Our Programmes

CAW works both with formal and informal economy in the three sub-regions of Asia, namely East Asia, South-east Asia and South Asia. CAW also has links with some groups in Indo-China region.

Some of the programmes of CAW over the years have included:

• Several research studies o­n different countries and industries where women are employed o­n issues of working conditions, rights etc.
• Local, national, sub-regional and regional programs and trainings o­n the current and long-terms issues facing women as workers and women as women.
• Taking women workers for exposure trip to have direct exchange with other women workers.
• Speaking tour o­n the situation of women workers in South-east Asia.
• Translation of some issues of our newsletter to different languages
• Research, regional workshop and lobbying o­n the issue of women workers in the informal economy.
• International advocacy campaign o­n the issues of the informal economy
• Research, regional workshop and a well-utilised multi language film (Dolls and Dust) o­n the issue of women workers and the impact of globalisation.
• Urgent appeal o­n violation of labour and women�s rights

CAW has recently started work o­n the theme of women workers and political suppression and armed conflict.

Our Documentation centre

The documentation centre of CAW acts as a resource centre for many activists and students working in the area of women and women workers. CAW has an extensive collection of books, newsletters and journals spanning three decades.

CAW is a network of women workers organisations in Asia, at present 30 members. We are however a growing and learning organisation. The network groups decide the programme direction and work focus of CAW in a consultation meeting every three years.

The policy-making body of CAW is the Executive Committee (called Exco for short). The exco comprises, at present, of six Asian women, two each from the three sub-regions of Asia where CAW works.

The Secretariat of CAW comprises of five Asian women, o­ne Coordinating Officer, two Programme Officers, o­ne Finance and Administration Officer and o­ne Publications and Documentation Officer. The Secretariat carries out the work plan of the organisation.

Because the politicians in power take for granted that the stance of privatisation opponents is o­ne of "compromise", anti-privatisation supporters will take a more aggressive approach by campaigning against the ruling political party, o­ne of the protest leaders said yesterday. "From now o­n we will be an enemy of the Thai Rak Thai Party [TRT]. We will not vote for the party and if we know whom the party backs in the Bangkok governor's election, we won't vote for that candidate," said Pien Yongnu, chairman of the Network of Power and Water Utilities for the Country and the Public. He said the anti-privatisation workers would take whatever measures they deemed necessary to pressure the government o­n their demands.

The massacre of 11 Chinese road construction workers and an Afghan guard as they slept in their tents early Thursday was the deadliest against foreigners since the fall of the Taliban and dealt a setback to United States efforts to stabilize the country ahead of elections scheduled for September.

The men were among more than 100 Chinese engineers and construction workers who had recently arrived in Afghanistan to work o­n a World Bank project to rebuild a road running north from Kabul to the Tajikistan border. Some of those killed Thursday had been in Afghanistan o­nly a few days, the Chinese news agency reported.

The attack occurred at 1:30 a.m. about 20 miles south of Kunduz, in the normally peaceful northern part of the county, Afghan officials said. A group of some 20 gunmen in cars attacked the men as they slept, the spokesman for the Interior Ministry, Lutfullah Mashal, said.

This is what some experts are predicting will happen o­nce the current system of export quotas for the textile sector ends in 2005. China and India will be major competitors for Bangladesh�s garment industry, which alone makes up two-thirds of the country�s exports. With a work force consisting of 80% women and no alternative solution if jobs are lost, serious social problems could erupt in Bangladesh if there is a major recession in the textile industry. In a news briefing published o­n 9^th July 2004, the ICFTU stresses that Bangladeshi employers have sadly always resorted to solely relying o­n very cheap and easily exploitable workers in order to attract orders. This short-term approach is likely to earn them considerable setbacks in the liberalised market that will follow the ending of the Agreement o­n Textiles and Clothing (the successor to the Multi Fibre Arrangement). Some company bosses are beginning to realise, however, that improving their workers� conditions will also make their companies more productive.