The Status of Women in Developing Asia: What is the Role of Social Institutions? Johannes Jütting OECD Development Centre Casa Asia Barcelona 30 March.

The Status of Women in Developing Asia: What is the Role of Social Institutions?

Johannes Jütting

OECD Development Centre

Casa AsiaBarcelona 30 March 2006

2

The Centre at the OECD

Intellectual Autonomy

Informal Dialogue Framework

Capacity Building

Staff: 45

Development Cluster of the

OECD

Sahel and West Africa Club

(SAH)

Development Centre(DEV)

DevelopmentAssistance Committee

(DAC)

3

Recently Elected Female Heads of State/Government in the World

Chile: M. Bachelet Finland: T. Halonen

Germany: A. Merkel

Liberia: E. Johnson Sirleaf

4

Words of caution

This presentation

- is based on a development economics perspective

- cannot fully do justice to the variety of different situations between and within Asian countries

- provides food for thought, instead of blueprint solutions for change

5

Introduction: Why does gender equality matter?I

A new tool: The Gender, Institutions and Development Database (GID)

II

Applying the GID: What is the situation of women in Asia?

III

The underlying causes for gender (in)equality: Social Institutions

IV

What can be done?V

ConclusionVI

6



II


III


IV

What can be done?V

ConclusionVI

7

I) Gender equality matters…

Gender equality = women and men have equal conditions for realising their full human rights and for contributing to, and benefiting from economic, social, cultural and political development.

Gender equality is an important goal in itself (MDG 3)…

… and also contributes to the achievement of other objectives:

- stimulate growth and reduce poverty

- reduce inequities

- contribute to child development

8

… but what determines it?

Causalities between development and gender inequalities not clear

2 main schools of thinking

- Modernisation-neoclassical approach

- Feminist thesis

Measurement problems: What? How?

9



II


III


IV

What can be done?V

ConclusionVI

10

II) OECD Gender, Institutions and Development Database (GID)

A new tool for researchers and policy makers

Allows an analysis of obstacles to women’s economic status

Covers 162 economies and has 50 indicators on gender discrimination

Includes institutional variables that range from intrahousehold behaviour to social norms

11

Indicators affecting the Economic Role of Women

Source: Own Illustration.

Economic DevelopmentGDP per capita

Social Institutions Family CodePhysical IntegrityCivil LibertiesOwnership Rights

Economic Status of WomenLabour Market Participation

Access to Resources

HealthEducation

12

GID-Indicators : Social Institutions Physical Integrity

- Legislation punishing acts of violence against women

- Prevalence of female genital mutilation

Family Code

- Marriage before the age of 20

- Acceptance of polygamy within a society

- Parental authority granted to father and mother equally

- Inheritance practices in favour of male heirs

Ownership Rights

- Women’s access to land ownership

- Women’s access to bank loans

- Women’s access to property other than land

Civil Liberties

- Freedom of movement

- Obligation to wear a veil in public

13

Early Marriages in India

In the Rajgarh district of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, a group of girl brides sit solemnly during celebrations that will culminate in their weddings later in the day. Source: Courtesy of the

United Nations Children's Foundation

14

Violence against women

Source: BBC News Source: AFP

According to a UN report (2000), one in three woman in the world has been beaten, coerced into sex or abused in some other way, most often by someone she knows.

15



II


III


IV

What can be done?V

ConclusionVI

16

III) The Situation of Women in Asia:

a global, regional and country perspective

South Asia - SA (7 economies):

Afghanistan; Bangladesh; Bhutan; India; Nepal; Pakistan; Sri Lanka

East Asia and Pacific - EAP (17 economies):

China; Fiji; Hong Kong, China; Indonesia; Cambodia; Lao PDR; Myanmar; Mongolia; Malaysia; Philippines; Papua New Guinea; Korea, Dem. Rep.; Singapore; Thailand; Timor-Leste; Chinese Taipei; Viet Nam; Australia; Japan; Korea, Rep.; New Zealand

