MISSING GIRLS IN EAST ASIA UNDP-REPORT

MISSING GIRLS IN EAST ASIA
UNDP-REPORT

In East Asia- more boys are born than girls. Women die from health and nutrition neglect- is growing in the Asia Pacific. Birth gender disparity is greatest in East Asia, Where 119 boys are born for every 100 girls. A report brought out by the united nations development programme to mark the International Women's Day.
One-tenth of women in the region report being assaulted by their partners, and a majority of women who do work up to 85 percent of south Asia's working women- are engaged in unstable low-end work in the informal economy. Few women hold property. Although women predominate in agriculture, they head only 7 percent of farms compared to 20 percent in most other region of the world..
The region is far behind where it could be on basic issues such as protecting women from violence,upholding entitlements to property- even allowing people to divorce in an informed and reasonable way.
Few countries have adopted or implemented laws prohibiting violence against women, despite widespread evidence of discrimination and assault. Nearly half of the countries in south Asia, and more than 60 percent of those in the pacific, have no laws against domestic violence. Nor are there many provisions against sexual harassment in work places, though 30-40 percent experiencing verbal, physical or sexual abuse.
Prof. John Kurakar