The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) faces complex challenges—climate change, demographic shifts, rapid technological advancement—that both threaten progress and offer potential for transformative solutions. In this dynamic landscape, the GMS Gender Equality and Inclusion Forum will serve as a convening platform for discussion between government, civil society, and private sector stakeholders to share innovative approaches, strengthen collaboration, and forge a collective vision for advancing gender equality and social inclusion, amid rapid change in the region.

The 2024 GMS Gender Forum seeks to: 

• Officially launch GMS Gender Strategy Implementation Plan 2025–2030; 
• Inspire participants to advance initiatives toward gender equality and social inclusion in an era of climate change, demographic shifts, and technological advances.  
• Showcase innovative practices and approaches in the GMS countries by the government, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and other development partners to address regional challenges such as climate change and demographic shifts. 
• Foster deeper collaboration among stakeholders from GMS countries by sharing insights and best practices on promoting gender equality and social inclusion in the region. 

The first day will showcase innovative practices and approaches from diverse stakeholders in the GMS region to advance gender equality, with a particular emphasis on leveraging digitalization, fostering climate change innovation, and navigating demographic shifts.   

The second day will highlight issues, initiatives, and lessons learned related to the intersection of gender inequality with other dimensions of discrimination and vulnerabilities (e.g., age; disability; ethnicity; sexual orientation, gender identity and expressions and sex characteristics; income status; and geographic location) in the GMS.

In-person participants are stakeholders in the subregion’s gender network including: 

• GMS government officials and representatives from relevant ministries, GMS women’s machineries/agencies, representatives from GMS Secretariat and working groups; 
• Civil society organizations and advocacy groups; 
• Development partners, including multilateral development banks, multilateral and bilateral donors, UN agencies, and non-traditional partners; 
• Private sector entities and social enterprises promoting gender equality in the areas of climate action, demographics, and innovation/technology; and, 
• Academia and research centers.  

The forum will be open for virtual participation, allowing those who cannot attend in person to join online.