There is a downward trend in the number of women participating in the workforce as they go up the career ladder. Women may make up half of all the entry-level positions in companies, but at middle management, that number drops.

If there is one thing millennials are happy about, it is transferring most of the ageism stereotyping they have endured over the past decade to the new Generation Z or Gen Z.

Earlier this year, in June, Save the Children released its Global Childhood Report 2019. The report involved a total of 176 countries, and took a look at indicators such as children’s healthcare, education, nutrition and protection.

Southeast Asia has shown an improvement in the number of women in leadership roles. The Philippines, Vietnam and Singapore are leading in having the most women holding senior management positions, based on a 2019 report by Grant Thornton, ‘Women in Business’.

In Southeast Asia, efforts have been made to tap women’s potential by improving the business and financing environment. There are also a growing number of women rising through the ranks, starting companies and deciding on industry policy.Despite these achievements, women, especially mothers, still experience discrimination at work. According to a 2016 survey by Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) in Malaysia, more than 40 percent of women in the workforce experienced pregnancy discrimination.

In sharing their opinions regarding what their government should prioritise in the 2020 fiscal budget, 65.9 percent of Thais polled by the Super Poll Research Centre placed healthcare as their top concern.

ASEAN youths are highly aware of potential disruption and challenges brought on by technological advancement in the job market, requiring them to upgrade their skills regularly.

Generation Z (Gen Z) is entering the workforce and business leaders must stay ahead to harness this new wave’s talents and appeal to their interests. According to McKinsey, Gen Z is the cohort born between 1995 and 2010, and are currently between the ages of nine and 24-years old.According to a 2018 article by Nielsen on ‘How to engage with Generation Z in Vietnam,’ by 2025, Gen Z will account for 25 percent of the labour workforce in Vietnam.

The Philippines' long history of migration is deeply ingrained in the country's social, economic and cultural climate. This migration trend now resonates with the country's youth, especially the newer generation (Gen Z), as they begin to enter the workforce.Based on a 2019 survey conducted by the World Economic Forum (WEF) last August, 52.9 percent of Philippine youth aged 15 to 35-years-old would like to work overseas.