Asia-Pacific Women’s Empowerment Principles Forum

The 2025 Asia-Pacific Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) Forum will bring together participants across the region to accelerate concrete collaboration and action for gender equality.

The 2025 Asia-Pacific Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) Forum will bring together 150 participants from WEPs signatories, SMEs, corporates, regulators, stock exchanges, policymakers, industry associations, investors, government agencies and development partners to shift from commitments to concrete collaboration and accelerated action for gender equality.

Venue: Online (Zoom) and in-person at the Hilton Petaling Jaya, Malaysia

Date: Tuesday and Wednesday, 18th to 19th November 2025

Time: 9 am to 5 pm (approx., based on full-day forum format)

Tickets: Free webinar registration

Context

Today, Asia-Pacific stands at a critical turning point, undergoing megatrends such as demographic shifts, digital transformations, and climate change, all of which affect women’s ability to participate equally and fully in the labour market. These transitions can either worsen existing inequalities or, if used strategically, become opportunities for women and girls, businesses, and societies to build more resilient and inclusive economies.

In this context, more than ever, the private sector has a critical role to play, not only as an economic engine but also as a driver of inclusive and resilient economies. UN Women, guided by the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs), engages businesses and ecosystem actors to demonstrate how the private sector’s transformative, often untapped potential for innovation and collaboration can contribute to accelerated progress on gender equality.

Launched in 2010 by UN Women and UN Global Compact, the WEPs are a set of 7 principles guiding private sector action for gender equality across the value chain, beginning with leadership and providing direction for the workplace, marketplace and community, underpinned by a strong emphasis on accountability and transparent reporting. To date, more than 11,000 companies have signed the WEPs globally, including over 3,000 in Asia-Pacific.

While the region has seen increased commitments from key public and private stakeholders, an ‘action gap’ remains between commitments and tangible implementation. Closing this gap requires rethinking existing models and building new partnerships to deepen impact, scale innovation, and drive systemic change. Following the inaugural Asia-Pacific WEPs Forum in 2023, the 2025 Forum will build on this momentum, bringing together businesses, regulators, stock exchanges, thought leaders and innovators to shift from commitments to concrete collaboration and action across the region.

The Forum is part of the UN Women Gender Action Lab: Innovation & Impact for Gender Equality in Asia-Pacific, launched in 2024 in partnership with the Australian government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). The Lab leverages the WEPs to accelerate gender-responsive business conduct across the value chain and contribute to more inclusive economies.

The Forum is also supported by UN Women’s programme WE RISE Together (WRT) – advancing gender-responsive procurement in the Mekong region. Funded through the Australian Government’s Mekong–Australia Partnership, WRT strengthens the capacity of Women-Owned Businesses (WOBs) and Gender-Responsive Enterprises (GREs) in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Viet Nam.

Additional Supporters

• Talent Corporation Malaysia Berhad (TalentCorp)

• International Finance Corporation (IFC)

Click here to register and for more info.