This report provides research and analysis of the underlying causes for the lack of participation by women in leadership at local and national levels to help policymakers and all stakeholders who are trying to improve participation and leadership by women leading to also security and safety of women in the region.

The report analyses where progress has been made, and more importantly, where and why progress has fallen short, concluding with recommendations for how changes may be made within the emerging trends in the region. The report also has collected an impressive amount of statistics on women’s political representation at the national, district and local levels, as well as showing the different trends in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands, which can facilitate targeted interventions by the various stakeholders engaged in gender empowerment.