Women and girls in Asia and the Pacific are more likely to be poor and missed by social protection services than men. On average, women and girls spend up to 11 times more of their day on unpaid care and domestic work than men and boys do across the region, where the gender pay gap is estimated anywhere between 1.5% to 49.6%. It is also the only region in the world where the participation of women in the labour force is falling. This inequality prompts many women to migrate to the cities and abroad to find better job opportunities, though many end up with some of the worst jobs imaginable. In addition, the high levels of violence against women and harmful practices, which may be the most widespread violation of human rights, are extremely concerning - up to one in two women has experienced physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner in the last 12 months in countries across the region.
UN Women is doing its outmost to address some of the most pressing issues women and girls are facing in the region today – but we cannot do this alone. We rely almost entirely on voluntary financial contributions to sustain our work to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment and need your support to engage as many people as possible and raise much needed funding.
This #WomensMonth, we invite you to support our fundraising campaign and make a difference!
Moutushi, thanks for your help in mobilizing support for these women and girls that are trying to rebuild their lives.