a clearer understanding of political and leadership pathways, and greater readiness to engage in public discourse following the programme