East Asia

East Asian countries generally have profound gender inequality in the workplace. The World Economic Forum’s 2020 annual gender gap report ranked China 106th, South Korea 108th and Japan 121st out of 153 countries surveyed (World Economic Forum, 2020). As the three most advanced economies in the region, their performance in promoting gender equality in the workplace is alarming and not ideal. Not only does women’s economic empowerment bring out positive development in a country such as increasing productivity and economic diversification, but also boosts female employee’s morale in the workplace and contributes to increasing productivity of companies. Therefore, actions are needed to tackle the issue. 

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In order to understand the causes of the problems, it is necessary to come to grips with East Asian culture which explains why gender discrimination is so persistent in the society despite all the legal protections in place. Cultures of East Asian countries are closely linked.

 

China had been the dominant civilization in the region for thousands of years. The traditional and feudalistic views on the division of household labour and that female is an inferior gender are found in most East Asian countries and persist to this day. This culture shapes a male-dominated economic system and workplace environment which exclude female workers. There are three main challenges including low female labour participation rate, wide gender pay gap and absence of female leaders in the workplace. 

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With the efforts of the previous governments and NGOs, there is rising awareness of such inequality in the region epitomized by the 2018 wave of protest against workplace harassment in South Korea echoing with the #MeToo movement. Legislations have been in place to protect female workers by setting out anti-discrimination guidelines and offering benefits to the non-regular workers. 

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Oceania

The level of gender equality in Oceania varies hugely. The World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2020 ranked New Zealand 6th in the world, Australia 44th, Fiji 103th and Papua New Guinea 127th. Despite the difference, the region has achieved formal equality in general. However, new problems arise. Overall, there are considerable gender pay gaps and higher unemployment rates for females, in particular, minority females. Traditionally, women were the caretaker and belong at the home. For example, in Kiribati, they are significantly defined by her marital status and age which means that married women could inherent the family’s prestige but still under the authority of her husband (Government of Kiribati).

 

The traditional division of labour by gender and gender stereotypes persists. It is still difficult for women to access leadership in the workplace. Countries share these common issues in the region. 

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On the bright side, in recent years, governments have been increasingly prioritizing gender equality on the agenda. More and more NGOs are established in the region to raise the awareness of gender discrimination in the workplace and help female employees to boost their competitiveness in the job market. At a time of a pandemic, collaborative efforts are needed more than ever to combat Covid-19’s adverse effects on women’s workplace participation.