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Buthan

Social Watch’s Gender Equity Index (GEI) [1]

Bhutan does not have a GEI value (as of 2009 [2]).

Source: Social Watch http://www.socialwatch.org/node/11760

Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 3 [3]

Goal: Promote gender equality and empower women

Target: Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education, preferably by 2005, and in all levels of education no later than 2015

Indicators: Ü Ratios of girls to boys in primary, secondary and tertiary education

Ü Ratio of literate women to men, 15-24 years old

Ü Share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector

Ü Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament

MDG 3 Indicators	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010
Gender parity index in primary level enrolment	0.87	0.89	0.92	---	---	0.97	0.98	---	1.00	1.01	---
Gender parity index in secondary level enrolment	0.82	0.84	0.83	---	---	0.88	0.91	---	0.93	0.99	---
Gender parity index in tertiary level enrolment	0.52	0.53	---	---	---	---	0.59	0.51	0.59	---	---
Share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector (%)	---	---	---	---	---	16.6	---	---	---	---	---
Seats held by women in national parliament (%)	2.0	9.3	9.3	9.3	9.3	9.3	9.3	2.7	2.7	8.5	8.5

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, Millennium Development Goals Indicators website: http://mdgs.un.org/unsd/mdg/Data.aspx. Data last updated on 18 February 2011. [4]

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women [5]

· Bhutan ratified CEDAW in August 1981 without reservations.

· Bhutan has not yet signed the Optional Protocol.

· The CEDAW Committee most recently examined Bhutan (seventh periodic report) in 2009. [6]

· Bhutan’s previous examination (first to sixth periodic reports) was in 2004. [7]

· The next State party report (combined eighth and ninth periodic report) is due to be submitted on 30 September 2014.

CEDAW Country Report

Key Improvements*

Key Challenges*

Education

-Bhutan’s primary net enrolment ratio increased between 2003 and 2006 from 70.2% (67.1 girls; 73.4 boys) to 79% (79 girls; 80 boys).

-Textbooks are being revised to address the issue of gender sensitivity.

-There are high levels of illiteracy among girls and women.

-In secondary and further education, there is comparatively low female enrolment and a growing gender gap in dropout rates.

-Traditional attitudes in some parts of the country may contribute to low levels of female education.

-Girls in rural and remote areas have limited access to school due to the lack of qualified teachers, long distances and insufficient safe transportation to schools, and inadequate school infrastructure.

Economic activity

-The Constitution guarantees equal pay for work of equal value; for the most part, women do not receive lower pay than men for equal work.

-The Labour and Employment Act (2007) contains various provisions in line with CEDAW.

-There is no gender-based legal differentiation regarding ownership and inheritance rights; or access to loans, mortgages and financial credits.

-The unemployment rate for women is 3.4%, and for men is 1.8%.

-Relatively high portions of unpaid and underpaid family workers are women.

-Matrilineal inheritance patterns in western and central Bhutan, in which women have parental responsibilities, limit women’s economic and social choices.

Empowerment

-54.2% of voters in the last elections were women.

-The first written Constitution was adopted in 2008, providing for equal legal protection.

-The National Commission on Women and Children created a National Plan of Action for Gender.

-Gender has been identified as a crosscutting development theme in the Gross National Happiness Commission’s 10^th five-year plan.

-The government has taken various initiatives to address sexual, gender-based and domestic violence.

-Bhutan signed and ratified the SAARC Convention on Prevention and Combating Trafficking in Women and Children for Prostitution (2002).

-The State published ethical guidelines for reflecting an objective image of women, which was aimed at the media.

-There is a low rate of women’s participation in public and political life. Women constitute 13.88% of members of Parliament.

-The Constitution does not include a provision on the applicability of international treaties or a comprehensive definition of discrimination against women.

-The National Commission on Women and Children lacks sufficient resources and has low visibility in rural and remote areas.

-Violence against women and girls continues to be a significant problem.

-The trafficking of women and girls for prostitution is a growing phenomenon.

-Unequal family relations are perpetuated by gender stereotypes and practices such as illegal underage marriage and polygamy.

-Discriminatory nationality laws persist.

· These lists are exemplary; information about other issues relevant for the SDC-country portfolio can be downloaded from the CEDAW-site, according to the needs of the respective user.

Download this information on a factsheet: Factsheet_Buthan.pdf

[2] 2009 is the latest year for which GEI figures are available for the majority of countries.

