The country obtained a high score concerning discrimination in family, notably the issues of divorce and women’s rights, a report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) revealed.

Based on the OECD Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI), the country garnered a score of 50 last year, higher than an average score of 39 in Southeast Asia and a world average of 29.

According to the report, the matters of restricted access to productive and financial resources, restricted physical integrity, and restricted civil liberties were very much present in the country, having obtained scores of 50, 49, and 42, respectively.

In the region, women’s participation in the labor market was substantially lower than men’s as their force participation stood at 57 percent compared to 75 percent for men.

The women’s participation in the labor market was said to be characterized by vulnerable forms of employment in both the formal and informal sectors with 57 percent of men employed in the region who worked as employees and employers as compared to 47 percent of women.

Meanwhile, the report noted that only seven percent of employed Southeast Asian men worked as contributing family workers, compared to 20 percent of women

Children guardianship

Southeast Asian women were also seen to face the highest levels of discrimination within the family sphere, with unequal inheritance laws and unequal rights to custody of children during or after marriage topping the chart.

It cited the Family Code, which regulates marriage and family affairs for non-Muslim individuals, contains discriminatory provisions restricting a woman’s right to be the legal guardian of her child or that limit a married woman’s right to equally administer land assets and properties of the household.

Under the current law, the father and the mother should jointly exercise legal guardianship over the property of the minor common child without the necessity of a court appointment.

However, in case of a disagreement, the father’s decision will prevail, unless there is a judicial order to the contrary.

Meanwhile, the Code of Muslim Personal Laws, which governs marriage and family affairs for Muslim individuals, “contains discriminatory provisions that prevent a woman from working without the consent of her spouse,” the report noted.

The SIGI is a cross-country composite index that measures the levels of gender-based discrimination in social institutions and views the gaps in legislation, attitudes, and practices between women and men in terms of rights, justice, and empowerment opportunities.