Indonesia's Women's Empowerment Remains Low in ASEAN in 2022

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) data shows that Indonesia's 2022 Women's Empowerment Index (WEI) score is 0.568 out of a possible 1.0.

Based on this assessment, the UNDP classifies Indonesia as having low women's empowerment. Even within the more specific region of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Indonesia ranks only sixth.

Singapore holds the top position in ASEAN with a score of 0.757, placing it in the upper-middle category of global women's empowerment, a group that includes Austria, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Thailand is second with a score of 0.635, placing it in the lower-middle category according to the UNDP.

This is followed by Vietnam (0.612), the Philippines (0.618), and Laos (0.582).

Below Indonesia are Cambodia (0.542) and Myanmar (0.518).

It should be noted that the UNDP has not yet obtained data from Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, and Timor-Leste within the ASEAN region.

This index measures women's empowerment across five dimensions of human development: good health and well-being; education, skills development, and knowledge; inclusion in employment and finance; participation in decision-making; and freedom from violence.

The global average WEI score in 2022 was 0.607. However, the UNDP highlights a significant variation between low and high development groups.

Countries in the low empowerment category have an average WEI score of 0.432. This group is largely comprised of developing countries, including Indonesia. High-performing groups average 0.734.

The UNDP assesses that women's power and freedom to make choices and seize opportunities remain severely limited. Globally, women are empowered to reach, on average, only 60.7% of their full potential as measured by the WEI.

"This means that the deficit in women's empowerment reaches almost 40%," writes the UNDP in its report, *The Paths to Equal, twin indices on women's empowerment and gender equality*.

(See also: 10 Countries with the Highest Women's Empowerment in the World 2022, Europe Dominates)