[3] The MDGs are a set of eight goals, with 18 targets to be measured by 48 quantifiable social, economic and environmental indicators – to be achieved by 2015, reflecting the world’s main development challenges. Goal 3 focuses on gender equality & women’s empowerment. The MDGs have been viewed by some gender advocates as a distraction, & by others as a strategic entry point for promoting gender equality.
[4] Blank boxes in the MDG chart indicate an absence of statistics on the UNSD website.
[5] Countries that have ratified or acceded to the Convention are legally bound to put its provisions into practice. They are also committed to submit national reports, at least every four years, on measures they have taken to comply with their treaty obligations.
[6] CEDAW Committee reports for Bhutan for the 44^th session (2009) are available at: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cedaw/cedaws44.htm.
[7] CEDAW Committee reports for Bhutan for the 30^th session (2004) are available at: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cedaw/cedaws30.htm.

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Cambodia

Social Watch’s Gender Equity Index (GEI) [1]

In 2009, [2] Cambodia had a value of 62, with the greatest gender inequalities being in the area of ‘empowerment’.
In 2009, Cambodia ranked 81 out of 157 countries.
This reveals progression since 2008, when Cambodia had a value of 60 and 2007, when Cambodia had a value of 61.

Gender Equity Index Indicators

2009

Education

Literacy gap between men and women; male and female enrolment rates in primary, secondary and tertiary education

78.1

Economic activity

% of women and men in paid jobs, excluding agriculture; income ratio of men to women

83.5

Empowerment

% of women in professional, technical, managerial and administrative jobs; number of seats women have in parliament, and in decision-making ministerial posts

23.2

GEI value

Source: Social Watch http://www.socialwatch.org/node/11760

Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 3 [3]

Goal: Promote gender equality and empower women

Target: Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education, preferably by 2005, and in all levels of education no later than 2015

Indicators: Ü Ratios of girls to boys in primary, secondary and tertiary education

Ü Ratio of literate women to men, 15-24 years old

Ü Share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector

Ü Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament

MDG 3 Indicators	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010
Gender parity index in primry level enrolment	0.87	0.89	0.90	0.91	0.92	0.93	0.93	0.93	0.94	---	---
Gender parity index in secondary level enrolment	.55	0.57	0.60	0.64	0.69	---	0.79	0.82	---	---	---
Gender parity index in tertiary level enrolment	0.34	0.38	0.41	0.41	0.46	0.47	0.50	0.56	0.54	---	---
Share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector (%)	41.1	43.3	40.7	41.6	43.5	---	---	---	---	---	---
Seats held by women in national parliament (%)	8.2	7.4	7.4	7.4	9.8	9.8	9.8	9.8	19.5	16.3	21.1

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, Millennium Development Goals Indicators website: http://mdgs.un.org/unsd/mdg/Data.aspx. Data last updated on 14 March 2011. [4]

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women [5]

· Cambodia acceded [6] to the Convention on 15 October 1992, and ratified the Optional Protocol on 13 October 2010, both without reservations.

· The CEDAW Committee considered Cambodia’s combined initial, second and third periodic report at its 34^th session in 2006. [7]

· Cambodia’s fourth and fifth periodic report was due in November 2009. [8]

CEDAW Country Report

Key Improvements*

Key Challenges*

Education

- The Cambodian Constitution provides equal access to education.

- Based on 2001-2002 statistics, 90,563 children including 45,413 girls went to kindergarten classes, representing an increase of over 23,340 including 11,362 girls (48.6%) compared to 2000-2001.

- There are high illiteracy rates among women (especially women who are disabled, from rural areas, or members of ethnic minority groups).

- There is a large gender disparity in school enrolment rates, and high dropout rates among girls.

- Gender-based segregation in educational fields has consequences for women’s professional opportunities.

- Gender-based stereotypes are still found in school curricula and textbooks.

Economic activity

- The Constitution states that Cambodian citizens of both sexes are entitled to equal wages for similar jobs. Women are entitled to their salary during maternity leave.

- The Ministry of Rural Development credit programmes primarily support poor women, widows, female victims of domestic violence and women with many children.

- There is persistent occupational segregation, with women concentrated in low-wage and unskilled labour sectors.

- Rural women experience higher levels of poverty. 85% of the Cambodian population live in rural areas.

Empowerment

- The Ministry of Women’s Affairs and the Cambodian National Council for Women have been established.

- The Five-year National Plan (known as Neary Rattanak) focuses on building women’s capacity and integrating gender perspectives into the 2003-2005 National Poverty Reduction Strategy.

- Cambodia has reformed its Criminal Code to include punishment for discrimination against women.

- In October 2005, the Law on the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Protection of Victims was adopted and entered into force.

- The 1996 Law on Suppression of Kidnapping, Trafficking/Sale and Exploitation of Human Persons was revised to include sanctions against offenders and protection measures for victims.

- Cambodian women are underrepresented at all levels of political and public life, including Parliament and the judiciary.

- There is no data on the mainstreaming of gender perspectives in the National Poverty Reduction Strategy.

- There are persistently permissive attitudes towards gender-based violence.

- Application of the Law on Prevention of Domestic Violence and Protection of Victims is limited in cases of spousal abuse.

