KEY FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Recent progress in East Asia and Pacific:
- Gender gaps in access to education have closed dramatically – including at the secondary and tertiary levels.
- The region has made significant advances in a number of health outcomes.
- Female labor force participation is relatively high in the region; roughly 70 percent of women in East Asia and the Pacific participate in economic activities, higher than any other region.
- Women in East Asia also have higher participation in the management and ownership of firms than in other developing regions.
Remaining challenges:
- Gender gaps in access to basic education remain in a few countries
- Maternal mortality remains high in lower-income and several Pacific countries.
- Women still earn less than men for similar work – around 70 to 80 percent, on average.
- Women continue to have weaker voice and influence than men in the home, in politics, and in civil society.
Role for public action:
- Promoting gender equality in endowments and human development.
- Taking measures to close gender gaps in economic opportunity.
- Taking initiatives to strengthen women’s voice and influence – and to protect them from violence.
- Fostering opportunities and managing risks associated with emerging regional trends.
