The state of Women’s Economic Empowerment
in the Indian
Ocean RIM

Explore the Numbers

The Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) recognizes that women’s economic empowerment is a prerequisite for sustainable development, but the full potential of women’s contributions to the Indian Ocean Rim remains untapped. Gender inequalities persist in all IORA countries as women continue to face structural and institutional barriers to their economic empowerment and the enjoyment of their rights to and at work.

On average,

47%

of women participate in the labour force in the region

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Compared to

76%

of men

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Difference in labour force participation between men and women across the region

2015

2020

Women

Men

Average

0 25% 50% 75% 100%

Yemen India Oman Bangladesh Iran UAE Sri Lanka Indonesia Mauritius Malaysia Singapore Thailand Comoros S. Africa Australia Kenya Tanzania Madagascar Mozambique

Yemen Oman India Somalia Iran Bangladesh UAE Maldives Sri Lanka Indonesia Malaysia Mauritius Thailand Singapore S. Africa Comoros Australia Tanzania Madagascar Kenya Seychelles* Mozambique

In 8 countries with available data in the region, women make, on average,

85 cents

for every dollar earned by men.

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Also known as the gender pay gap, this is a major cause of lifetime income inequality. At every level of education, women on average earn less than men.

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Discriminatory labour policies, social norms and occupational segregation can contribute to the gender pay gap.

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Gender pay gap, broken down by how much women earn for every dollar men earn.

2015

2020

Regional Average: 85.4¢

For every dollar earned by a man

Australia India Indonesia Iran Madagascar Malaysia Mauritius Oman Seychelles Singapore South Africa Sri Lanka Tanzania Thailand United Arab Emirates Australia Bangladesh Indonesia Madagascar Sri Lanka South Africa Tanzania Thailand

When taking into account all hours worked (including unpaid care and domestic work):

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Men work an average of

6.4

hours a day across the region

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And are paid for

78%

of their time

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Women, on the other hand, work

6.9

hours a day on average

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But are only paid for

36%

of their time

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The glass ceiling still exists for many women in the region.

Hours of unpaid care & domestic work done by women and men against total hours worked in a day.

2015

2020

0 2 3 6 8 10

Bangladesh Australia South Africa Tanzania Mauritius India

Australia India Iran Madagascar Malaysia Mauritius Oman South Africa Tanzania Thailand

No country in the region has reached gender parity in management. On average, women occupy about a quarter of management positions.

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The percentage of all managers who are women across the region

Percentage of management positions held by women in the region, (2014-2018)

2015

2020

Regional Average

0 12.5 25 37.5 Parity

Bangladesh Oman UAE Iran Yemen Tanzania Indonesia Malaysia Mauritius Thailand Sri Lanka S. Africa Singapore Madagascar Australia Seychelles

Yemen Bangladesh Oman India UAE Maldives Iran Tanzania Mozambique Malaysia Comoros Sri Lanka Indonesia S. Africa Madagascar Mauritius Thailand Singapore Australia Seychelles

Malaysia, Maldives, Mozambique, Oman, UAE
Singapore, Tanzania, Yemen
Comoros, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Somalia, Thailand
Australia, Bangladesh, India, Iran, Seychelles, South Africa, Sri Lanka

Comoros, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Somalia, Thailand

All countries in the region provide mandatory maternity leave.

But only half cover the minimum 14 weeks recommended by the International Labour Organization.

Few allow for paid paternity leave.

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Paid maternity and paternity leave policies enable the distribution of care responsibilities and expand women’s choices to remain in the labour force.

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Duration of paid maternity and paternity leave across the region

2015

2020

0 10 20 30 40

UAE Oman Malaysia Mozambique Yemen India Mauritius Sri Lanka Tanzania Indonesia Iran Kenya Thailand Comoros Madagascar Seychelles Bangladesh Singapore South Africa Australia

UAE Oman Malaysia Maldives Mozambique Yemen Tanzania Singapore Indonesia Kenya Thailand Comoros Madagascar Mauritius Somalia Bangladesh Seychelles South Africa Sri Lanka Australia India Iran

Most countries in the region have some legal protection for women’s right to work and rights at work.

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No laws: Oman, Yemen. Laws: Australia, Tanzania, Mauritius, India, Bangladesh, Kenya, Madagascar, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, UAE, Sri Lanka, Mozambique

The majority have laws on sexual harassment in employment.

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No laws: Bangladesh, Kenya, Madagascar, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, UAE, Sri Lanka, Mozambique, Oman, Yemen. Laws: Australia, Tanzania, Mauritius, India

Only five countries lack laws that prohibit gender discrimination in hiring.

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No Laws: India, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, UAE, Sri Lanka, Mozambique, Oman, Yemen. Laws: Australia, Tanzania, Mauritius, Bangladesh, Kenya, Madagascar

But only a little more than one-third of countries mandate equal pay for work of equal value.