OECD-East Asia and Pacific (4 economies):

Australia; Japan; Korea, Rep.; New Zealand

17

Global perspective: employment, education and health care

Important divide between:

- East Asia and Pacific, Latin America and OECD

countries

- South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and the MENA region

18

Employment

Women in paid labour (in % of all paid workers)

28.1

16.9 19.2

37.5 38.644.4 44.0

0

10

20

30

40

50

SSA SA MENA EAP ECA LAC OECD

Region

Per

cen

tag

e

Source: GID Database

19

Education

Girls' school enrolment

0102030405060708090

100


Region

Per

cen

tag

e

primary school

secondary school

tertiary school


20

Education

Women's literacy rate as a share of men's literacy rate

00.10.20.30.40.50.60.70.80.9

1


Region

fem

ale/

mal

e ra

tio


21

Health Care

Maternal mortality rate*

0100200300400500600700800900

1,000


Region

Nu

mb

er

* of 100,000 life births


22

Regional Perspective: South Asia versus East Asia and Pacific

Employment

- Female participation in the paid work force in South Asia is only half of the rate in East Asia and Pacific*

Education

- Important difference in tertiary education

Health Care

- Significantly higher maternal mortality rate

23

Employment



16.9

34.7

43.7

05

101520253035404550

SA EAP* OECD-EAP

Region

Pe

rce

nta

ge

24

Education



0102030405060708090

100

SA EAP* OECD-EAP

Region

Pe

rce

nta

ge

primary school

secondary school

tertiary school

25

Health Care

* of 100,000 life birthsSource: GID Database


653

227

110

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

SA EAP* OECD-EAP

Region

Nu

mb

er

26

Country Perspective: Indonesia versus Pakistan

Indonesia- Largest Muslim population in the world (about 210 million, 2004 = 88%)

- GDP per capita ($ PPP) = 3583.47; GDP per capita growth = 3.7%

- Employment: about one third of the total paid work force are women

- Education: more than 90% of girls get primary education

- Health Care: high maternal mortality

Pakistan

- 2nd second most populous Muslim country in the world (about 157 million, 2005 =

96%)

- GDP per capita ($ PPP) = 2209.97; GDP per capita growth = 4.4%

- Employment: about one eighth of the total paid work force are women

- Education: only half of the girls get primary education, almost none get tertiary

- Health Care: maternal mortality twice as high as in Indonesia

27

Employment


26.7

12.2

32.0

37.9

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Bangladesh (SA) Pakistan (SA) Indonesia (EA) China (EA)

Country

Per

cen

tag

e


28

Education


0102030405060708090

100

India (SA) Pakistan (SA) Indonesia(EA)

Thailand (EA)

Country

Pe

rce

nta

ge

primary school

secondary school

tertiary school


29

Health Care


0

100

200

300

400

500

600

India (SA) Pakistan (SA) Indonesia (EA) China (EA)

Country

Nu

mb

er

* of 100,000 life birthsSource: GID Database

30



II


III


IV

What can be done?V

ConclusionVI

31

IV) The Roots of Gender Discrimination in Asia: Social

Institutions

Overall situation

Ownership Rights

Family Code

Early Marriage

32

Social Institutions

00.050.1

0.150.2

0.250.3

0.350.4

0.450.5


Region

Lev

el

Scale: 0 (minimum) to 1 (maximum) = level of discrimination through social institutionsSource: GID Database

33

Social Institutions and Women’s Participation in the Labour Market

ZWE

ZMB

YEM

VNM

VEN

URYUSAGBR

UAE

UKR

UGA

TUR

TUN

TGO

THA

TZA

SYR

CHE

SWE

SDN

LKAESP ZAF

SVK

SEN

SAU

RUS

ROUPRTPOL

PHL

PER

PRYPAN

PAK

OMN

NOR

NGA

NER

NIC

NZL

NLD

NPL

NAM

MMR

MOZ

MAR

MEXMUSMRT

MLTMLI

MYS

MWI

MDG

LUX

LBY

LBNKWT

KORKEN

JOR

JPNITA

ISRIRL

IRN

IDN

IND

ISL

HUN

HND

HTI

GNB

GRC

GHA

DEUFRA

FIN

FJI

ETH

EST

ERI

GNQ

SLV

EGY

ECU

DOM

DNKCZE

CUB

CIV

CRI

COL

CHNCHL

TCD

CAF

CAN

CMR

BFA

BGR

BRA BWA

BOL

BENBEL

BGD

BHR

AUT

AUSARMARG

AGO

DZA

ALB

020

4060

0 .2 .4 .6 .8Institutions

Fitted values WWORKING (non-agri %)


34

Country Perspective: Two cases compared

00.10.20.30.40.50.60.70.80.9

1

Inheritance Polygamy Freedom ofmovementand dress

Women'saccess to

land

Social Institutions

Le

ve

l Pakistan

Indonesia


35

Early Marriages in Asia


Female population ever married at the age 15-19

0.00

0.10

0.20

0.30

0.40

0.50

Bangladesh India Pakistan Indonesia

Country

Rat

io

36

Mean Age of Women at Marriage in Asian Countries


Country YearsBangladesh (SA) 19Nepal (SA) 19India (SA) 20Pakistan (SA) 21Papua New Guinea 21Vietnam 22China 23Indonesia 23Korea, Rep. 25Sri Lanka (SA) 25Australia 29

37

Ownership Rights

0.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

1.0


Country

Lev

el


38

Family Code

0.00

0.10

0.20

0.30

0.40

0.50

0.60

0.70

0.80

0.90

1.00


Country

Lev

el

Scale: 0 (minimum) to 1 (maximum) = level of discrimination through social institutions


39



II


III


IV

What can be done?V

ConclusionVI

40

V) What can be done?

Empowerment of women

- More participation of women in decision making on

community level (example: quota in India)

Sex-disaggregated data collection

Enforcement reform of legal structures

- Monitoring systems to ensure changes

Convince men of benefit of reforms

- Men should get incentives to accept changes and in

some cases compensation for potential losses

41

Barriers to change: some important caveats

Depth of tradition- Examples: polygamy, early marriage

- Rural population remains attached to such traditions despite their legal

interdiction

Not in men’s interest- Examples: polygamy, repudiation

- Inequality provides men with material advantages that they lose upon

reform

Limited enforcement of reforms

- Example: Widely toleration of violence against women by police in northern states of India

- Wide gap in performance between the publication of a law and its effective implementation

42

Gender equality is getting more and more attention…

Bangladeshi women take part in a protest demanding equal rights in Dhaka.

Photo: AFP

43

…and a voice

Women police officers in India have formed a national forum to fight sexual harassment and discrimination from their male colleagues.

Source: BBC news

44

India's first computer-literate village

Photo: M.S. Vinod

At least one member of every family in the village — there are 850 families — has completed basic computer literacy training.

45

The Grameen Phone scheme - 'Telephone ladies' connect

Bangladesh

Grameen phone ladies provide villagers with a vital link to services such as hospitals and to relatives both at home and abroad, in a country with the lowest number of phones in South Asia.

46



II


III


IV

What can be done?V

ConclusionVI

47

VI) Conclusions

Gender equality is key to development

Role of social institutions overlooked

Changes are possible in different settings

Need to provide the right incentives

Strategies should be flexible and adapted to levels of development and socio-economic context

48

¡Gracias por su atención!

49

Contact:

Johannes JüttingOECD Development Centre

Web: www.oecd.org/dev E-mail: [email protected]

GID: http://www.oecd.org/dev/institutions/

GIDdatabase

The Status of Women in Developing Asia: What is the Role of Social Institutions? Johannes Jütting OECD Development Centre Casa Asia Barcelona 30 March.

Documents

oecd gender

gid database slide

child development slide

gender inequality

development database

public slide

change slide

new zealand slide