- Women face significant obstacles in accessing justice due to a lack of trust in the judicial system, arbitrary interpretation of criminal law, limited availability of legal aid and the high cost of medical certificates that are required in cases of rape and sexual assault. Women also fear stigmatisation when seeking legal remedies.

- Anti-human trafficking legislation is inadequately enforced.

- There is a high prevalence of sexual exploitation of women and girls.

These lists are exemplary; information about other issues relevant for the SDC-country portfolio can be downloaded from the CEDAW-site, according to the needs.
Download this information on a factsheet: Factsheet_Laos.pdf

[1] The GEI measures the gap between women and men with regards to education, economic participation and empowerment, based on internationally available comparable data. By comparing the most recent statistics with those of five years ago, the GEI is able to highlight recent trends in bridging these gender gaps and track progress towards gender equality. The GEI value is an average of the values obtained in the three dimensions. It ranges from 0 to 100, with lower values indicating greater gender inequality. A value of 100 would indicate no gender gap at all in each of the three dimensions.
[2] 2009 is the latest year for which GEI figures are available.
[3] The MDGs are a set of eight goals, with 18 targets to be measured by 48 quantifiable social, economic and environmental indicators – to be achieved by 2015, reflecting the world’s main development challenges. Goal 3 focuses on gender equality and women’s empowerment. The MDGs have been viewed by some gender advocates as a distraction, and by others as a strategic entry point for promoting gender equality.
[4] Blank boxes in the MDG chart indicate an absence of statistics on the UNSD website.
[5] Countries that have ratified or acceded to the Convention are legally bound to put its provisions into practice. They are also committed to submit national reports, at least every four years, on measures they have taken to comply with their treaty obligations.
[6] Accession has the same legal effect as ratification. It is the act by which a state accepts the offer or the opportunity to become party to a treaty, after the treaty has entered into force - http://unifem-eseasia.org/projects/Cedaw/cedawglossary.html
[7] CEDAW Committee reports for Cambodia for the 34^th session (2006) are available at: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cedaw/cedaws34.htm.
[8] To date, this report has not yet been submitted. Status of submission of reports by States parties as of the 48^th session in 2011: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cedaw/docs/CEDAW.C.2011.48.2.pdf

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Laos

Social Watch’s Gender Equity Index (GEI) [1]

· In 2009, [2] Laos had a value of 52, with the greatest gender inequalities in the area of ‘empowerment’.

· In 2009, Laos ranked 117 out of 157 countries.

· No GEI value is available for 2008, but in 2007 Laos had a GEI of 53 and ranked 105 out of 154 countries.

Gender Equity Index Indicators

2009

Education

Literacy gap between men and women; male and female enrolment rates in primary, secondary and tertiary education

80.6

Economic activity

% of women and men in paid jobs, excluding agriculture; income ratio of men to women

59.2

Empowerment

% of women in professional, technical, managerial and administrative jobs; number of seats women have in parliament, and in decision-making ministerial posts

16.8

GEI value

Source: Social Watch http://www.socialwatch.org/node/11760

Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 3 [3]

Goal: Promote gender equality and empower women

Target: Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education, preferably by 2005, and in all levels of education no later than 2015

Indicators: Ü Ratios of girls to boys in primary, secondary and tertiary education

Ü Ratio of literate women to men, 15-24 years old

Ü Share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector

Ü Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament

MDG 3 Indicators	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010
Gender parity index in primary level enrolment	0.86	0.86	0.87	0.87	0.88	0.89	0.90	0.91	---	---
Gender parity index in secondary level enrolment	0.72	0.73	0.74	0.75	0.76	0.78	0.79	0.81	---	---
Gender parity index in tertiary level enrolment	0.59	0.57	0.57	0.62	0.71	0.68	0.72	0.78	---	---
Share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector (%)	---	---	---	----	50.2	---	---	---	---	---
Seats held by women in national parliament (%)	21.2	21.2	22.9	22.9	22.9	22.9	25.2	25.2	25.2	25.2

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, Millennium Development Goals Indicators website: http://mdgs.un.org/unsd/mdg/Data.aspx. Data last updated on 7 February 2011. [4]

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women [5]

· Laos signed the Convention in July 1980 and ratified it in 1981, with no reservations. [6]

· Laos has not signed the Optional Protocol.

· The CEDAW Committee most recently considered Laos at the 44^th session in 2009. [7]

· The previous CEDAW report examination (the combined second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth periodic reports) was in 2005. [8]

CEDAW Country Report

Key Improvements*

Key Challenges*

Education

- The Ministry of Education is developing a curriculum that teaches girls and boys about gender roles, obligations, rights, and equality.

- The Government’s Second Plan of Action for the Advancement of Women aimed to increase school enrolment opportunities for girls to be on par with boys, and increase the literacy rate of women aged 15-40 to 82% by 2010.

