Background

While some progress has been made to close gender gaps in labour
market outcomes in East Asia, substantial challenges remain. Women
are much less likely to work full-time than men, earn less on average
and bear the burden of more unpaid work. Women-owned businesses
could be a large source of job creation for women, stimulating
innovation and change in production and marketing, but face systemic
barriers to their growth including that they are unserved or underserved
by financial institutions. Addressing these gender gaps is good
for business, and for growth.

Investing in Women is a long term, multi-country initiative to improve
women's economic participation, build markets for women, and
influence the private and public sector environment to promote
women's economic empowerment and thereby contribute to inclusive
economic growth in the region. This will be achieved by working with
businesses to improve their approach to employing women, encourage
impact investors to increase investment in women small-medium
enterprises, support government partnerships that improve the
regulatory environment for women in business and in the workforce
and advocating regionally for the economic empowerment of women.

Expected results

• More businesses achieve gender equity in their workplaces.
• Increase in Impact Investment in women small-medium enterprises.
• National policy makers and regulators remove barriers to women's economic empowerment.
• Public attitudes are more supportive of women's economic empowerment.