The Status of Women in
Developing Asia: What is the
Role of Social Institutions?
Johannes Jütting
OECD Development Centre
Casa Asia
Barcelona  30 March 2006
The Centre at the OECD
Development
Assistance
Committee
(DAC)
Development
Centre
(DEV)
Development Cluster
of the OECD
Sahel and
West Africa Club
(SAH)
 Intellectual
Autonomy
 Informal
Dialogue
Framework
 Capacity Building
 Staff: 45
2
Recently Elected Female Heads of
State/Government in the World
Chile: M. Bachelet
Finland: T. Halonen
Germany: A. Merkel
Liberia: E. Johnson Sirleaf
3
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
4
I
Introduction: Why does gender equality matter?
II
A new tool: The Gender, Institutions and
Development Database (GID)
III
Applying the GID: What is the situation of women
in Asia?
IV
The underlying causes for gender (in)equality:
Social Institutions
V
What can be done?
VI
Conclusion
5
I
Introduction: Why does gender equality matter?
II
A new tool: The Gender, Institutions and
Development Database (GID)
III
Applying the GID: What is the situation of women
in Asia?
IV
The underlying causes for gender (in)equality:
Social Institutions
V
What can be done?
VI
Conclusion
6
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
7
… 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?
8
I
Introduction: Why does gender equality matter?
II
A new tool: The Gender, Institutions and
Development Database (GID)
III
Applying the GID: What is the situation of women
in Asia?
IV
The underlying causes for gender (in)equality:
Social Institutions
V
What can be done?
VI
Conclusion
9
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
10
Indicators affecting the Economic Role
of Women
Economic Development
GDP per capita
Access to Resources
Health
Education
Social Institutions
Economic Status of Women
Family Code
Physical Integrity
Civil Liberties
Ownership Rights
Labour Market Participation
Source: Own Illustration.
11
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
12
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
13
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.
14
I
Introduction: Why does gender equality matter?
II
A new tool: The Gender, Institutions and
Development Database (GID)
III
Applying the GID: What is the situation of women
in Asia?
IV
The underlying causes for gender (in)equality:
Social Institutions
V
What can be done?
VI
Conclusion
15
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
16
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
17
Employment
Women in paid labour (in % of all paid workers)
50
44.4
37.5
Percentage
40
30
38.6
44.0
28.1
20
16.9
19.2
SA
MENA
10
0
SSA
EAP
ECA
LAC
OECD
Region
Source: GID Database
18
Education
Percentage
Girls' school enrolment
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
primary school
secondary school
tertiary school
SSA
SA
MENA EAP
ECA
LAC OECD
Region
Source: GID Database
19
Education
female/male ratio
Women's literacy rate as a share of men's literacy rate
1
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
SSA
SA
MENA
EAP
ECA
LAC
OECD
Region
Source: GID Database
20
Health Care
Number
Maternal mortality rate*
1,000
900
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
SSA
SA
MENA
EAP
ECA
LAC
OECD
Region
* of 100,000 life births
Source: GID Database
21
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
22
Employment
Percentage
Women in paid labour (in % of all paid workers)
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
43.7
34.7
16.9
SA
EAP*
OECD-EAP
Region
Source: GID Database
23
Education
Percentage
Girls' school enrolment
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
primary school
secondary school
tertiary school
SA
EAP*
OECD-EAP
Region
Source: GID Database
24
Health Care
Maternal mortality rate*
700
653
Number
600
500
400
300
227
200
100
11
0
SA
EAP*
OECD-EAP
Region
* of 100,000 life births
Source: GID Database
25
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
26
Employment
Percentage
Women in paid labour (in % of all paid workers)
40
35
30
25
37.9
32.0
26.7
20
15
10
5
0
12.2
Bangladesh (SA)
Pakistan (SA)
Indonesia (EA)
China (EA)
Country
Source: GID Database
27
Education
Percentage
Girls' school enrolment
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
primary school
secondary school
tertiary school
India (SA)
Pakistan (SA)
Indonesia
(EA)
Thailand (EA)
Country
Source: GID Database
28
Health Care
Maternal mortality rate*
600
Number
500
400
300
200
100
0
India (SA)
Pakistan (SA)
Indonesia (EA)
China (EA)
Country
* of 100,000 life births
Source: GID Database
29
I
Introduction: Why does gender equality matter?
II
A new tool: The Gender, Institutions and
Development Database (GID)
III
Applying the GID: What is the situation of women
in Asia?
IV
The underlying causes for gender (in)equality:
Social Institutions
V
What can be done?
