We are proud to be the primary research partner for Investing in Women, an Australian Government initiative to accelerate women’s economic equality and promote inclusive economic growth across Southeast Asia.
Through this partnership, GIWL provides expert inputs into the strategic direction of the program, acting as a critical friend, and ensuring that program approaches are founded on a strong evidence base.
About the project
Positioning women at the centre of economic resilience and accelerating economic equality is critical to achieving a wide range of sustainable development objectives in Southeast Asia. Private sector-led effort to harness the productivity, skills, capacity, talent, innovation, and leadership that women offer will help to realise the benefits of women’s economic equality for themselves, their families, and their communities. Investing in Women’s current phase will run for four years, from 2023 to 2027, and as the research partner, GIWL is working to:
- Provide thought-leadership to contribute new knowledge on effective approaches to accelerate women’s economic equality in the targeted countries – Indonesia, Philippines, and Vietnam.
- Contribute to the research and evidence on topics related to gender norms and practices, future demand for care, and gender-inclusive part-time work policies under this partnership opportunities – as one of many avenues for advancing gender equality in the targeted countries.
Investing in Women
Investing in Women (IW) is an Australian Government initiative to accelerate women’s economic equality and promote inclusive economic growth across Southeast Asia. Through partnerships with diverse stakeholders, we support women to thrive in the workplace and succeed in business. Building on the results, partnerships and lessons achieved since 2016, IW works with business leaders, investors, entrepreneurs, advocates and policymakers to remove barriers to women's full economic participation in Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam, and, to a limited extent, Myanmar. IW harnesses the capacity of the private sector, from large enterprises to small-to-medium business, to drive gender equality.
Project outputs
Future Demand for Care in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam
Led by GIWL with in-country expertise from the SMERU Research Institute in Indonesia, the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), and the Mekong Development Research Institute (MDRI) in Vietnam, this research outlines the current landscape of the care economy across these three countries and highlights transformative solutions for change towards a system where care is fairly valued and equally shared.
Understanding the care economy in Southeast Asia
The study examines care in three Southeast Asian countries – Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia – and identifies key research, policy, and practice gaps. Key findings and recommendations focus on shifting social norms, working with organisations to establish standards, encouraging government policy change and supporting individuals with care responsibilities.
Investing in care, investing in women
Hosted by GIWL in partnership with Investing in Women (IW), an initiative of the Australian Government, this webinar brought together experts from GIWL, SMERU, PIDS, and MDRI for insights and discussion on how Southeast Asia can create stronger, more equitable care systems that benefit families, societies, and economies alike.
Contact
Elise Stephenson
Deputy Director
Climate change, Intersectionality & identity, Politics & international affairs, The space sector, Youth engagement
Samantha Lau
Research Assistant