GENDER EQUALITY: PROGRESS AND CHALLENGES OF ECONOMIC GROWTH AND POLITICAL CHANGE Special Focus Note Regional Update

Objectives of the note Highlight some of the advances that East Asia has made in closing the gender gap. Extract some evolving common trends. Draw attention to both old and new challenges for gender equality. (only focus on selected issues: economy, health, education, political participation, institutions)

Participation in the Economy The progress: Number of working women worldwide increased 22% in last 10 years, mostly in regions of high economic growth like East Asia. Majority of the East Asian women still in agriculture. Trend is for women to move out of agriculture and into manufacturing and services Increase in internal and international labor migration, women mostly in the informal sector and men in formal

BUT……..New vulnerabilities and changing roles and relations Time poverty: Work outside the home has changed, work inside has not Vulnerabilities of migrant laborers: violence, extortion, isolation, abuse, and trafficking Labor standards and bargaining constraints Job and income insecurity Sticky floor and stereotypes Changing power dynamics

The Social Sectors: Equality in Access to Health Boys and girls have equal access to health care in most countries Terrific improvements in most indicators – most before 1995 But…… More boys than girls born in China and S.Korea Womens needs increase at reproductive age, but needs not always met Government or religious policies limit womens reproductive choices in some countries.

MMR improved because: General improvements in nutrition Increased access to safe water and transport More skilled staff to attend births Falling fertility rates Family planning Maternal Mortality Rates in East Asia (per 100,000 live births):

The Social Sectors: Equality in Access to Education Primary Education: Gap closed before 1990s in most countries, and during 1990s in Lao PDR and Cambodia Secondary Education: China, Indonesia and Vietnam: equality achieved. Cambodia and Lao: lagging behind. Philippines and Mongolia: reverse gap. Tertiary Education: Largest gender gap in favor of girls in Mongolia China lagging behind with Cambodia and Lao

Representation in Decision-Making Only 1.6% increase in number of women in elected national bodies since early 1990s Greater representation of women in single-party states Women struggle to increase representation in democracies – but success in Timor-Leste Democracies provide greater space for womens civil society organizations which have proved very effective

Decentralization and Civil Service Trend for countries to move decision-making to lower levels but: fewer women elected at local levels (exception: Mongolia). Appointed positions (e.g. governors) mostly male Also: Civil service male dominated – especially at higher levels

Legal and Institutional Mechanisms LEGAL FRAMEWORKS: Most countries making good progress to put in place gender sensitive laws on land, labor, violence against women, and trafficking but: Implementation of the laws is still a long way off, particularly in rural areas. INSTITUTIONS: Departments for women elevated to Ministries, (Indonesia and Cambodia) and high level inter-sectoral coordinating bodies formed. Gender Equality policies and action plans formulated but: The institutions are still weak, lack resources and capacity, and are struggling to define their role

Conclusions There are still quick wins to reduce gender gaps: Rural women –Improve access to services in rural areas targeting rural women. –Provide more affordable and culturally appropriate forms of services to ethnic minority women Economic Participation –Provide support for business women and female entrepreneurs. –Greater protection for women workers – especially migrant workers. Decision-making –Increasing support for womens civil society groups. –Work through community driven development programs to increase womens voice at village level. –Expansion of affirmative actions to strengthen womens representation. Institutional -Increase womens access to justice through legal aid and awareness raising -Better analysis to inform evidence based policy making e.g. pricing policies -Review lessons learned on gender mainstreaming and rethink

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