VI
Conclusion
30
IV) The Roots of Gender Discrimination
in Asia: Social Institutions
 Overall situation
 Ownership Rights
 Family Code
 Early Marriage
31
Level
Social Institutions
0.5
0.45
0.4
0.35
0.3
0.25
0.2
0.15
0.1
0.05
0
SSA
SA
MENA
EAP
ECA
LAC
OECD
Region
Scale: 0 (minimum) to 1 (maximum) = level of discrimination through social institutions
Source: GID Database
32
60
Social Institutions and Women’s
Participation in the Labour Market
SDN
0
20
40
GHA
UKR
ISLSVK
BGR
VNM
EST
NZL
SWE
NAM
FINRUS
HND
GBR
CAN
NOR
AUS
ISR
USA
COL
DNK
POL
ARG
IRL
HUN
FRA
ARM
BWABEN
CHE
PRT
THA
BRA
DEU
URY
CZE
NLD
ROU
AUT
BEL
PAN
LKA
PRY
VEN
KOR
ITA
ECU
PHL
GRC
NIC
TGO
JPN
ESP
ETH
CRI
HTI CHN ALB
ZAF
KEN
MUS
LUX
MYS
CUB
MEX
CHL
PER
MRT
BOL
MMR FJI
MLI
UGA ERI
DOM
NGA
MLT
SLV
IDN
CAF
GNB
ZMB
TZA
AGO
MAR
LBN
SEN
OMN
TUN MDG
JOR
BGD
KWT
CMR ZWEEGY
TUR
CIV
SYR IND
IRN
DZA
BFA
LBY
SAU
UAE
MWINPL BHRMOZ
GNQ
NER PAK
YEM
TCD
0
.2
.4
Institutions
Fitted values
.6
.8
WWORKING (non-agri %)
Source: GID Database
33
Level
Country Perspective: Two cases
compared
1
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
Pakistan
Indonesia
Inheritance
Polygamy
Freedom of
movement
and dress
Women's
access to
land
Social Institutions
Scale: 0 (minimum) to 1 (maximum) = level of discrimination through social institutions
Source: GID Database
34
Early Marriages in Asia
Female population ever married at the age 15-19
0.50
Ratio
0.40
0.30
0.20
0.10
0.00
Bangladesh
India
Pakistan
Indonesia
Country
Source: GID Database
35
Mean Age of Women at Marriage in
Asian Countries
Country
Bangladesh (SA)
Nepal (SA)
India (SA)
Pakistan (SA)
Papua New Guinea
Vietnam
China
Indonesia
Korea, Rep.
Sri Lanka (SA)
Australia
Years
19
19
20
21
21
22
23
23
25
25
29
Source: GID Database
36
Ownership Rights
1.0
0.9
0.8
Level
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0.0
Bangladesh (SA)
Pakistan (SA)
Indonesia (EA)
China (EA)
Country
Scale: 0 (minimum) to 1 (maximum) = level of discrimination through social institutions
Source: GID Database
37
Family Code
1.00
0.90
0.80
Level
0.70
0.60
0.50
0.40
0.30
0.20
0.10
0.00
Bangladesh (SA)
Pakistan (SA)
Indonesia (EA)
China (EA)
Country
Scale: 0 (minimum) to 1 (maximum) = level of discrimination through social institutions
Source: GID Database
38
I
Introduction: Why does gender equality matter?
II
A new tool: The Gender, Institutions and
Development Database (GID)
III
Applying the GID: What is the situation of women
in Asia?
IV
The underlying causes for gender (in)equality:
Social Institutions
V
What can be done?
VI
Conclusion
39
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
40
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
41
Gender equality is getting more and
more attention…
Bangladeshi
women take
part in a protest
demanding
equal rights in
Dhaka.
Photo: AFP
42
…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
43
India's first computer-literate village
At least one
member of
every family in
the village —
there are 850
families — has
completed basic
computer
literacy training.
Photo: M.S. Vinod
44
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.
45
I
Introduction: Why does gender equality matter?
II
A new tool: The Gender, Institutions and
Development Database (GID)
III
Applying the GID: What is the situation of women
in Asia?
IV
The underlying causes for gender (in)equality:
Social Institutions
V
What can be done?
VI
Conclusion
46
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
47
¡Gracias por su atención!
48
Contact:
Johannes Jütting
OECD Development Centre
Web: www.oecd.org/dev
E-mail: Johannes.Jutting@oecd.org
GID:
http://www.oecd.org/dev/institutions/GID
database
49