HomeNet Southeast Asia Executive Committee Meets to Develop Strategies

The HomeNet Southeast Asia Executive Committee  met on 27-29April at Angkor Holiday Hotel, Siem Reap, Cambodia to achieve the following objectives; (1) update on the organizing, activities and policy adbocacy of the five member countries; (2) develop the membership growth strategy, both at country and regional levels; (3)  develop advocacy strategies on social protection, including UHC, at country and  regional  levels, particularly for the ASEAN People’s  Forum (APF) 17-19^th June 2019; and, (4) discuss on the principle and the establishment of HomeNet International.

The meeting started with a panel discussion on “Understanding Cambodian Informal Workers Situation and  Access to Social Protection and UHC.”Panelists were Pao Vorn, president of IDEA and Representative of Oxfam in Cambodia and ILO representative and Sinoeun Men, Homenet Cambodia Coordinator. The Executive committeealso  went on field visit to Cambodian homebased workers groups in Siem Reap.

The second  day focused on “Access of Informal Workers to Social Protection and UHC,” developing strategies and designing advocacy activities for the ASEAN People’s Forum to be held in Bangkok in September. A quick update on Social Protection and UHC of other countries in  the WIEGO network was shared by Laura Alfers of WIEGO.

Discussion on the final day was on organizing and membership growth of the five member countries of Homenet Southeast Asia.   Sinoeun Men of Cambodia, Cecilia Susiloretno of Indonesia,  LourdesGula of the Philippines and Poonsap S. Tulaphan of Thailand reported on their organizing and membership plan and a workshop on developing strategies for expansion followed.  Suntaree H. Saeng-ging,   HNSEA Coordinator, also   gave a presentation on HomeNet International, concept, principles and  ways forward.