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Laws protecting women in the workplace across the region

2015

2020

law

no law

Non-discrimination Based on Gender in Hiring Equal Pay for Work of Equal Value Banning Sexual Harassment in Employment

Yemen Oman Mozambique Sri Lanka UAE Thailand South Africa Singapore Malaysia Iran Indonesia Madagascar Kenya Bangladesh India Mauritius Tanzania Australia

Iran Bangladesh Malaysia Singapore Sri Lanka Indonesia Seychelles Yemen India Madagascar Maldives Mozambique Oman Somalia UAE Australia Comoros Kenya Mauritius South Africa Tanzania Thailand

Education leads to increased opportunities in the workforce and enhances women's economic empowerment.

But female students are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.

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In the IORA region, only

17 %

of female graduates from tertiary education major in STEM programmes

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versus

34 %

of male graduates.

This will likely perpetuate gender gaps in the labor market.

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Percentage of male/female graduates from STEM programmes in tertiary education

Women

Men

Average

0 15% 30% 45% 60%

Malaysia Seychelles Thailand Singapore Australia Iran Mauritius Madagascar Indonesia S. Africa Maldives Oman UAE India Kenya Mozambique Bangladesh

Barriers to formal employment mean women are more likely to be employed in vulnerable employment. They are therefore less likely to receive benefits, social security or have union representation and more likely to have low wages and difficult working conditions.

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In the IORA region,

39 %

of men are employed in vulnerable employment on average

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Versus

48 %

of women.

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Vulnerable employment, Percent of male and female employment (2019)

0 20 40 60 80 100

UAE Oman S. Africa Singapore Australia Mauritius Malaysia Maldives Iran Sri Lanka Thailand Indonesia Kenya Bangladesh Yemen India Comoros Tanzania Madagascar Mozambique Somalia

The attainment of sexual and reproductive health can play a critical role in fostering and paving the way for women's economic empowerment.

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The availability and use of modern contraception enable women to plan and make critical decisions about their future.

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However, on average,

17%

of women have an unmet need for family planning.

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Percentage of needs met for family planning

Regional Average: 83.1%

Bangladesh Comoros India Indonesia Iran Kenya Madagascar Maldives Mauritius Mozambique Oman South Africa Sri Lanka Tanzania Thailand Yemen

Despite progress, multiple obstacles and inequalities persist.

To achieve gender equality and women’s economic empowerment, the region needs to strengthen enabling legal and policy environments that:

Support women’s equal participation in labour markets and the world of work
Reduce vulnerable employment by ensuring decent work and social protection for all workers
Prevent gender discrimination in the workplace, in hiring, retention, and promotion
Reduce and redistribute women’s disproportionate share of unpaid care and domestic work
Promote women’s and girls’ opportunities for training and support the school to work transition, particularly in STEM fields

Enhanced investment in such policies and initiatives, based on improved sex-disaggregated data and gender statistics, will bolster women’s important economic contributions throughout the region while upholding and protecting their rights to and at work.

Women’s Economic Empowerment in the Indian Ocean Rim: Progress and Challenges

Download the 2020 Report Download the New Poster Download the 2015 Report

View stats by individual country breakdowns:

Australia Bangladesh Comoros India Indonesia Iran

Kenya Madagascar Malaysia Maldives Mauritius Mozambique

Oman Seychelles Singapore Somalia South Africa

Sri Lanka Tanzania Thailand UAE Yemen

This infographic provides an updated snapshot of the status of women’s economic empowerment in the Indian Ocean Rim region by visualizing data that was included in the 2020 report “Women’s Economic Empowerment in the Indian Ocean Rim: Progress and Challenges”. Data from the 2015 baseline study “Enabling Women’s Contributions to the Indian Ocean Rim Economies” are also included to illustrate trends over time.

Both studies have confirmed that women participate in nearly every aspect of the economy in the countries of the Indian Ocean Rim – in both formal and informal work. While the countries in this region vary considerably in terms of their areas, populations and levels of economic development, they share many of the same challenges and opportunities for women’s economic empowerment. It is important to note that the 2020 report includes data from sources published prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has further exacerbated many of the obstacles to women’s economic empowerment in the region.

In 2018, Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Member States reaffirmed their commitment to women’s economic empowerment in the Balaclava Declaration on Women’s Economic Empowerment and Gender Equality as a Pre-Requisite for Sustainable Development. Member States acknowledged that women’s economic empowerment is a foundational element of gender equality and the full and equal realisation of women’s human rights and is thus integral to all dimensions of inclusive and sustainable development.

UN Women would especially like to thank the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for their contributions to producing the infographic and the associated report.

The state of Women’s Economic Empowerment in the Indian Ocean RIM

The glass ceiling still exists for many women in the region.

No country in the region has reached gender parity in management. On average, women occupy about a quarter of management positions.

Despite progress, multiple obstacles and inequalities persist.

View stats by individual country breakdowns:

The state of Women’s Economic Empowerment
in the Indian
Ocean RIM