As a region, Southeast Asia has undergone enormous economic and social changes in the last few decades. Women as a collective have seen their lives transformed as a result of rapid development and economic growth. In exploring the progress made by Southeast Asian men and women, this book seeks to answer the following questions: (a) In what areas have women been able to achieve parity with men? (b) In what areas do women encounter specific disadvantages based on their gender as compared with men? and (c) How have womens concerns and problems been addressed by the governments in this region with the aim of encouraging gender equality? As the title of this book suggests, the chapters provide an analysis of the broad trends - including changes and continuities - in the experiences, interests and concerns of Southeast Asian women. The chapters examine the trends related to women in the following arenas: the family, economic participation, politics, health, and religion. In some arenas, the trends reflect the disadvantages women face, which in turn have led to gender gaps; in other areas, women's progress has been found to eclipse that of the men, although this tends to be the exception.
With thirty-two original chapters reflecting cutting edge content throughout developed and developing Asia, Women of Asia: Globalization, Development, and Gender Equity is a comprehensive anthology that contributes significantly to understanding globalization’s transformative process and the resulting detrimental and beneficial consequences for women in the four major geographic regions of Asia—East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Eurasia/Central Asia—as it gives "voice" to women and provides innovative ways through which salient understudied issues pertaining to Asian women’s situation are brought to the forefront.
This provocative book seeks to redress inaccuracies in Western perceptions of gender relations in Southeast Asia by bringing to the fore the area's ethnic and cultural variance and showing how women and men explain the informal and psychological dimensions of relationships as vital in holding family, neighbourhood and kinship ties together. Although there are differences between male and female perceptions of sex roles in society, women perceive their situation as disadvantaged rather than less significant. Male-female interpretations of power and status tend to converge usually towards the understanding that the contributions of men and women are equally important in the formation of family and society.
The volume is the first comprehensive compilation of texts on gender constructions, normative gender orders and their religious legitimizations, as well as current gender policies in Islamic Southeast Asia, which besides the Islamic core countries of Malaysia and Indonesia also comprises southern Thailand and Mindanao (the Philippines). The authors trace the impact of national development programmes, modernization, globalization, and political conflicts on the local and national gender regimes in the twentieth century, and elaborate on the consequences of the revitalization of a conservative type of Islam. The book, thus, elucidates the boundary lines of cultural and political processes of negotiation related to state, society, and community. It employs a broad analytical framework, offers rich empirical data and gives new insights into current debates on gender and Islam. Contributors include Nelly van Doorn-Harder, Farish A. Noor, Siti Musdah Mulia, Amporn Marddent, Maila Stivens, Alexander Horstmann, Amina Rasul-Bernardo, Monika Arnez, Susanne Schröter, Nurul Ilmi Idrus, Vivienne S.M. Angeles and Birte Brecht-Drouart.
This collection intervenes in key areas of feminist scholarship and activism in contemporary South Asia, particularly India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, while asking how this investigation might enrich feminist theorizing and practice globally.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and The Asia Foundation prepared this report as a guide to support women's entrepreneurship in Asia and the Pacific. The three parts of the report cover the key barriers that women in Asia and the Pacific face when trying to establish or grow a business, case studies of projects supported by ADB and The Asia Foundation throughout the region, and proposed areas for further research. The recommendations are aimed at creating an enabling environment for women entrepreneurs and strategies for addressing gaps and leveraging opportunities.
This book examines common themes related to gender and ageing in countries in Southeast Asia. Derived from quantitative or qualitative methods of data collection and analysis, the chapters reveal how ageing has become tempered by globalization, cultural values, family structures, women’s emancipation and empowerment, social networks, government policies, and religion. The chapters are concerned primarily with the following questions related to gender and ageing: (a) how do women and men experience old age? (b) do women and men have different means of coping financially and socially in their old age? (c) does having engaged in wage work for longer periods of time serve as an advantage to older men in contrast to older women? (d) does a woman’s primary role as caregiver serve to disadvantage her in old age? (e) what kinds of identities have older women and men constructed for themselves? (f) do women and men prepare for ageing differently and has this preparation been mediated by educational levels? (g) does having a higher level of education make a difference to how one experiences ageing? (h) how does class shape the way women and men cope in old age? and (i) what does it mean to be a ‘single’ older person who has either lost a spouse through death or has never been married? Because the book employs a cross-country analysis, readers gain an understanding of contemporary emergent trends not only in each of the countries but also in Southeast Asia as a whole. Wherever relevant, some chapters have also identified similarities in trends on gender and ageing between countries in the Western hemisphere and those in Southeast Asia to highlight broader patterns across the world. "The share of the elderly in Southeast Asia’s population is steadily rising, and it is increasingly important to understand and plan for the implications of this trend. While in some aspects, the situation of older women and men in the region is similar, their life experiences of education, marriage, child-raising, work, and social networks differ, and this makes for different issues as they grow older. Moreover, a much higher proportion of elderly women than men face old age without a spouse. This book makes a major contribution to understanding the issues arising from ageing trends in Southeast Asia. Individual chapters in the book deal authoritatively with almost every country in the region, and are written by noted experts on the subject. The book will be an essential reading for anyone wishing to understand ageing issues in Southeast Asia, particularly from the perspective of gender." - Gavin Jones, Director, JY Pillay Comparative Asia Research Centre, National University of Singapore
Despite economic growth, decreasing fertility rates, and rising education levels, women in Asia are on average 70% less likely than men to be in the labor force, with the country-to-country percentage varying anywhere from 3% to 80%. Results of a new simulation model suggest that closing the gender gap could generate a 30% increase in the per capita income of a hypothetical average Asian economy in one generation. This report discusses the reasons behind the continuing gap in the labor force participation rate between women and men in Asia and the Pacific, the impact of this gap on economic growth, and policy lessons drawn from specific country experiences in the region and elsewhere in the world. The channels of gender inequality are so complex that policy interventions must go beyond economics to effectively address them. Such a multidimensional approach to reducing gender inequality could unleash a nation's full potential for inclusive growth and development.
The chapters in this book are an assembly of commentaries by a distinguished team of specialists on the social impact of the Singapore Women's Charter on women and men. The Women's Charter is the main legislation protecting women's rights in the context of the family in Singapore. Highlights of this book include the reasons for the significance of legislation to protect women's rights in marriage; how the legislation came about; case studies from Southeast Asia; how the Singapore Women's Charter evolved and became established; how the Charter goes beyond protecting women's rights by reinforcing men's and women's obligations and duties in a marital partnership; how the Charter has come to be perceived by men and women especially in its enforcement in the context of divorce; and the social repercussions of the Charter on the family in its application. There has been ongoing discussion on the implications of the Charter on the lives of Singaporean women and men for some years since its implementation. The purpose of this book is to enrich our understanding of this legislation further - its objectives, efficacy and shortfalls.
