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Women experience disadvantage and oppression differentially, based on their status, context and location.

Highlighted by sensational titles such as "The endangered sex" (Miller, 1981) or "More than 100 million women are missing" (Sen, 1992), studies have long drawn attention to the unfavourable life chances of females versus males in various parts of East and South Asia.

Although female labour force participation is a growth driver, participation rates suggest a country’s potential for faster growth.