- Only 63% of women are literate, compared to 83% of men.

- Less girls than boys are enrolled in school due to various causes, including poverty.

Economic activity

- The Criminal Law and the Law on the Development and Protection of Women address cases of workplace sexual abuse and harassment.

- More government measures to create access to credit for the poor and women of all ethnic groups have been taken.

- Garment factories, where 80% of the workers are young women from rural areas, have poor work conditions.

- There is a persistent gender wage gap.

- Women usually work in temporary and seasonal employment, which have less job security.

- Female owners of small and medium size businesses face more obstacles than their male counterparts.

- Poverty is most profound in rural, remote areas.

Empowerment

- More women are participating in decision making at all levels of society, including in the National Assembly.

- The National Strategy for the Promotion of the Advancement of Women for the period 2006 to 2010 aimed to ensure equal rights.

- Several measures have recently been adopted to combat trafficking in women and girls.

- The government’s poverty alleviation programme promotes gender equality.

- Policy guidelines, laws and regulations on women’s rights have been disseminated through mass media.

- Stereotypical attitudes and detrimental traditional practices (especially in rural areas and certain ethnic groups) continue to limit women’s enjoyment of their rights.

- There is no definition of direct and indirect discrimination in both public and private spheres in the Constitution or other legislation.

- There is a lack of autonomous, active women’s and human rights organisations.

-There continues to be a high prevalence of violence against women and girls.

- Marital rape is not criminalised.

- Trafficking of women and forced prostitution remain serious problems.

* These lists are exemplary; information about other issues relevant for the SDC-country portfolio can be downloaded from the CEDAW-site, according to the needs of the respective user.

Download this information on a factsheet: Factsheet Laos.pdf

[1] The GEI measures the gap between women and men with regards to education, economic participation and empowerment, based on internationally available comparable data. By comparing the most recent statistics with those of five years ago, the GEI is able to highlight recent trends in bridging these gender gaps and track progress towards gender equality. The GEI value is an average of the values obtained in the three dimensions. It ranges from 0 to 100, with lower values indicating greater gender inequality. A value of 100 would indicate no gender gap at all in each of the three dimensions.
[2] 2009 is the latest year for which GEI figures are available.
[3] The MDGs are a set of eight goals, with 18 targets to be measured by 48 quantifiable social, economic and environmental indicators – to be achieved by 2015, reflecting the world’s main development challenges. Goal 3 focuses on gender equality and women’s empowerment. The MDGs have been viewed by some gender advocates as a distraction, and by others as a strategic entry point for promoting gender equality.
[4] Blank boxes in the MDG chart indicate an absence of statistics on the UNSD website.
[5] Countries that have ratified or acceded to the Convention are legally bound to put its provisions into practice. They are also committed to submit national reports, at least every four years, on measures they have taken to comply with their treaty obligations.
[6] Source: http://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=IV-8&chapter=4&lang=en
[7] Reports for Laos considered during the CEDAW Committee’s 44^th session (2009) are available at: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cedaw/cedaws44.htm
[8] Reports for Laos considered during the CEDAW Committee’s 32^nd session (2005) are available at: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cedaw/cedaws32.htm

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Mongolia

Social Watch’s Gender Equity Index (GEI) [1]

In 2009, [2] Mongolia had a value of 70. It almost has gender parity in education and literacy. The area where gender inequalities are most prevalent is empowerment.
In 2009, Mongolia ranked 44 out of 157 countries.
This indicates little change since 2008, when Mongolia also had a value of 70, but a slight improvement since 2007, when the value was 66.

Gender Equity Index Indicators

2009

Education

Literacy gap between men and women; male and female enrolment rates in primary, secondary and tertiary education

99.4

Economic activity

% of women and men in paid jobs, excluding agriculture; income ratio of men to women

58.2

Empowerment

% of women in professional, technical, managerial and administrative jobs; number of seats women have in parliament, and in decision-making ministerial posts

52.6

GEI value

Source: Social Watch http://www.socialwatch.org/node/11760

Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 3 [3]

Goal: Promote gender equality and empower women

Target: Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education, preferably by 2005, and in all levels of education no later than 2015

Indicators: Ü Ratios of girls to boys in primary, secondary and tertiary education

Ü Ratio of literate women to men, 15-24 years old

Ü Share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector

Ü Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament

MDG 3 Indicators	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010
Gender parity index in primary level enrolment	1.04	1.03	1.02	1.01	1.02	1.02	1.02	0.99	---
Gender parity index in secondary level enrolment	1.22	1.20	1.16	1.13	1.13	1.12	1.11	1.08	---
Gender parity index in tertiary level enrolment	1.74	1.75	1.69	1.64	1.62	1.57	1.56	1.57	---
Share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector (%)	50.7	51.7	51.1	53.1	53.1	53.9	53.1	51.1	---
Seats held by women in national parliament (%)	10.5	10.5	10.5	10.5	6.8	6.7	6.6	6.6	4.1	3.9

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, Millennium Development Goals Indicators website: http://mdgs.un.org/unsd/mdg/Data.aspx. Data last updated on 12 February 2011. [1]

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women [5]

· Mongolia signed the Convention in August 1980 and ratified it in 1981 with reservations that were subsequently withdrawn. [6]

· It ratified the Optional Protocol in March 2002.

