The Conference brought together some 38 registered participants, representing 25 women's organizations from 10 countries and 2 from universities. 12 of these organizations were APRN members:

1. Asia-Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development
2. Bisan center for Research and Develoment
3. Institute for Motivating Self-Employment
4. Roots of Equity
5. Asia-Pacific Mission for Migrants
6. Center for Women's Resources
7. Korean House for International Solidarity
8. Asia Monitor Resource Center
9. UBINIG - Policy Research for Development Alternative
10. Pesticide Action Network Asia Pacific
11. Society for Rural Education and Development
12. Ibon Foundation, Inc.

Other organizations who attended the conference were:

1. Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women
2. Tenaganita
3. International Collective in Support of Fisherfolks
4. Women's Solidarity for Human Rights
5. Philippine Center for Women, Vancouver
6. United Nations, IFAD-WFp
7. Home Net Thailand
8. Northeast NGO-COD
9. Southern Federation of Small Scale fisherfolk
10. Committee on Asian Women
11. Kalikasan People's Network for the Enviroment
12. Sakhi Womens resource Center
13. Women Progressive Alliance
14. North western Polytechnic University, Xian, China
15. University of the South Pacific, Institute for Justice and applied Legal Studies

The conference higlights were the workshops that produced 4 coordinated researches.

These are:

These coordinated researches are expected to take from 6 to 9 months, after which a presentation will be held, with the results, published by APRN.

Corporate globalization intensifies gender oppression

This was the general sentiment that ran throughout the conference. To provide a framework for the workshops and to achieve a common understanding of globalizaiton, there were inputs from selected speakers.

The inputs were provided by Antonio Tujan, Jr APRN chairperson. who gave a talk on "Introduction to globalization," He made clear that globalization is the political economic policy of neoliberalism, and that corporate interests takes supreme position over peoples interests.

He explained that the impacts on women are the results of the economic restructuring that globalization brings. Under this, labor is seen more and more as commodities, and this has negative impacts on women.

There is rampant flexible hiring system and contractualization of labor, and it is the women who are on the losing end .

Irene Fernandez of Tenaganita added to the topic by focusing on globalization and its impact on women, how labor is seen more and more as commodity , and results in aggressive trafficking of women.

Another aspect is the disintegration of families, because of women left behind and migrant women both being victims of sexual abuse from family members and from employers.

She also emphasized the need to strenghten grasssroots organizing that involves documentation and research on alternative strategies, as research can be used as a tool in advocacy and lobbying, and that overall, there is a need to strengthen women's movement.

The presentation on the research on labor migration, by Ms. Miriam Guio of Center for Women's Resources (Philippines) emphasized that the context of migration of filipino women is the crisis at 'home'. There is also deskilling involved of women professionals working as caregivers/nurses in Canada, among other issues faced by women migrants there. That is why the goals of the Filipino migrant's movement in Canada is to fight for the rights of these migrants as well as to struggle to achieve national democracy at "home."

Meanwhile, for rural workers in Indonesia, globalization has not only affected labor but also the enviroment, says Ms. Titi Soentoro of Women's Solidarity for Human Rights of Indonesia. Rural workers are affected by the use of pesticides and destructive mining methods that are being promoted by the government.

For the Thai Agricultural workers, Ms. Suntaree Saeking of Northeast NGO-COD cited a case study on seed producers that shows how women's health has been affected as chemical use has been intensified under globalization. More importantly, that the drumbeaters of globalization has been wrong all along, that instead of prosperity, women became poorer, there is more limitation in livelihood alternatives, and working conditions became harder . Also, there is no participation of women in policy and law.

In the Fisheries sector, overfishing has become a major issue especially because of the proliferation of trawling and industrial fishing, and this problem has been aggravated by the promotion of aquaculture that has severe social and ecological consequences. The research of Ms. Chandrika Sharma of the International Collective in Support of Fishworkers details the work of women fishers in preharvesting, processing and selling. These women also works in aquaculture farms and as liason workers, and thus are affected by globalization policies in fishing .

Conclusion

After two years in waiting, the fact that the Bangkok Conference pushed through , and its successful outcome only emphasizes the importance that APRN gives to women and women empowerment.

APRN also, through the conference, upholds the view that research can help in promoting advocacy, and organizing women in the end.

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