Women’s Economic Empowerment in Southeast Asia

Introduction:

The Center for Women’s Economic Empowerment (CWEE) at CIPE advances gender equality in emerging markets to build more inclusive, thriving economies and democracies that deliver for all citizens. This briefer outlines CIPE approaches to promoting women’s economic empowerment (WEE) in Southeast Asia. This briefer provides some examples of CIPE programming and areas of interest for future research, project design, and policy exploration.

 The Status of Women in Southeast Asia

Women across Southeast Asia face acute barriers that block full political and economic participation in society. Factors such as unequal caregiving, lack of labor protections, inadequate political representation, and gender-based violence undermine gender equality in the region. 

To help address these gaps, CIPE oversees diverse and far-ranging programming in Southeast Asia. CIPE promotes the establishment of informal and formal networks that build capacity and promote the leadership of businesswomen in the country in order to drive changes that lead to economic empowerment. CIPE works with women’s chambers of commerce and business associations to provide trainings, skills development, and mentorship opportunities.