The Asian Resource Center for Decentralization

THE REGIONAL INFORMATION RESOURCE FACILITY

WOMEN IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT

The Regional Information Resource Facility – Women In Local Government (RIRF-WLG) is a joint project of the Center for Women’s Studies (CWS) and the Center for Local and Regional Governance, National College of Public Administration and Governance (CLRG, NCPAG), both of the University of the Philippines. The RIRF-WLG is an internet-based resource facility which houses a compendium of research output, conference papers, gender statistics and articles on women in local governance across Asia and the Pacific.  It is being sponsored by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) while the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)-Manila has agreed to monitor the project.

The establishment of the RIRF-WLG was one of the follow-up actions called for in the Phitsanulok Declaration on the Advancement of Women in Local Government which was adopted by the Asia-Pacific Summit of Women Mayors and Councilors organized by UNESCAP in June 2001 at Phitsanulok, Thailand. Over 250 women mayors and councilors attended the first-ever summit of its kind from different countries in Asia and the Pacific.

The Information Facility forms part of the Asian Resource Center for Decentralization (ARCD) which serves as a resource center for information on decentralization and experiences on local governance in different countries in Asia.   The 2nd International Conference on Decentralization held on July 25-27, 2002, with the theme “Federalism: the Future of Decentralizing States?” culminated with the launching of ARCD and at the same time included the signing ceremony of the RIRF-WLG. Representatives from the three major organizations sponsoring the project signed the Memorandum of Agreement, the UNESCAP, UNDP and the UP System.

The objectives of the Facility are:

*

To establish and maintain an interactive email and internet based network for an exchange of experiences and information among those interested in issues concerning women in local government;
*

To monitor the implementation of country-level actions on advancement of women in local government;
*

To promote coordinated implementation of the regional actions in support of country level actions  for the advancement of women in local government; and
*

To advocate the role of women in local governments at various regional and international forums.

The development and installation of the Facility commenced in September 2002 and major inputs are expected to be delivered in 2003.