Table Of ContentWomen of Asia
W ith thirty-two original chapters refl ecting cutting Mehrangiz Najafi zadeh is a faculty member in
edge content throughout developed and developing the Department of Sociology at the University of
Asia, Women of Asia: Globalization, Development, Kansas where she is also an affi liated faculty in the
and Gender Equity is a comprehensive anthology Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian
that contributes signifi cantly to understanding Studies and in the Center for Global and Inter-
globalization’s transformative process and the national Studies.
resulting detrimental and benefi cial consequences
for women in the four major geographic regions of Linda L. Lindsey is Senior Lecturer in American
East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Eurasia/ Culture Studies and in the Department of Sociology
Central Asia. The anthology gives “voice” to women at Washington University in St. Louis and Professor
and provides innovative ways through which salient Emeritus of Sociology at Maryville University of
understudied issues pertaining to Asian women’s St. Louis.
situation are brought to the forefront.
Women of Asia
Globalization, Development,
and Gender Equity
Edited by Mehrangiz Najafi zadeh and
Linda L. Lindsey
First published 2019
by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
and by Routledge
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© 2019 Taylor & Francis
The right of Mehrangiz Najafi zadeh and Linda L. Lindsey to be identifi ed as
the authors of the editorial material, and of the authors for their individual
chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Najafi zadeh, Mehrangiz, editor. | Lindsey, Linda L., editor.
Title: Women of Asia: globalization, development, and gender equity/
edited by Mehrangiz Najafi zadeh and Linda L. Lindsey.
Description: New York, NY: Routledge, 2018. | Includes bibliographical
references and index.
Identifi ers: LCCN 2017057257 (print) | LCCN 2017059059 (ebook) |
ISBN 9781315458458 (Master Ebook) | ISBN 9781315458441 (Web pdf) |
ISBN 9781315458434 (ePub) | ISBN 9781315458427 (Mobipocket) |
ISBN 9781138208773 (hardback: alk. paper) | ISBN 9781138208780
(pbk.: alk. paper)
Subjects: LCSH: Women–Asia–Social conditions. | Women’s rights–Asia. |
Sexism–Asia. | Sex role–Asia. | Economic development–Asia.
Classifi cation: LCC HQ1726 (ebook) | LCC HQ1726.W677 2018 (print) |
DDC 305.4095–dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017057257
ISBN: 978-1-138-20877-3 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-138-20878-0 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-45845-8 (ebk)
Typeset in TimesTen
by Sunrise Setting Ltd, Brixham, UK
Contents
Preface and Acknowledgments viii
Notes on Contributors x
PART I
Introduction and Overviews of Women in Asia 1
1 Globalization, Development, and Gender Equity: A Thematic Perspective
on Women of Asia 3
Linda L. Lindsey and Mehrangiz Najafi zadeh
2 Gender Equality, Women’s Empowerment, and the Sustainable Development
Agenda in Asia 16
Eugenia McGill
3 Gendering Aid and Development Policy: Offi cial Understanding of Gender
Issues in Foreign Aid Programs in Asia 33
Patrick Kilby
PART II
East Asia 45
4 Globalization and Gender Equity in China 47
Linda L. Lindsey
5 China’s “State Feminism” in Context: The All-China Women’s Federation
from Inception to Current Challenges 66
Yingtao Li and Di Wang
6 Gender Equality and the Limits of Law in Securing Social Change in Hong Kong 83
Amy Barrow and Sealing Cheng
7 Women’s Experiences of Balancing Work and Family in South Korea:
Continuity and Change 98
Sirin Sung
8 Gender Equality in the Japanese Workplace: What has Changed since 1985? 111
Chikako Usui
v
vi • CONTENTS
9 Addressing Women’s Health through Economic Opportunity: Lessons from
Women Engaged in Sex Work in Mongolia 124
Susan S. Witte, Toivgoo Aira, and Laura Cordisco Tsai
PART III
Southeast Asia 137
10 Women, Globalization, and Religious Change in
Southeast Asia 139
Barbara Watson Andaya
11 Adapting Human Rights: Gender-Based Violence and
Law in Indonesia 154
Shahirah Mahmood
12 Experiences of Financial Vulnerability and Empowerment among Women
who were Traffi cked in the Philippines 170
