WOMEN IN WORKFORCE AUGUR WELL FOR THE ECONOMY

By Soraya Jamal

KUALA LUMPUR, May 28 (Bernama) -- The 2010 Asia-Pacific Human Development Report
(AHDR) estimates that if women’s employment rates were raised to 70 per cent,
countries like Malaysia, India and Indonesia would enjoy an increase in GDP
between two and four per cent.

Such employment rate of women are only seen in the developed nations and the
lack of women’s participation in the workforce across Asia-Pacific costs the
region an estimated US$89 billion every year.

The report entitled “Power, Voice and Rights: a Turning Point for Gender
Equality in Asia and the Pacific”, is sponsored by the United Nations
Development programme (UNDP).

“While the discussion on gender equality is being increasingly approached from a
human rights perspective, growing evidence indicates that gender equality is
good economics as well,” UNDP Resident Representative for Malaysia, Singapore
and Brunei Kamal Malhotra noted in the report.

Countries in the region that have done the most to tap women’s talents and
capacities have traveled farthest on many aspect of human development. Countries
that tolerate deep inequalities fall short of equal citizenship and face social
instability and economic loss.

DISCRIMINATION IS COSTLY

The Asia-Pacific region has seen tremendous economic growth and rapid
development in recent decades.

In terms of progress on gender equality, there is a great deal to celebrate such
as increased access to education for girls, narrowing the gap in labour force
participation and national policies developed to advance gender equality.

Despite the notable progress in many areas, too many aspects and
features of gender inequality still remain entrenched in all regions and countries.

Women in Asia-Pacific region still face severe deficits in power, voice and rights.

It is interesting to note that Asia Pacific region is also divergent in its
gender equality achievement.

On the other hand, East Asia too has made significant advances, including having
the highest average rates of women’s economic participation in the world.

These rates vary markedly within the sub-region, however, while both thequality
and rights associated with much of that employment are questionable.

ECONOMIC POWER

The study led by Dr Anuradha Rajivan, UNDP’s Regional Programme Coordinator,
Human Development Report Unit, Regional Centre for Asia Pacific, also
highlighted women in the Asia Pacific still earn considerably less than men.

Despite laws guaranteeing equal pay for work, the pay gap between men and women
in Asia Pacific ranges between 54 per cent and 90 per cent.

In terms of economic power, a total of 67 per cent of East Asian women
participate in the labour force, above the global average of 53 per cent, but
South Asian women fall far behind, at only 36 per cent.

A majority of women in the region also, up to 85 per cent in South Asia, are in
‘vulnerable’ employment, such in the informal economy or low-end
self-employment, far above the global average of 53 per cent.

More than 65 per cent of female employment in South Asia and more that 40 per
cent in East Asia is in agriculture.

Yet, women in the Asia Pacific region head only seven per cent of farms,
compared to 20 per cent in most other regions of the world.

Globally, Asia has the largest number of micro credit borrowers and highest
percentage of poor women borrowers. In Asia 98 per cent of micro credit
borrowers in 2006 were women, compared with 66 per cent in Africa and 62 per
cent in Latin America.

Meanwhile, the flow of women into business in Asia-Pacific is steady, up to 35
per cent of small or medium enterprises in the region are headed by women.

POLITICAL PARTICIPATION AND LEGAL RIGHTS

The report also discovered that the gap in political participation of men and
women is still large worldwide. The Asia Pacific region records the
second-lowest percentages of women parliamentarians in the world.

Even Asian countries with much higher level of development like Japan and Korea
have just 10 per cent and 14 per cent women in their national legislatures.

However, some Asian countries emerging from conflict such as Afghanistan, Nepal
and Timor-Leste have used the opportunity to significantly enlarge women’s
political representation.

Women’s parliamentary representation is about 33 per cent in Nepal and 29 per
cent in Timor-Leste.

In Asia and the Pacific, women’s representation in justice systems remains low.
Women police officers, for instance, range between two and 19 per cent of police
forces in parts of Asia-Pacific where data is available.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Dr Anuradha said in view of Asia’s current position at the crossroads, countries
in the region had the opportunity to achieve positive change if the right
policies were put into place now.

The report’s main recommendations and solutions include removing barriers to
women’s ownership of assets, such as land; expanding paid employment; making
migration safe and investing in high-quality education and health.

The report also recommends reforming constitutions, training judicial and law
enforcement personnel in gender-sensitive practices and progressively
interpreting religious principles – which recognise the equal value of all human
beings.

Also proposed in the report is the political quota to increase women’s political
participation, the enfranchisement of women into party politics, and the
increased reliance on women as brokers of peace in times of emergency.
-- BERNAMA