2016亚太地区女性进步指数（英文版）_16页_2mb

MASTERCARD INDEX OF WOMEN'S ADVANCEMENT 2016: ASIA PACIFIC SUMMARY

Core Content Overview

The 2016 MasterCard Index of Women's Advancement (MIWA) provides an analysis of women's progress in terms of Employment, Capability, and Leadership across 13 Asia Pacific markets. The study highlights the uneven pace of advancement, with Capability being the strongest indicator, followed by Employment, and Leadership being the weakest. The report underscores the challenges women face in translating education into economic opportunities and leadership roles, especially in emerging and developing markets.

Main Findings

1. Capability: Strongest Indicator

• Capability is measured by the Female-to-Male Secondary and Tertiary School Gross Enrolment Rate (GER) ratio.
• Five markets (New Zealand, Philippines, China, Taiwan, Thailand) achieved 100 points, indicating parity in education access.
• In New Zealand, Thailand, Philippines, and Taiwan, women have been on par with men in education since 2007.
• Indonesia and Hong Kong are showing progress towards parity, with scores of 99.1 and 98.5, respectively.
• Korea has the highest tertiary GER ratio (164.0), showing women outperforming men in education, but this does not translate into economic or leadership opportunities.

2. Employment: Persistent Challenges

• Women in developed markets (New Zealand, Australia, Taiwan) have the highest Workforce Participation and Regular Employment scores.
• In developing markets, women are more likely to be in the labor force than in developed economies, but they face vulnerability due to informal employment.
• Japan and Korea have the lowest workforce participation rates for women (49%), despite cultural shifts in paternity leave and childcare responsibilities.
• Singapore has a relatively high employment rate for women (76%) but still faces corporate and social biases that hinder their full participation.

3. Leadership: Significant Gaps

• Leadership remains the weakest component, with most markets scoring below 50.
• New Zealand, Australia, and Philippines have the highest scores in Leadership (51.9, 50.2, 47.2, respectively).
• China, Malaysia, and Japan face the greatest challenges in leadership roles.
• In Singapore, only 8.3% of corporate board members are women, indicating a lack of representation in higher decision-making positions.

Key Trends and Insights

• Education Access is relatively high in most markets, but economic participation remains limited.
• Formal Employment is more accessible in developed markets, while developing markets show higher workforce participation but less secure and formal employment.
• Cultural and institutional biases persist across all levels (economic, corporate, and social), affecting women's ability to achieve parity.
• Paternity leave initiatives in Japan and Korea are showing promise in shifting traditional gender roles and increasing women's workforce participation.
• Singapore and Nepal are highlighted as case studies for the challenges and opportunities women face in employment and leadership.

Case Studies

Singapore: Balancing Work and Family

• Women are expected to contribute to the economy due to high living costs, but corporate and social biases still limit their participation.
• Despite the availability of domestic helpers, the female workforce participation rate has barely increased over the past decade.
• Gender wage gaps and lack of formal employment opportunities continue to be major barriers.

Nepal: High Education but Low Employment

• Women in Nepal have achieved gender parity in education (100 points) and a high proportion of business owners (42%).
• However, only 12.6% of working women are in formal employment, leaving the majority vulnerable.
• Cultural pressures, lack of awareness of workplace rights, gender wage gaps, and sexual harassment are key challenges preventing full economic realization of women's potential.

Conclusion

The MIWA 2016 report highlights the asymmetrical progress women have made in Asia Pacific. While educational attainment is relatively high, economic and leadership opportunities remain limited. The greatest challenges lie in institutional and cultural biases, lack of formal employment, and gender wage disparity. Although some markets like Japan and Korea are showing positive trends in paternity leave, more work is needed to ensure real and lasting gender parity.