O V E R V I E W 7
FIGURE O.4 Maternal mortality rates have declined in most countries in the region modeled estimates of maternal mortality
1,400 deaths per 100,000 live births
Maternal mortality remains high in lower-income countries and in several Pacific countries (figure O.4). In Lao PDR, for example, maternal mortality rates were still more than 500 deaths per 100,000 births in 2008, among the highest rates in the world. Indonesia’s maternal mortality rate remains high compared to other countries in the region at similar levels of development. Substantial differences in labor force participation occur across countries in the region, even among countries with similar income levels. Relative to their income levels, countries such as China and Vietnam have substantially higher rates of female labor force participation than the world average, whereas participation is near the world average in countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines, and below average in countries such as Fiji and Malaysia (figure O.5).
1,200 1,000 800 600 400 200 0
1990
1995
2000
2005
2008
Lao PDR
Cambodia
Timor-Leste
Indonesia
Papua New Guinea
Philippines
Vietnam
Mongolia
China
Malaysia
Solomon Islands
Thailand
Fiji
Source: WDI database, Gender Statistics, 2010 data.
Some gender disparities fail to close— or close very slowly—with development More than a million girls and women per year are “missing” in East Asia. Among
FIGURE O.5 Female labor force participation is high by global standards but also varies substantially across the region female labor force participation rate (ages 15–64)
90
Lao PDR 80
Cambodia
Vietnam
Papua New Guinea
70 percent
Within countries, interactions between gender and other socioeconomic characteristics can often exacerbate disparities. Economically disadvantaged and minority populations often experience lower educational enrollments, for example. In Vietnam, school participation among 15- to 17-year-olds is substantially higher among the Kinh and Hoa (Chinese) majorities than among many of the 52 ethnic minority populations. Among the more economically disadvantaged and less well integrated Hmong, Dao, and Khmer minorities, far fewer girls attend school than boys (Baulch et al. 2002). 5 Geographic distance, or remoteness, can also serve to compound gender disadvantage. Women in remote rural areas commonly have limited access to health care, significantly raising the risks associated with pregnancy and childbirth. While Vietnam has experienced noteworthy declines in maternal mortality, on average, over the last decade, progress has been much slower in remote and ethnic minority regions (World Bank 2011b).
Timor Leste
60
Mongolia Thailand Tonga Indonesia
Philippines
50
China
Australia Japan Singapore Korea, Rep.
Malaysia
40
Fiji
30 0
0
5
6
7 8 9 10 11 log GDP per capita (2005 PPP dollars)
12
13
global relationship, 2009 Sources: World Bank staff estimates using Key Indicators of Labour Market (KILM) labor force data (International Labour Organization) and purchasing power parity adjusted GDP per capita (in logs and at 2005 prices) from the Penn World Tables. Note: GDP = gross domestic product, PPP = purchasing power parity. The data shown for each country are from 2009 and the estimated U-shaped relationship uses data from across the world.
the most concerning issues is that despite growth and development, the problem of missing girls remains significant. The term “missing women” was first coined