· The most recent CEDAW report (the combined fifth, sixth and seventh periodic reports) was examined at the Committee’s 42^nd session in 2008. [7]

· Mongolia’s combined third and fourth periodic report was considered at the twenty-fourth session in 2001. [8]

CEDAW Country Report

Key Improvements*

Key Challenges*

Education

- According to the 2000 census, 98% of men and 97.5% of women aged 15 and older were literate.

- Figures showed good attendance in primary and secondary education for both boys and girls with little or no gender gap.

- Gender differences and specific needs for boys and girls are not taken into account in the building and equipment of schools.

- Gender stereotypes are reinforced in school textbooks.

- Gender education has yet to be introduced into the school curricula.

Economic activity

- According to the labour force participation survey, as of the end of 2004, women made up 51% of the economically active workforce.

- There is high employment among women.

- Women are prone to exploitative working conditions, especially since they increasingly work in the informal sector

- There are persistent patterns of direct and indirect discriminatory practices against women regarding recruitment, equal pay, maternity protection and sexual harassment.

- Female employees are concentrated in sectors that are economically static and low paid.

- Women are excluded from certain ‘hazardous occupations’, based on outdated information.

Empowerment

- An amendment to the law on parliamentary elections states that at least 30% of candidates nominated by party and coalition to elections must be women.

- Cooperation among state, civil society and international organisations on gender issues has been significantly improving.

- Domestic violence awareness raising led by NGOs culminated in the adoption of the Law on Fighting against Domestic Violence (2004) and subsequent National Program on Fighting against Domestic Violence..

- The National Council on Gender Equality was established in 2001 and the National Program for Gender Equality and other instruments were created to promote gender equality in the public and private spheres.

- The representation of women in Parliament is low and decreased from 23% in 1990 to 6.5% after the 2004 election. These rates extend to all levels of political decision-making.

- Men occupy significantly more managerial positions, even where women have higher education levels and in female-dominated sectors.

- Awareness raising is needed to promote the equal sharing of domestic and family responsibilities between women and men.

- There is insufficient private sector participation in gender development goals espoused by government and civil society.

[1] The GEI measures the gap between women and men with regards to education, economic participation and empowerment, based on internationally available comparable data. By comparing the most recent statistics with those of five years ago, the GEI is able to highlight recent trends in bridging these gender gaps and track progress towards gender equality. The GEI value is an average of the values obtained in the three dimensions. It ranges from 0 to 100, with lower values indicating greater gender inequality. A value of 100 would indicate no gender gap at all in each of the three dimensions.
[2] 2009 is the latest year for which GEI figures are available.
[3] The MDGs are a set of eight goals, with 18 targets to be measured by 48 quantifiable social, economic and environmental indicators – to be achieved by 2015, reflecting the world’s main development challenges. Goal 3 focuses on gender equality and women’s empowerment. The MDGs have been viewed by some gender advocates as a distraction, and by others as a strategic entry point for promoting gender equality.
[4] Blank boxes in the MDG chart indicate an absence of statistics on the UNSD website.
[5] Countries that have ratified or acceded to the Convention are legally bound to put its provisions into practice. They are also committed to submit national reports, at least every four years, on measures they have taken to comply with their treaty obligations.
[6] Source: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/protocol/CEDAW%20Ratification%20Table%20IV-8.en.pdf
[7] Reports for the 42^nd CEDAW Committee session are available at: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cedaw/cedaws42.htm
[8] Reports for the 24^th CEDAW Committee session are available at: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cedaw/cedaws24.htm

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Myanmar

Social Watch’s Gender Equity Index (GEI) [1]

Myanmar does not have a GEI Value (as of 2009).

Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 3 [2]

Goal: Promote gender equality and empower women

Target: Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education, preferably by 2005, and in all levels of education no later than 2015

Indicators: Ü Ratios of girls to boys in primary, secondary and tertiary education

Ü Ratio of literate women to men, 15-24 years old

Ü Share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector

Ü Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament

MDG 3 Indicators	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010
Gender parity index in primary level enrolment	0.98	0.99	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	0.99	---	0.99	---	---
Gender parity index in secondary level enrolment	1.06	0.95	0.93	0.94	0.93	0.97	0.98	1.01	---	---	---
Gender parity index in tertiary level enrolment	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	1.37	---	---
Share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector (%)	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	---
Seats held by women in national parliament (%)	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	---

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, Millennium Development Goals Indicators website: http://mdgs.un.org/unsd/mdg/Data.aspx. Data last updated on 28 March 2011. [3]

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women [4]

· Myanmar acceded [5] to the Convention on 22 July 1997 with a reservation regarding Article 29. It has not signed or ratified the Optional Protocol.

