On January 28, 2026, the Asian Network of Women’s Shelters (ANWS) convened its first Regional Meeting of the year, bringing members together to shape our shared priorities and direction for 2026.
Reflecting on Our January 28 Kick-off
Representatives from women’s shelters and partner organizations across Asia gathered to exchange perspectives on emerging challenges and opportunities in addressing gender-based violence (GBV). Key discussion areas included the needs of children and adolescents growing up in shelters, approaches to economic integration beyond skills training, and the importance of inclusive responses for refugees and minority communities through expert-led engagement.
Participants also raised growing concerns about technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), particularly the misuse of AI to create and disseminate harmful content targeting women. There was strong interest in developing a TFGBV resilience and response program, with broad agreement on holding expert sharing sessions every two months, complemented by less frequent organizational updates.
The meeting reflected strong regional engagement, with members actively sharing the call within their networks and expressing interest in future sessions. Overall, the discussion reaffirmed ANWS’s collective commitment to learning, collaboration, and strengthening survivor-centered responses across the region.
Following the meeting, a feedback survey was shared with members. We are delighted to present the key insights from the survey and outline the initiatives that will guide our work in 2026.
The Road Ahead: What Members Voted For
Your feedback is directly shaping ANWS’s 2026 agenda. Based on the survey results, we will move forward as follows:
- Priority Themes: Members expressed the strongest interest in Shelter Management Best Practices, followed closely by Funding & Sustainability and Intersectionality & Inclusion.
- Format & Style: Expert-led sessions were identified as the most valuable format. To ensure inclusive participation, we will alternate between parallel small-group discussions and single-track large-group sessions, as both formats received equal support.
- Meeting Logistics: Regional meetings will be held quarterly, with each session lasting 1.5 to 2 hours.
We are especially grateful to members such as Dolli Dash, Lorraine Lim, Swetha Shankar, and Dr. Prasanna Gettu, who have generously offered to share their expertise. We look forward to inviting them as speakers in upcoming sessions aligned with our meeting themes.
Asian Network of Women's Shelters 