WUNRN
THEMATIC RESOURCE FOR ALL REGIONS
Contact: elena.borsatti@undp.org
UNDP - United
Nations Development Programme
CALL FOR
INPUT: ASIA PACIFIC UNDP REGIONAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT ON GENDER
The Human Development Report Unit (HDRU) at
the UNDP Regional Centre in
Overall economic growth and higher per capita
incomes are important, but may not eliminate gender-based inequalities. Asia
Pacific is one of the world's most dynamic regions economically. Hence three
critical questions emerge:
We would like to feature examples of the good
practices in promoting gender equality and of the progress made in the region.
From your experiences and knowledge of national governments, civil society,
media, legal systems, UNDP and other international organizations we welcome
contributions (examples, including historical/cultural and key studies) on:
We
will cover a broad range of topics related to the theme, as outlined in more
detail below and we would ideally like to receive feedback related to each of
these.
The following sub-themes would be
considered:
O. OVERALL
Masculinity and femininity: The issues of
unequal power revolve around ideas of masculinity vs. femininity which has
contributed to systematic marginalisation of women (and sexual minorities) in
political, economic and social spheres. It has also tended to restrict choices
for men and women. Unequal power and voice can also be attributed to the social
norms and expectations which determine the roles, rights, responsibilities of
both men and women. Early socialization processes support, in most cases, the
perpetuation of discriminatory gender practices by both men
and women. What are some of the ideas, customs and practices, both, historical
and their new forms as they are evolving over time, which influence balance of
power between men and women as well as sexual minorities? Are there historical
and cultural (e.g., folk tales) examples from the countries of
I. POLITICO-LEGAL EQUITY
Political and legal power has the potential
to address underlying factors that result in unequal gender-based
opportunities, treatment and rewards. Power can be exercised both, as holders
of political positions and as citizens who hold political leadership
accountable (as voters).
Gender in Political Systems: Among law-makers and
law-shapers women tend to be marginalized. The political gaps may
include lack of adequate representation in political parties, trade unions,
student unions, national legislatures, provincial assemblies and local bodies.
What contributes to their political exclusion? The structures,
organizations and operations of most of the political parties, within the
region, are usually male dominated and do not provide equal opportunities for
women’s active participation. They also face discrimination in
representation in public offices i.e. judiciary, bureaucracy, publics sector
enterprises, autonomous organizations etc. In spite of some famous female names
on the national stage in many countries of
Gender in Justice Systems: The issues include discriminatory laws and even when equal on the books,
their unequal application in fact. Constitutional law, civil laws,
criminal laws, rules of evidence, personal and family law – are all relevant.
Inequalities in constitutional provisions, nationality issues, employment
rights, work environment and labour laws, personal and family laws relating to
inheritance, marriage, dowry, alimony, child custody and divorce are of
relevance. An important aspect of the justice systems include the role of the
legal fraternity and legislators in contributing to legally sanctioned
discrimination against women. The full implementation of global benchmarks for
promoting gender equality, including CEDAW, has not taken place as envisaged.
Then there is the parallel operation of traditional and/or faith based systems
of justice that operate in parallel - in many countries not only in Asia but in
most of the
II. ECONOMIC EQUITY
Economic power can transform gender relations
and influence political and legal empowerment as well. Promoting women's (as
also gender-based minorities) economic security is an integral part of
defeating poverty and fostering sustainable development - under normal
conditions, of course, and even more so in situations of crises.
Gender-based
asset ownership and control: Inequalities in ownership of economic assets
like land and other property tend to marginalize women. Even with equal
property and inheritance rights there are circumstances when 'custom' induces
females to surrender these rights to male relatives. Even in matriarchal
communities the de facto control is often in male hands. What are
some of the key barriers to greater gender equity at the individual and macro
levels? What are some of the concrete examples of successes? What can be some
of the concrete policies to better address gender-based inequalities in asset
ownership and control?
Gender, labour markets and earnings: Gender inequality in
the labour market is manifested by occupational segregation/choice, wage gaps,
women's disproportionate representation in informal employment, low paid and
unpaid work, and higher unemployment rates. Microfinance
(timely small loans, savings, insurance and money transfer) demonstrates some
of the positive effects of providing women access finance that go beyond the
economic. But micro level finance alone will not create equality of economic
opportunity, especially because their focus is usually at the low end and there
are numerous implementation issues. What are the steps taken to reduce
gender-based wage gaps? Are there success stories in the region where
micro-finance has expanded the choices available to women? Have women been able
to scale up their economic activities bridging the earning gap between male and
female?
Gender, mobility and migration: In this
increasingly globalizing region, women are increasingly migrating on their own
and are often the principal wage earners who remit money to their families in
their countries of origin. While mobility and migration provide the potential
for new earning opportunities, new ideas and experiences, there is also the
flip side. Often the jobs that most women find in the host countries are in
traditional female occupations (e.g. domestic or other lower end services)
perpetuating the gendered division of labour. Trafficking and sexual
exploitation is also prevalent. Gender inequality in the country of origin is
one of the biggest motivating factors for women to migrate, and often when they
reach their host country, they are faced with the double burden of being female
and a migrant. This burden increases with regards to language and cultural
barriers. What are the examples of facilitating safe migration like
pre-departure training, safe money transfer, legal advise, etc.?
III. SECOND GENERATION GENDER GAPS:
In
many of the developed countries and urban areas of developing countries there
are beginnings of trends of boys underperforming as compared with girls. Such
trends, if unchecked, may contribute to male vagrancy and gender based
violence. Second, sexual minorities are beginning to acquire a political
voice. In some countries they are being explicitly recognized as a gender
category, moving away from the binary classification of male and female alone.
However, this is still early and by and large minorities face political and
economic exclusion, driving them to the fringes, diseases and poverty. They get
attention mainly because of the policy focus on HIV/AIDS rather than as human
rights. We do not want to replace one type of inequality with another. What
are the underlying causes and how do we address them? What are some of the
success stories in the
To be an effective tool for action, the forthcoming report aims to highlight what have been the success stories in the region with regard to the identified sub-themes.
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We
thank you in advance.
With
Best Regards,
HDRU Team
Human
Development Report Unit