· The most recent CEDAW Committee examination of Myanmar was at the 42^nd session in 2008. [7] The initial report was examined during the 22^nd session in 2000. [8]

· Myanmar’s next report (combined fourth and fifth periodic reports) is due in August 2014.

CEDAW Country Report	Key Improvements*	Key Challenges*
Education	- Myanmar’s educational policy establishes equal opportunities for both sexes. - In the 2005-2006 academic year, 49.5% of all primary students were girls and 50.5% were boys. - At the secondary level, the national female enrolment was at 49.3% while male enrolment was at 50.7%. - At the tertiary level, the enrolment rates of girls and boys were 58.5% and 41.5% respectively (2005-2006). -In 2005, the reported adult literacy rates were 93.7% of women and 94.5% of men. - Postgraduate medical students are predominantly women and in 2006, the percentage of women university professors was 71.5%.	- There is a lack of comparative analysis of education enrolment rates, dropout rates and literacy rates by sex, ethnic group and/or religion as well as at the state/division level. - The majority of women in Myanmar live in rural and remote areas. They have higher levels of illiteracy and difficulty accessing education.
Economic activity	- Women’s participation in remunerated work has increased significantly.	- There is a lack of data concerning women’s labour rights as well as women’s labour force participation (urban and rural), unemployment rates, the gender wage gap and labour force segregation (vertical and horizontal).
Empowerment	- Women and men have equal rights to participate in public affairs. - Myanmar women are participating and serving in the high-ranking positions, such as Deputy Minister, Director-General, etc. - The Myanmar Women’s Affairs Federation (MWAF), National Committee for Women’s Affairs (MNCWA), and Myanmar National Working Committee for Women’s Affairs (MNWCWA) coordinate on-going women’s rights activities. - Myanmar female athletes have won titles at international sports events. The Myanmar Women’s Sports Federation was formed in 1991. - The women of Myanmar are not obliged to change their religion, nationality, hereditary or name no matter who they marry. - Marriage must be consensual, and women have rights to divorce and partition of property. - Myanmar Customary Law does not discriminate based on sex.	- In 2003, 35.34% of workers in State organisations and Ministries were women. Among them, 12.71% held high-ranking positions. - Myanmar women living in rural and remote areas have difficulties accessing health care and social services; and lack participation in decision-making processes at the community level. - The government of Myanmar has not has not taken sustained and systematic action to modify or eliminate gender-based stereotypes, and negative cultural values and practices. - There is a high prevalence of violence against women and girls (including rapes perpetrated by members of the armed forces against rural ethnic women). - Marital rape is not recognised as a criminal offence. - Myanmar faces a serious HIV/AIDS epidemic in which women and girls are especially vulnerable and there are high infection rates among pregnant women.

These lists are exemplary; information about other issues relevant for the SDC-country portfolio can be downloaded from the CEDAW-site, according to the needs of the respective user.

Download this information on a factsheet: Factsheet_Myanmar.pdf

[1] The GEI measures the gap between women and men with regards to education, economic participation and empowerment, based on internationally available comparable data. By comparing the most recent statistics with those of five years ago, the GEI is able to highlight recent trends in bridging these gender gaps and track progress towards gender equality. The GEI value is an average of the values obtained in the three dimensions. It ranges from 0 to 100, with lower values indicating greater gender inequality. A value of 100 would indicate no gender gap at all in each of the three dimensions.
[2] The MDGs are a set of eight goals, with 18 targets to be measured by 48 quantifiable social, economic and environmental indicators – to be achieved by 2015, reflecting the world’s main development challenges. Goal 3 focuses on gender equality and women’s empowerment. The MDGs have been viewed by some gender advocates as a distraction, and by others as a strategic entry point for promoting gender equality.
[3] Blank boxes in the MDG chart indicate an absence of statistics on the UNSD website.
[4] Countries that have ratified or acceded to the Convention are legally bound to put its provisions into practice. They are also committed to submit national reports, at least every four years, on measures they have taken to comply with their treaty obligations.
[5] Accession has the same legal effect as ratification. It is the act by which a state accepts the offer or the opportunity to become party to a treaty, after the treaty has entered into force - http://unifem-eseasia.org/projects/Cedaw/cedawglossary.html
[6] Reports for Myanmar considered by the CEDAW Committee at its 42^nd session (2008) are available at: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cedaw/cedaws42.htm.
[7] Reports for Myanmar considered by the CEDAW Committee at its 22^nd session (2000) are available at: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cedaw/cedaws22.htm.

