Cover Page -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Contents -- Foreword -- Acknowledgments -- Abbreviations -- Overview -- Why does gender equality matter for development? -- Recent progress, pending challenges -- Why do many gender inequalities persist? -- Emerging opportunities and risks in an increasingly integrated world -- Toward gender equality in East Asia and the Pacific: Directions for policy -- Notes -- References -- 1. The State of Gender Equality in East Asia and the Pacific -- Why does gender equality matter for development? -- Recent progress, pending challenges -- Fostering new opportunities, managing emerging risks -- Gender equality in East Asia and the Pacific: A roadmap to the report -- Notes -- References -- 2. Gender and Endowments: Access to Human Capital and Productive Assets -- Substantial progress toward gender equality in education -- Improvements and remaining gender issues in health -- Gender equality in productive assets: An unfinished agenda -- Policies to promote gender equality in endowments -- Notes -- References -- 3. Gender and Economic Opportunity -- Limited effects of growth on gender gaps in economic opportunity -- Gender differences in economic activity -- What determines gender inequality in economic opportunities? -- Policies to promote gender equality in economic opportunity -- Notes -- References -- 4. Agency: Voice and Influence within the Home and in Society -- Agency-important for gender equality and development -- The state of women's agency in East Asia and the Pacific -- Explaining progress and pending challenges -- Policy approaches to promote gender equality in agency -- Notes -- References -- 5. Gender and the Region's Emerging Development Challenges -- Globalization -- Migration -- Urbanization -- Aging populations -- Information and communication technologies -- Notes -- References.

6. Promoting Gender Equality in East Asia and the Pacific: Directions for Policy -- Promoting gender equality in human development -- Taking active measures to promote gender equality in economic opportunity -- Taking measures to strengthen women's voice and influence -- Fostering new opportunities, managing emerging risks -- Filling knowledge gaps -- Notes -- References -- Boxes -- 1.1 Defining and measuring gender equality -- 1.2 Defining and measuring agency: Women's voice, influence, and participation -- 2.1 Various parts of the world experience reverse gender gaps in education -- 2.2 Recent improvement in the sex ratio at birth in the Republic of Korea -- 3.1 Is higher female labor force participation always a good thing?. -- 3.2 Gender-related beliefs on appropriate employment in Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and Vietnam -- 4.1 Gender and land tenure in a plural legal environment: The case of the Solomon Islands -- 4.2 Strengthening state mechanisms for gender equality -- 6.1 Reducing maternal mortality rates through improved staffing and quality of service delivery -- 6.2 The design of infrastructure projects has important gender dimensions -- 6.3 Leveling the playing field in access to resources: Lessons from Papua New Guinea and Mongolia -- 6.4 The impact of active labor market policies on female employment: Evidence from across the world -- Figures -- 0.1 The East Asia and Pacific region has experienced rapid economic growth -- 0.2 Poverty reduction in the East Asia and Pacific region has been impressive -- 0.3 Girls' secondary school enrollments have converged to those of boys -- 0.4 Maternal mortality rates have declined in most countries in the region -- 0.5 Female labor force participation is high by global standards but also varies substantially across the region.

0.6 Across the region, female-headed households own less land than male-headed households -- 0.7 Women in East Asia and the Pacific still earn less than men -- 0.8 In urban China and Indonesia, gender wage gaps are largest among low wage earners -- 0.9 Enterprises with female managers tend to be smaller -- 0.10 Who decides how wives' cash earnings are used varies widely across the region -- 0.11 Women's representation in parliament is low, especially in the Pacific -- 0.12 Violence against women is high in the region -- 0.13 Women are concentrated in certain fields of study, such as education and medicine, but are underrepresented in law and engineering -- 0.14 In Lao PDR, women-particularly those with young children-must balance household and market work -- 0.15 In Indonesia, female-led enterprises are clustered in lower-productivity and less capital-intensive industries -- 0.16 Male- and female-led firms report similar constraints in Indonesia -- 0.17 Men and, in some cases, women believe that men make better political leaders than women -- 0.18 The share of female workers in export-oriented firms is relatively high -- 0.19 China has seen remarkable growth in Internet use since 2000, but women's use trails men's -- 0.20 The old-age dependency ratio is increasing in most East Asian countries -- 1.1 The East Asia and Pacific region has experienced rapid economic growth -- 1.2 Poverty reduction in the East Asia and Pacific region has been impressive -- 1.3 Girls' secondary school enrollments have converged to those of boys -- 1.4 Tertiary school enrollments of females have converged to those of males in East Asia and the Pacific -- 1.5 Gender gaps in secondary school enrollment vary substantially across countries -- 1.6 Gender gaps in education have reversed in several countries, particularly at the tertiary level.

