The ESCAP Inequality of Opportunity papers place men and women at the heart of sustainable and inclusive development. They do so by identifying areas where inequality jeopardizes a person’s prospects, namely: education, women’s access to sexual and reproductive healthcare, children’s nutrition, decent work, basic water and sanitation, access to clean energy, and financial inclusion.
Each of these opportunities is covered by specific commitments outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and addressed in separate thematic reports covering 27 countries throughout Asia and the Pacific.
In addition to identifying the furthest behind, the paper explores the gaps between groups in accessing these key opportunities, as well as the extent to which these have narrowed or widened over time. It also reviews overall inequality trends in these opportunities.