Representation Of Women In Leadership Posts In ASEAN Countries Still Low -- Report

BANGKOK, Oct 14 (Bernama) -- The members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) must redouble efforts to correct the low representation of women in leadership posts across multiple sectors of society, says a report. The report titled “Data Snapshot: Women’s Leadership in the ASEAN Region” co-written by UN Women and the Government of Cambodia as Chair of ASEAN said in the ASEAN region, there is increasing recognition of the role of women as leaders and agents of change. However, it said more efforts are still required to promote their roles in accelerating productivity, enhancing ecosystem conservation and creating more sustainable and inclusive development. “Placing women’s participation and leadership at the heart of COVID-19 response and recovery can turn the current crisis into an opportunity to create a more resilient ASEAN community that leaves no one behind,” it said. Cambodia's Minister of Women’s Affairs Dr. Ing Kantha Phavi said gender equality is everyone’s business and a smart investment. “Leadership positions and decision-making power for women are crucial to ensure that their voices are heard and their roles are acknowledged and harnessed both in public and private sectors of ASEAN,” she said. Meanwhile, Regional Director a.i. of UN Women in Asia and the Pacific Sarah Knibbs said including more women in leadership is important to promote a more equitable recovery from the pandemic in ASEAN countries. She said there is an increasing recognition of the gendered impact of COVID-19 and the critical role that women played in the response. “We need to ensure they can continue to participate and have greater leadership role in the COVID-19 recovery,” she said. The report said the share of women managers rose 2 per cent in 20 years, from 39 to 41 per cent in 2020 while the share in middle and senior management stands at a much lower 26 per cent. In political governance, it said women hold 22 per cent of parliament seats, but women ministers are often relegated to leading committees on gender equality and women’s affairs. The report showed women make up 67 per cent of health-care workers, the front-line responders to the pandemic; however, only 11 per cent of chief executive officers in the region’s biggest hospitals are women. “ASEAN’s ministers of health are all men, except for Vietnam,” it said. The report said women led only 6 per cent of environment and related ministries in 2020. “Further opportunities to engage in environmental decision-making could enable them to promote environmental conservation, including indigenous women, who are typically holders of traditional ecological knowledge,” it said. Therefore, the ASEAN Women Leaders’ Summit, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Finance Ministers’ Meeting next week, and the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in November should pay heed to the findings. -- BERNAMA