Pathways to progress: Understanding gender gaps across life stages in the ASEAN region

The ASEAN region continues to grapple with some of the world’s most pronounced disparities in educational outcomes. Addressing foundational learning gaps and promoting equity and inclusion for girls, women and marginalised groups remains a central priority in both educational improvement and labour market reform agendas regionally and internationally. This report presents new insights into the factors shaping human development outcomes for girls, women and marginalised groups in the ASEAN region. It supports the priorities under the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI), which aims to reduce development disparities among ASEAN member states. Grounded in case studies from the newer ASEAN member countries, namely Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR), and Timor-Leste (referred to as CLT countries), the study reveals that despite advances in the past 20 years to narrow the gender gap and reduce education disparities across the region, alarming differences persist in economic outcomes for women. Challenges continue to limit the ability of girls and women to fully capitalise on their potential with some ASEAN countries revealing women need up to 6 years of additional schooling to realise the same economic outcomes as men. The study uses a lifecycle approach to analysis, linking multiple data across key stages of life – from early childhood, to adolescence, and adulthood.