Research Abstract: South Asia has the lowest female labor force participation rate (FLFPR) of any region in the world. Across the subcontinent, only approximately 25–30% of working-age women participate in the labor force, compared with approximately 50% globally and approximately 60% in East and Southeast Asia. This gender participation gap represents one of the most significant untapped sources of productivity growth in the region. Yet, within South Asia, specific states, sectors, and communities have achieved dramatic improvements in women’s economic participation and empowerment —...
AI and the Productivity of Informal Enterprises in Asia-Pacific
Research Abstract: Artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as a potentially transformative force — not through the large-scale enterprise deployments that dominate headlines in advanced economies, but through a distinct set of pathways that are beginning to reach informal enterprises and workers in developing Asia-Pacific. These pathways include AI-powered financial technology (fintech) that extends credit scoring to borrowers without formal financial histories; AI-enabled digital platforms that connect informal producers to wider markets; AI-driven agricultural advisory services that...