When resources are limited, it is human capital that defines the sustainable development of a community, especially in the case of costly misallocation and underutilisation, as is often the case in developing countries.

Policymakers are often faced with the challenging task of improving labour markets in order to keep unemployment levels low and productivity high. In their arsenal are a plethora of tools aimed at improving education, facilitating training programs and providing channels for job seekers to network with potential employers.

Mary Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication on the Rights of Woman and Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex were ground-breaking texts that dealt with the perceptions and roles of women in a patriarchal world. Both books remain relevant today, as the struggle for gender parity is still very much an ongoing concern. In Southeast Asia, the lack of gender diversification in the workplace is still a visible problem in both, local and international companies throughout the region.

Stories of brave women in the region are plentiful. In Vietnam, women were instrumental in liberating the country from American occupation. When the Philippines was colonized by Spain, women like Gabriela Silang played a significant role in fighting colonialism. In Malaysia, women like Shamsiah Fakeh led the women’s wing of the Malay Nationalist Party in fighting for independence from the British.

Two sides of women’s rightsThis week, The ASEAN Post reported on Malaysia’s increased efforts to add women to boardrooms in 2018.

ASEAN GeopoliticsThis week, sanctions on North Korea were further tightened after Pyongyang’s refusal to halt their nuclear program – the latest being Thailand which has been called on by the United States to put more trade and diplomatic pressure on the hermit nation.The ASEAN Post also covered the prospect of achieving a “high quality” Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership in pursuit of a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP).Outcome of RCEP negotiations so far.The question of U

According to a recent report, Vietnam seems to have a bright future for gender diversity in the Southeast Asia region as there is a higher illustration of women serving as board of directors and chief executive officers in comparison to Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore.The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) reported that some 25 percent of CEOs on board of directors in Vietnam are women. Currently, women hold 14 percent of CEO or board level positions in Malaysia and 10 percent in Singapore.

Known for its dynamic and diverse community, the Southeast Asian region as a whole makes for the fifth largest economy in the world and the region is expected to grow even further. Despite its accomplishments, the region still falls short in terms of gender equality in key leadership roles, the general workforce and the global environment.

“It is time to further our collective action to end violence against women and girls for good,” said United Nations’ Secretary-General António Guterres in his message on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November 2017.He also said that unless the international community tackles violence against women, the world will not eradicate poverty or reach any of the other Sustainable Development Goals.