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North Korea

Social Watch’s Gender Equity Index (GEI) [1]

North Korea does not have a GEI value (as of 2009).

Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 3 [2]

Goal: Promote gender equality and empower women

Target: Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education, preferably by 2005, and in all levels of education no later than 2015

Indicators: Ü Ratios of girls to boys in primary, secondary and tertiary education

Ü Ratio of literate women to men, 15-24 years old

Ü Share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector

Ü Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament

MDG 3 Indicators	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010
Gender parity index in primary level enrolment	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	---
Gender parity index in secondary level enrolment	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	---
Gender parity index in tertiary level enrolment	---	---	---	---	---	---	---		---	---	---
Share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector (%)	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	---
Seats held by women in national parliament (%)	20.1	20.1	20.1	20.1	20.1	20.1	20.1	20.1	20.1	20.1	15.6

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, Millennium Development Goals Indicators website: http://mdgs.un.org/unsd/mdg/Data.aspx. Data last updated on 15 March 2011. [3]

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women [4]

· North Korea acceded [5] to the Convention on 27 February 2001 with reservations to paragraph (f) of article 2, paragraph 2 of article 9 and paragraph 1 of article 29. It has not signed the Optional Protocol.

· The most recent CEDAW report examination (the sixth periodic report) was in 2005. [6]

· North Korea’s second periodic report was due to be submitted on 27 March 2006, and third periodic report was due on 27 March 2010. [7]

CEDAW Country Report

Key Improvements*

Key Challenges*

Education

- Compulsory free universal education has been provided to both sexes since 1972.

- The female student proportion at primary schools is 48.7%, at senior secondary schools 48.7% and at universities 34.4%.

- The State reports a 100% literacy rate of all men and women in its population; and a 0% dropout rate in primary and secondary schools.

Increased efforts to address stereotypical attitudes that perpetuate direct and indirect discrimination against women and girls in education are needed. This should include educational measures at all levels, beginning at an early age; the revision of school

textbooks and curricula; and awareness-raising campaigns directed at both

women and men.

Economic activity

- Workplaces have nurseries, kindergartens, children’s wards and breastfeeding breaks for working mothers.

- Insufficient updated statistical data disaggregated by sex has been provided by the State regarding the income levels of women and men, and vertical job segregation.

Empowerment

- The Law on Sex Equality of July was established in 1946.

- Temporary special measures have been instituted in the labour sector to increase the number of women in management positions.

- Family planning is assisted by the North Korean State and society in various ways.

- Women make up approximately 20% of the deputies to the eleventh Supreme People’s Assembly, and 30% of the local people’s assemblies,

- The number of women in decision-making positions remains low in politics, the judiciary and the civil service.

- The participation of high-ranking women in the foreign service is low.

- There is a lack of women’s rights organisations and an independent human rights institution to monitor the implementation of the Convention.

- The North Korean government does not recognise the existence of domestic violence in its population; neither does it formulate legislation dealing with domestic violence or other forms of violence against women.

· These lists are exemplary; information about other issues relevant for the SDC-country portfolio can be downloaded from the CEDAW-site, according to the needs of the respective user.

Download this information on a factsheet: Factsheet_North Korea.pdf

[1] The GEI measures the gap between women and men with regards to education, economic participation and empowerment, based on internationally available comparable data. By comparing the most recent statistics with those of five years ago, the GEI is able to highlight recent trends in bridging these gender gaps and track progress towards gender equality. The GEI value is an average of the values obtained in the three dimensions. It ranges from 0 to 100, with lower values indicating greater gender inequality. A value of 100 would indicate no gender gap at all in each of the three dimensions.
[2] The MDGs are a set of eight goals, with 18 targets to be measured by 48 quantifiable social, economic and environmental indicators – to be achieved by 2015, reflecting the world’s main development challenges. Goal 3 focuses on gender equality and women’s empowerment. The MDGs have been viewed by some gender advocates as a distraction, and by others as a strategic entry point for promoting gender equality.
[3] Blank boxes in the MDG chart indicate an absence of statistics on the UNSD website.
[4] Countries that have ratified or acceded to the Convention are legally bound to put its provisions into practice. They are also committed to submit national reports, at least every four years, on measures they have taken to comply with their treaty obligations.
[5] Accession has the same legal effect as ratification. It is the act by which a state accepts the offer or the opportunity to become party to a treaty, after the treaty has entered into force - http://unifem-eseasia.org/projects/Cedaw/cedawglossary.html
[6] North Korean reports considered by the CEDAW Committee at its 33^rd session in 2005 are available at: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cedaw/cedaws33.htm
[7] As of March 2011, these reports have not yet been submitted. Status of submission of reports by States parties as of the 48^th session in 2011: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cedaw/docs/CEDAW.C.2011.48.2.pdf

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Vietnam

Social Watch’s Gender Equity Index (GEI) [1]

In 2009, [2] Viet Nam had a value of 74, with the greatest gender inequalities being in the area of empowerment but near gender parity in education and literacy.
In 2009, Viet Nam ranked 23 out of 157 countries - higher than other countries in the Mekong region, such as Thailand.
This reveals a progression since 2008, when Viet Nam had a value of 71, and 2007, when it was 66.