1.7 Minority populations in Vietnam often experience lower educational enrollments -- 1.8 In Indonesia, gender gaps in enrollment do not vary substantially by household wealth -- 1.9 Fertility rates have declined across the world -- 1.10 Under-five mortality rates have declined sharply for both boys and girls -- 1.11 Maternal mortality rates have declined across the world -- 1.12 Maternal mortality rate has declined in most countries in the region -- 1.13 East Asia has a highly skewed male-to-female ratio at birth -- 1.14 The East Asia and Pacific region has high female labor force participation rates -- 1.15 Female labor force participation varies substantially across countries -- 1.16 The fraction of the workforce employed in agriculture has declined in the East Asia and Pacific region -- 1.17 The evolution of sectoral composition by gender varies across countries -- 1.18 Women are more likely than men to be temporary workers -- 1.19 Enterprises with female management tend to be smaller -- 1.20 In Lao PDR, women-particularly those with young children-must balance household work commitments with market work -- 1.21 Women in East Asia still earn less than men -- 1.22 Women in East Asia and the Pacific have more control over earnings and household decisions across all wealth quintiles than women from other developing regions -- 1.23 Female representation in parliament in East Asian and Pacific countries has hardly changed since the 1990s -- 1.24 Women's representation in parliament is low, especially in the Pacific -- 1.25 Men, and in some cases women, believe that men make better political leaders than women -- 1.26 More women hold top management positions in East Asia and the Pacific than in other developing regions -- 1.27 Violence against women is high in East Asia and the Pacific.

1.28 The dependency ratio is increasing in most East Asian countries -- 2.1 Enrollment for both genders has been converging even among the poorest populations -- 2.2 Gender gaps in youth literacy are smaller than gender gaps in adult literacy -- B2.1.1 The biggest enrollment disadvantage for boys in the Phillippines is among the poor -- 2.3 Girls in some ethnic minority groups in Lao PDR lag even further in enrollment -- 2.4 Girls in some ethnic minority groups in Vietnam lag even further in enrollment -- 2.5 Even girls in wealthier households in Cambodia and Lao PDR lag behind boys -- 2.6 Women are concentrated in certain fields of study, such as education and health, but are underrepresented in law and engineering -- 2.7 Girls tend to outperform boys in several subjects -- 2.8 Maternal mortality is lower in higher-income countries -- 2.9 Female infant mortality is lower in higher-income countries -- 2.10 Most East Asia and Pacific region countries do not have female-skewed under-five mortality and infant mortality, except China -- 2.11 Women in wealthier households are more likely to have births assisted by trained medical staff -- 2.12 Contraceptive prevalence varies across East Asian and Pacific countries -- 2.13 The percentage of births attended by skilled professionals varies across East Asian and Pacific countries -- 2.14 Women in rural areas are less likely to have births assisted by trained medical staff -- 2.15 Sex ratios at higher order births are still of concern, even though the overall sex ratio at birth has approached the normal range in the Republic of Korea -- 2.16 Men are more likely to smoke than women -- 2.17 Men are more likely to drink than women -- 2.18 Tobacco use is positively correlated with mortality due to lung cancer -- 2.19 Alcohol consumption is positively correlated with mortality due to alcohol use disorders.

2.20 The poor are slightly more likely to engage in smoking.