Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 3-3
Facts of Life for W omen in Asia
GDI
Maternal
Births
Gender
Attended
Mortality
Ranking
Literacy
Development
per 100,000
by Skilled
on List
Rates
Country or
Index (GDI)
of 177
Live
Females/Males
Personnel
Region
0-1 scale
Countries
Births
in %
in %
United States
.937
16
7
100
100/100
Canada
.956
4
11
100
100/100
South Asia
Bangladesh
.536
120
570
20
48/59
Bhutan
n.d
n.d
440
51
42/67
India
.600
112
450
47
54/77
Maldives
n.d.
n.d.
120
97/97
Nepal
.520
127
830
19
44/70
Pakistan
.525
124
320
39
40/69
Sri Lanka
.735
88
58
99
90/93
East Asia
China
.776
72
45
98
90/96
Japan
.942
13
100
100/100
Mongolia
.695
99
46
99
98/97
North Korea
n.d.
n.d.
370
97
South Korea
.910
26
14
100
100/100
Taiwan
.888
n.d.
n.d.
100
100/100
Southeast Asia
Brunei
.886
31
n.d.
100
83/96
Cambodia
.594
113
540
44
68/86
Indonesia
.721
93
420
73
88/95
Laos
.593
114
660
20
67/80
Malaysia
.802
57
62
100
90/94
Myanmar (Burma)
n.d.
n.d.
n.d.
n.d.
90/94
Philippines
.768
76
230
60
86/94
Singapore
n.d.
n.d
n.d
100
94/93
Thailand
.779
70
110
97
93/96
Timor-Leste
n.d.
n.d.
380
19
Vietnam
.732
90
150
88
87/94
n.dNo recent data available.
Sources:
United Nations Human Development Report 2007/2008; United Nations Development Program Report 2009
; UNICEF Educational Statistics;
W orld Health Organization.
they bring in for delivery . V ouchers are provided for
transportation to clinics. The initial results have been
quite impressive. The proportion of women in the pro-
gram that are having their babies under proper supervi-
sion has risen from 15 percent to 60 percent. Moreover,
after the delivery , these women are more likely to return
to the centers for birth control and postnatal services.
We can also see gender discrimination by looking at
literacy rates
and the differences between men and
women. While measures of the ability to read and write
vary widely from place to place, the figures do give us an
idea as to educational levels. It is true that education and
literacy rates in most of Asia have improved greatly over
time. Whatever the case, women in general are not as lit-
erate as men.(Figure 3-6)
Education is vital for both girls and boys. It is essen-
tial for the empowerment of women. South Asia, with the
exception of Sri Lanka, has a poor record of children staying
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