East Asia and the Pacific

It was refreshing recently to see Deputy Opposition Leader Julie Bishop draw national political attention to the question of Pacific women’s political status.

But her survey of the current problems facing women in the region also made for frustrating reading.

India's Indira Gandhi, Sri Lanka's Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Pakistan's Benazir Bhutto, Bangladesh's Shaikh Hasina, Philippines' Corazon Aquino and Indonesia's Megawati Sukarnoputri — these women leaders dominated South and South East Asia for much of the past four decades.

UNDP Asia-Pacific Regional Centre is seeking a Community Facilitator - Women's Representation and Political Leadership, accepting applications through January 31, 2012.  Under the leadership of UNDP APRC, a Community of Practice for Women's Political Representation and Leadership in Asia an

8 April 2012 - Thailand and 10 other Asian nations have pledged to find ways to enhance gender equality in politics, according to a statement from a regional conference in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia.