The Asia Pacific region has made impressive progress on many fronts, and seems poised to recover from the global economic recession more rapidly than other regions. Long term, sustainable progress, however, requires more support empower of women.

Achieving equality for women is not only a laudable goal and a human right. It is also good economics, helps deepen democracy and enables genuine long-term stability.

The latest Asia Pacific Human Development Report, Power, Voice and Rights: A Turning Point for Gender Equality in Asia and the Pacific, estimates that the under representation of women in the workforce is a heavy cost to the region in economic terms.