Gender Equity Index Indicators

2009

Education

Literacy gap between men and women; male and female enrolment rates in primary, secondary and tertiary education

96.5

Economic activity

% of women and men in paid jobs, excluding agriculture; income ratio of men to women

81.3

Empowerment

% of women in professional, technical, managerial and administrative jobs; number of seats women have in parliament, and in decision-making ministerial posts

44.0

GEI value

Source: Social Watch http://www.socialwatch.org/node/11760

Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 3 [3]

Goal: Promote gender equality and empower women

Target: Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education, preferably by 2005, and in all levels of education no later than 2015

Indicators: Ü Ratios of girls to boys in primary, secondary and tertiary education

Ü Ratio of literate women to men, 15-24 years old

Ü Share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector

Ü Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament

MDG 3 Indicators	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010
Gender parity index in primary level enrolment	0.95	0.94	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	---
Gender parity index in secondary level enrolment	0.91	0.92	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	---
Gender parity index in tertiary level enrolment	0.72	0.74	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	---
Share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector (%)	40.7	40.7	40.8	40.1	40.4	---	---	---	---	---	---
Seats held by women in national parliament (%)	26.0	26.0	26.0	27.3	27.3	27.3	27.3	27.3	25.8	25.8	25.8

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, Millennium Development Goals Indicators website: http://mdgs.un.org/unsd/mdg/Data.aspx. Data last updated on 11 February 2011. [4]

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women [5]

· Viet Namwas the sixth state to sign the Convention in 1980, and it ratified it in 1981, with some reservations. [6]

· Viet Nam has not signed the Optional Protocol.

· The most recent CEDAW report (the fifth and sixth periodic reports) was examined in 2007. [7]

· The next report is due in March 2011.

CEDAW Country Report	Key Improvements*	Key Challenges*
Education	-There have been notable efforts in the area of education. In 2000-02, the number of school enrolments reached 18 million, with girls making up 47.5% of those for primary level, 47.3% for junior secondary level and 47.4% for senior secondary level.	-Although the drop-out rate for girls has reduced considerably over the past 10 years, girls still account for 70% of student drop-outs in rural areas.
Economic activity	-In 2002, 49.3% of those participating in frequent economic activity were female workers aged 15 upward, an increase of 2.5% compared to 2001. -Certain measures, such as vocational training programmes, have been implemented to increase the percentage of women holding management positions at all levels, as part of a strategy to facilitate the advancement of women.	-The professional skills of women workers remain lower than that of male workers, and women accounted for three quarters of those in unskilled work.
Empowerment	-Quotas have been set for female political representation up to 2010. The target for the number of female National Assembly Deputies, from 2002-2007, was 30%. As a result, 27.3% of Parliamentarians are women, higher than anywhere else in Asia.	-Women are still underrepresented in appointed public decision-making bodies, particularly at the district and commune/ward levels.

[1] The GEI measures the gap between women and men with regards to education, economic participation and empowerment, based on internationally available comparable data. By comparing the most recent statistics with those of five years ago, the GEI is able to highlight recent trends in bridging these gender gaps and track progress towards gender equality. The GEI value is an average of the values obtained in the three dimensions. It ranges from 0 to 100, with lower values indicating greater gender inequality. A value of 100 would indicate no gender gap at all in each of the three dimensions.
[2] 2009 is the latest year for which GEI figures are available.
[3] The MDGs are a set of eight goals, with 18 targets to be measured by 48 quantifiable social, economic and environmental indicators – to be achieved by 2015, reflecting the world’s main development challenges. Goal 3 focuses on gender equality and women’s empowerment. The MDGs have been viewed by some gender advocates as a distraction, and by others as a strategic entry point for promoting gender equality.
[4] Blank boxes in the MDG chart indicate an absence of statistics on the UNSD website.
[5] Countries that have ratified or acceded to the Convention are legally bound to put its provisions into practice. They are also committed to submit national reports, at least every four years, on measures they have taken to comply with their treaty obligations.
[6] Source: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/protocol/CEDAW%20Ratification%20Table%20IV-8.en.pdf
[7] The report was considered by the CEDAW Committee at its 37^th session in January to February 2007. It is available at: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/37sess.htm

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