Enforcing Rights and Correcting Wrongs - Asia-Pacific Regional ...

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2. Assessing Gender Gaps: Snapshots From Asia-Pacific 2.1 Growing prosperity does not automatically redress gender gaps Asia-Pacific, recognized as the world’s fastest growing region, allows some extreme forms of gender gaps to continue. The inadequate attention to gender equality in law finds reflection in the region’s poor record on gender overall, including some extreme forms not seen elsewhere. Opposing forces operate: progress is certainly visible, but is interrupted by reversals as “tradition” is used to erect barriers. In fact, in parts of South Asia, girls cannot even take being born for granted and pregnancy can be Figure 1: Asia-Pacific Ranks Low on Basic Gender Indicators 1.10 1.00 0.90 0.80 0.70 0.60 0.50 0.40 0.30 0.20 0.10 0.00 Ratio of F/M life expectancy at birth, 2007 Note: EAP – East Asia and the Pacific; SA – South Asia; SSA – Sub-Saharan Africa. Source: UNDP 2010. a life-threatening situation. Travel, assets, inheritance, work outside the home, etc., when mediated through male relatives, can become barriers of daily life. Assessments of the gender gaps in important aspects of life, as well as economic and social rights overall, become important. Some of the barriers women face in everyday life can bee seen in Figure 1. South Asia’s rankings can be close to or lower than those in sub-Saharan Africa, such as life expectancy, adult literacy, secondary education, and participation in the paid labour force. Political participation of women shows the largest male-female gaps in all parts of the world. East Asia and the Paci�c South Asia Sub-Saharan Africa World Ratio of F/M adult literacy rate, 2007 Ratio of F/M secondary enrollment rate, 2006 Ratio of F/M adult labor force participation rate, 2007 Ratio of F/M proportion of seats held in national parliaments, 2008 6 1.22 Enforcing Rights and Correcting Wrongs 1.20 China 1.18
1.00 0.80 0.90 0.70 0.80 0.60 0.70 0.50 0.60 0.40 0.50 0.30 2.2 The male-female survival gap is high and growing average of 107 boys for every 100 girls (2000–2005), East Asia has the highest male-female sex ratio at birth of 119 boys for every 100 girls. In contrast, Sub Saharan Africa has the lowest sex ratio at birth. 0.40 Gender inequality can begin even before birth. The strong 0.20 preference for a male child combined with technological Pregnancy and childbirth, which should be normal 0.30 advances in fertility control has meant that, not only biological processes for the human species, can be life 0.10 are far more boys than girls born in Asia as a whole as threatening to women. Maternal mortality risks are high. 0.20 0.00 compared with the rest of the world, but also that the More so in South Asia than elsewhere, more women die in 0.10 Ratio difference of F/M life is widening Ratio (Figure of F/M 2). adult China literacy and India, Ratio two of F/M of secondary childbirth Ratio – 500 of F/M foradult every labor 100,000 force live Ratio births of F/M proportion (Figure 3). of expectancy at birth, 2007 rate, 2007 enrollment rate, 2006 participation rate, 2007 seats held in national the world’s fastest growing and most populous countries, The only exception is Sub-Saharan Africa parliaments, where 2008 the 0.00 seem to influence this trend. Compared with the world maternal mortality ratio was higher in 2005. Ratio of F/M life expectancy at birth, 2007 Ratio of F/M adult literacy rate, 2007 Ratio of F/M secondary enrollment rate, 2006 Ratio of F/M adult labor force participation rate, 2007 Ratio of F/M proportion of seats held in national parliaments, 2008 Figure 2: More Boys are Born than Girls: Male-to-Female Sex Ratio at Birth, 1980–85 to 2000–05 1.22 1.20 1.18 1.22 1.16 1.20 1.14 1.18 1.10 1.16 China World Eastern Asia Europe 1.12 1.14 1.08 1.10 1.06 1.12 1.04 1.08 1.02 1.06 1.00 1.04 1980–85 1985–1990 1990–95 1995–2000 India India 2000–05 Oceania World Asia Eastern Asia Sub-Saharan Africa Europe Latin America and the Oceania Caribbean Asia Sub-Saharan Africa Latin America and the Caribbean 1.02 Source: UNDP 2010. 1000.0 1.00 Maternal Mortality Ratio (per 100,000 live births) 900.0 1980–85 1985–1990 1990–95 1995–2000 Figure 3: High 1990 Risks of Dying 2005 in Childbirth in South Asia 800.0 1000.0 700.0 Maternal Mortality Ratio (per 100,000 live births) 900.0 600.0 1990 2005 800.0 500.0 700.0 400.0 600.0 300.0 500.0 200.0 400.0 100.0 300.0 0.0 200.0 East Asia & Europe & Latin America Middle East & South Asia Paci�c Central Asia & Caribbean North Africa 100.0 0.0 2000–05 Sub-Saharan Africa World East Asia & Paci�c Source: UNDP 2010. Europe & Central Asia Latin America & Caribbean Middle East & North Africa South Asia Sub-Saharan Africa World High Medium Low Negligible 2. Assessing Gender Gaps: Snapshots From Asia-Pacific 2004 10.5% 10.5% High Medium 57.9% Low Negligible 21% Developed regions China 7
Page 1: Enforcing Rights and Correcting Wro
Page 4 and 5: Suggested citation: Rajivan, Anurad
Page 6 and 7: Acknowledgments This paper is based
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Page 20 and 21: Developed regions basic rights, reg
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Page 30 and 31: support for the spouse that he leve
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Page 36 and 37: HDI Rank Countries* Constitution Co
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Page 46 and 47: Main Functions Countries* National
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References Abbas, Zaffar. 2004. ‘
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Commonwealth of Australia Constitut
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of East Asia: Implications for huma
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Exclusion on the basis of gender ha
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