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 —...
Green Productivity in South Asia: Balancing Environmental Sustainability and Inclusive Growth
Research Abstract: South Asia faces a defining development challenge: how to sustain the rapid economic growth that has lifted hundreds of millions out of poverty while addressing the environmental degradation that threatens to undermine those very gains. The region’s GDP growth has averaged 5–7% annually over the past two decades, yet this growth has been accompanied by accelerating carbon emissions, severe air and water pollution, deforestation, soil degradation, and increasing vulnerability to climate change impacts. The productivity of South Asian economies — measured conventionally...