APF members reported that they valued highly the opportunity to meet together at APF 20 and deepen their relationships with each other. Sixteen women and 33 men representing 21 of 22 APF members attended the 2015 Annual meeting, which was a less equal balance than last year (24 women and 36 men) but still a step forward from previously maledominated meetings. Sharing good practice Good communication is critical for building understanding and collegiality between APF members. During the past year, members of the APF Communications Network prepared a number of stories and good practice case studies for publication on the APF website, as well as promoting APF resources within their respective NHRIs and across their social media channels. The group, established in April 2015, includes senior staff with wideranging professional expertise in human rights education, communications and promotion. All 22 APF members have nominated representatives, as have the NHRIs of Iraq and Bahrain. TELLING STORIES THAT MATTER APF Communications Network members worked together to develop skills in digital storytelling when they met together at the workshop in Nepal in April 2016. In April 2016, the APF Communications Network met for a three-day workshop in Kathmandu, Nepal. Twenty participants from 17 APF members attended; all were actively involved in the design and delivery of the workshop. The importance of storytelling in human rights advocacy was a key theme, with participants also sharing their experiences in using social media and engaging with journalists. All participants rated the workshop extremely highly. The APF Communications Network currently comprises 10 women and 14 men. We especially encourage Network members to share stories and case studies on their NHRI’s efforts to promote and protect the rights of women and girls. Language continues to be the greatest barrier to effective communication across the APF membership. In 2016, we began work to develop an Arabic-language version of the APF website in order to provide better access to APF information and resources for our members, other NHRIs, governments and civil society in West Asia. Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions Annual Report 2015–16 > 15