The care economy is a critical, yet often underfunded and undervalued, sector that encompasses paid and unpaid care work. It includes activities related to caregiving for children, the elderly, and people with disabilities, as well as domestic work.

Women and children in Southeast Asia experience persistently high levels of gender-based violence (GBV) including intimate partner violence (IPV), sexual exploitation and abuse, and a recent surge in online abuse and harassment.

Adolescent girls often experience significant barriers to economic empowerment due to social norms which limit their power to make and act on economic decisions in order to enhance their broader well-being and position in society.