The third iteration of the Women Peace and Security Index (WPS Index) measures women's inclusion, justice, and security in 170 nations using reliable data sources.
The global advancement of women's status has stalled, and gaps across nations have grown, according to trends in the WPS Index.
With assistance from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security and the PRIO Centre on Gender, Peace and Security produce the WPS Index.
When it comes to discussions about gender parity on a global scale, Southeast Asia is frequently overlooked. The region, which has more than 676 million inhabitants, 11 countries, and thousands of islands, is distinguished by a wide range of linguistic, religious, and cultural variety.
With a combined economy that is currently ranked as the fifth largest in the world, Southeast Asia is going through a period of tremendous expansion. Over the next five years, the region's GDP is anticipated to increase by more than 5 percent, which is 1.5 percent faster than the global average.
This expansion benefits women in a variety of ways, including in decision-making, work, health, and education. As a result, the area is home to numerous noteworthy success stories and stunning examples of gender equality.
The most wealthy nation in Southeast Asia, Singapore, is rated as the safest area for women to reside in the Asia-Pacific region. The country consistently ranks highly on important international indices, such as the Global Peace Index and Human Development Index, that take gender equality levels into account.
The laws defending women from marital rape, domestic violence, and sexual harassment are to blame for this high safety ranking. With life expectancy and maternal mortality rates much lower than the worldwide norm, Singapore also offers remarkable female health metrics.
These measurements show that women have great access to family planning, contraception, high-quality healthcare, and sexual education.
In recent years, the Philippines has made significant progress toward gender wage equality. The same is true for female educational achievement and political participation. In the Global Gender Gap Report 2021 from the World Economic Forum, the Philippines came in at number 17 out of 156 nations.
The WEF reported that the Philippines had achieved considerable strides toward eliminating gender disparities in economic opportunity, health, and survival. According to the research, women are now more prevalent than males in senior and executive positions across all technical and professional disciplines.
Both men and women have high literacy rates of 98 percent, and more women than men enroll in secondary and tertiary education.
Despite having a wide range of languages and cultures, the region is distinguished by the relative equality of women compared to its neighbors in East or South Asia.
Several things have been used to explain this: A married couple frequently lived with or close to the wife's parents, kinship was traditionally traced through both maternal and paternal lines, women played prominent roles in indigenous ritual, their labor was crucial in agriculture, and they dominated local markets. A daughter was also not a financial burden because bride prices were commonly used.
Source: giwps.georgetown.edu, lowyinstitute.org, asiasociety.org
