Gender Equality in Asia and the Pacific ADB

Gender Equality in Asia and the Pacific ADB ADB is committed to gender equality in Asia and the Pacific and invests in women as agents of change.

ADB is committed to promoting transformative actions for gender equality and women's empowerment that are aligned with the priorities of its developing member countries (DMCs), as well as relevant regional and global commitments. ADB’s strong performance on corporate gender equality targets provides an opportunity to raise its ambition and deepen the bank’s impact on gender equality and women’s em

powerment in Asia and the Pacific. As reflected in its Strategy 2030 Midterm Review, ADB is committed to promoting gender equality in at least 60% of its sovereign and non-sovereign operations by 2030, guided by revised gender mainstreaming criteria that focus on how ADB operations will directly close gender gaps and support women’s empowerment. Anchored in its Gender and Development (GAD) Policy, ADB is accelerating gender equality and women’s empowerment in Asia and the Pacific, ensuring that women, men, girls and boys can directly benefit from economic growth and development in the region.

How do we move from gender equality commitments to real project results?ADB’s Gender Equality Division and Philippines C...
02/09/2026

How do we move from gender equality commitments to real project results?

ADB’s Gender Equality Division and Philippines Country Office piloted the first-ever Gender Labs, a hands-on clinic that brought together 35 gender focal points and project officers from across the Philippines.

The innovative format blends learning and practice, enabling participants to address real project challenges and develop practical solutions. Through technical sessions, panel discussions, peer exchange, and hands-on clinics, participants strengthened skills in implementing, monitoring, and sustaining gender equality commitments in ADB-supported projects.

📍 24–25 August | ADB Headquarters, Manila

Asian Development Bank | ADB Philippines

1 in every 10 babies born in the Philippines in 2024 was born to an adolescent mother. That share has remained virtually...
31/08/2026

1 in every 10 babies born in the Philippines in 2024 was born to an adolescent mother. That share has remained virtually unchanged since 2018.

Behind this statistic are thousands of young women and men whose education, employment, and future aspirations have been shaped by becoming parents between the ages of 15 and 19.

At a validation workshop at ADB Headquarters, government representatives, civil society organizations, development partners, youth advocates, and adolescent mothers came together to review findings and shape recommendations for a forthcoming policy brief.

💬 Hear from Lyra Borja, Division Chief from the Commission on Population and Development, Philippines ⤵️

Adolescent pregnancy remains a major development challenge in the Philippines, deepening inequality and driving intergen...
28/08/2026

Adolescent pregnancy remains a major development challenge in the Philippines, deepening inequality and driving intergenerational poverty.

At a validation workshop at ADB Headquarters, government representatives, civil society organizations, development partners, youth advocates, and adolescent mothers came together to review findings and shape recommendations for a forthcoming policy brief.

Their voices and lived experiences are helping inform solutions that can expand opportunities and improve outcomes for adolescent mothers so that no one is left behind.

💬 Hear from young mother Mhikylla Reyes Cortez as she shares her perspective ⤵️

How can we create better opportunities for adolescent mothers in the Philippines? Yesterday at the ADB Headquarters, mor...
26/08/2026

How can we create better opportunities for adolescent mothers in the Philippines?

Yesterday at the ADB Headquarters, more than 75 participants, including government, civil society organizations, development partners, youth representatives, and adolescent mothers, reviewed findings and recommendations to help young mothers return to school, gain skills, and access decent work.

Their insights will help shape a forthcoming policy brief aimed at improving outcomes and expanding opportunities for adolescent mothers to ensure that they are not left behind.

Asian Development Bank

Adolescent pregnancy remains a major development challenge in the Philippines, deepening inequality and driving intergen...
25/08/2026

Adolescent pregnancy remains a major development challenge in the Philippines, deepening inequality and driving intergenerational poverty.

The burden falls heaviest on young mothers from poorer households, rural areas, and marginalized communities, where access to education, services, and supportive school environments is often limited.

To better understand their experiences, we spoke to adolescent mothers (ages 15 to 19) from across the Philippines as part of a forthcoming policy brief. Their stories highlight not only the barriers they face, but the support they need to continue learning, access decent work, and pursue their goals.

Asian Development Bank

Women entrepreneurs are central to the sustainable growth of the Federated States of Micronesia's economy. ADB and the ...
20/08/2026

Women entrepreneurs are central to the sustainable growth of the Federated States of Micronesia's economy.

ADB and the Federated States of Micronesia Development Bank have signed a $5 million financing package to expand access to finance for women-led small and medium-sized enterprises in the Federated States of Micronesia, with support from the Women Entrepreneurs’ Finance Initiative.

At least 50% of financing will support women-owned and led businesses, alongside training for at least 250 women entrepreneurs and support to develop and market FSMDB’s women-focused products and digitize FSMDB’s loan monitoring and collection systems.

Read the news release: link.adb.org/4xQ6tRy

FSM Development Bank
Asian Development Bank | ADB in the Pacific

Roads do more than connect places—they connect people to opportunities. 🤝In Maharashtra, India, a project to improve 450...
20/08/2026

Roads do more than connect places—they connect people to opportunities. 🤝

In Maharashtra, India, a project to improve 450 kilometers of roads is combining climate-smart, safer transport infrastructure with health camps, workforce training, childcare services, and gender-responsive public works, ensuring communities benefit both on and off the road.

Check our Gender Equality in Transport digital tool to discover more practical tools and insights to inspire your own work: https://bit.ly/gendertransportcases

Women entrepreneurs are central to the sustainable growth of the Federated States of Micronesia's economy. Our partnersh...
19/08/2026

Women entrepreneurs are central to the sustainable growth of the Federated States of Micronesia's economy.

Our partnership with the FSM Development Bank will expand access to credit for women-led small businesses and the training to help them grow:

The project will:
✅ enhance financial inclusion
✅ help provide more accessible onlending services
✅ boost productivity and resilience of local businesses

Read more: https://bit.ly/468jh9T

Asian Development Bank | ADB in the Pacific

With El Niño forecast to peak in late 2026, food insecurity could deepen across Asia and the Pacific, with women facing ...
14/08/2026

With El Niño forecast to peak in late 2026, food insecurity could deepen across Asia and the Pacific, with women facing compounding burdens as they often take on greater responsibility for securing food, water, and care, while having fewer resources to cope.

What makes El Niño different is that it is not itself a disaster, but an event that we are able to anticipate with enough time to prepare for potential hazards.

In our latest blog, Stefania Dina and Zonibel Woods discuss how anticipatory action—from cash assistance and drought insurance to better water management—can help turn early warnings into timely protection against failed crops, higher food prices, and acute hunger, particularly for women and others most at risk: https://blogs.adb.org/blog/why-do-we-keep-waiting-el-nino-early-action-can-reduce-its-impacts

Asian Development Bank

A woman giving birth in Asia and the Pacific today is far more likely to survive it than her mother was. That change cam...
11/08/2026

A woman giving birth in Asia and the Pacific today is far more likely to survive it than her mother was.

That change came from sustained effort such as national action plans, a rapid rise in trained midwives, stronger antenatal care, and telemedicine.

The work now is reaching every woman, including in low-income and remote communities where care is hard to deliver: https://ow.ly/cXoK50Zsavs

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