Reports

The theme study sets out the transformations that are needed for Asia and the Pacific to transition to a net-zero-carbon future in support of sustainable development.

Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic since 2020, ESCAP has made significant progress towards the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls within the context of the System-Wide Action Plan on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-SWAP).

This policy brief examines the low rate of female labour force participation in Asia and the Pacific and its correlation with persistent inequalities in the distribution of care responsibilities between men and women as well as the society and the State. The research presented here highlights the critical role of unpaid care work in the promotion of female participation in the labour market.

This policy brief aims to raise awareness of and spur regional action towards addressing the gender-differentiated impacts of climate change in Asia and the Pacific.

The Policy Toolkit project was initiated by ESCAP under the Catalyzing Women’s Entrepreneurship (CWE) Programme, in partnership with the ASEAN Coordinating Committee on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (ACCMSME) to advocate women entrepreneur-centric policies and initiatives in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region.

This case study on Cambodia enhances ESCAP’s technical and advisory assistance to its member States, in particular aligning with the ASEAN region’s efforts to bring care to the centre of public policy.

This case study on the Philippines enhances ESCAP’s technical and advisory assistance to its member States, in particular aligning with the ASEAN region’s efforts to bring care to the centre of public policy.

This primer is designed to support policymakers and government officials in their efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality and empowerment of women in their countries. It lays out the basic concepts relating to what is called the “care economy” —the sum total of all paid and unpaid care work.

Through two new methodological tools, it is possible to identify the furthest behind in a range of development areas. The groups which are furthest behind are defined by common circumstances over which the individual has little or no direct control, such as their household’s wealth, their sex or their place of residence.

Micro, small, and medium enterprise make up most of the businesses (by number of firms) in the countries of the Asia-Pacific region. In many of ESCAP’s Member States, there are specific entities that focus on MSME policy, but the diverse nature of MSMEs and their contribution to many different sectors of the economy can make coherent policymaking into a challenge.