Since 2009, the OECD Development Centre has shed light on the structural and multiple barriers affecting women’s and girls’ lives in developing and developed countries through the Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI). The SIGI measures discrimination against women in social institutions across 180 countries. By taking into account laws, social norms and practices, the SIGI captures the underlying drivers of gender inequality, with the aim of promoting gender-transformative policies that are built on data and evidence. The SIGI is also one of the official data sources for monitoring Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicator 5.1.1.
The SIGI 2021 Regional Report for Southeast Asia provides new evidence-based analysis of the setbacks in and progress towards gender equality since 2014 across the region. It provides regional analysis on how discriminatory social institutions – including formal and informal laws, social norms and practices – continue to constrain women’s empowerment and restrict their access to opportunities and rights. The report also provides policy recommendations that aim to reshape gender norms, promote women’s empowerment and build a truly inclusive society, especially in the current context of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.