This study examines the gender dimensions of population and development, focusing on the current role of women in development and the issues and concerns warranting future action to improve their situation. The report draws on the basic principle adopted at the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo, which stated that advancing gender equality and equity and the empowerment of women are cornerstones of population and development-related programmes. The study focuses on five countries in South-East Asia—Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand—which have demonstrated rapid economic growth and structural transformation. The analysis draws upon demographic measures estimated from censuses and demographic surveys concerning indicators such as literacy, educational attainment, headship, employment, and migration.