Laura Cordisco Tsai
13 Women as Natural Caregivers? Migration, Healthcare Workers, and
Eldercare in Singapore 184
Shirlena Huang and Brenda S. A. Yeoh
14 Elected Women Politicians in Singapore’s Parliament: An Analysis of
Socio-Demographic Profi le 198
Netina Tan
15 Globalization and Increased Informalization of Labor: Women in the
Informal Economy in Malaysia 212
Shanthi Thambiah and Tan Beng Hui
16 Women Politicians in Cambodia: Resisting and Negotiating Power in
a Newly “Implemented” Democracy 226
Mikael Baaz and Mona Lilja
17 Freedom to Choose? Marriage and Professional Work among Urban
Middle-Class Women in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 236
Catherine Earl
18 Entrepreneurial Women in Lao People’s Democratic Republic 248
Nittana Southiseng and John Walsh
19 Persisting Inequality, Rural Transformation, and Gender Relations in
the Northeast of Thailand 257
Buapun Promphakping
20 Challenging Gender Inequalities through Education and Activism:
Exploring the Work of Women’s Organizations in Myanmar’s Transition 268
Elizabeth J. T. Maber and Pyo Let Han
CONTENTS • vii
PART IV
South Asia 281
21 Young Women’s Situation and Patriarchal Bargains: The Story of a Son-Less
Family in Rural Bangladesh 283
Roslyn Fraser Schoen
22 Livelihoods, Households, and Womanhood in Nepal 294
Mira Mishra
23 Negotiating Gendered Violence in the Public Spaces of Indian Cities:
Globalization and Urbanization in Contemporary India 307
Subhadra Mitra Channa
24 The Promises and Pitfalls of Microfi nance in Pakistani Women’s Lives 319
Veronica E. Medina and Priya Dua
25 Afghan Women: The Politics of Empowerment in the Post-2001 Era 333
Orzala Nemat
PART V
Eurasia and Central Asia 347
26 Women in Azerbaijan: Decades of Change and Challenges 349
Mehrangiz Najafi zadeh
27 Female Religious Leaders in Uzbekistan: Recalibrating Desires and Effecting
Social Change 365
Svetlana Peshkova
28 Project Kelin: Marriage, Women, and Re-Traditionalization in Post-Soviet Kazakhstan 379
Diana T. Kudaibergenova
29 “Women Move the Cradle with One Hand and with the Other, the World!”
Methodological Refl ections on “The Woman Question” in Tajikistan 391
Sophie Roche
30 Tradition, Islam, and the State: International Organizations and the Prevention
of Violence against Women in Tajikistan 403
Lucia Direnberger
31 Rural Women’s Encounters with Economic Development in Kyrgyzstan 415
Deborah Dergousoff
32 Women as Change Agents: Gender in Post-Soviet Central Asia 424
Rano Turaeva
Index 437
Preface and Acknowledgments
continent on the globe, is a formidable task. Given
PREFACE
our objectives, we needed to ensure that the content
refl ects both the anthology’s breadth ( Women of
W ith globalization discourse as the centerpiece,
Asia ) and its depth ( Globalization, Development,
the 32 original chapters in Women of Asia:
and Gender Equity). Refl ecting its breadth, our
Globalization, Development, and Gender Equity
introductory chapter highlights the gendered
offer insights for understanding this transforma-
patterns in Asia that emerged from our compre-
tive process in contexts that may serve to benefi t
hensive analysis of all chapters, and it is followed
women or to increase risks for women. This trans-
by two overview chapters suggesting how these
formation has permeated social institutions
or other themes play out across Asia. By organiz-
throughout Asia and is associated with profound
ing chapters according to region (East Asia,
changes for women, whether they reside in Asia’s
Southeast Asia, South Asia, Eurasia/Central Asia),
developed or developing regions. Capitalizing on
and inviting authors with specializations on gen-
our professional and personal networks and avail-
der scholarship in developed and developing
able sources on gender issues in Asia, we located
Asia, the breadth is additionally enhanced. The
authors engaged in signifi cant research and
anthology profi ts highly from scholars addressing
scholarship directly related to the anthology’s
gender issues in regions such as Central Asia, and
thematic emphases. Their extensive research pro-
countries such as Lao PDR (People’s Democratic
vided the foundation for their chapters included
Republic), Mongolia, Nepal, and Myanmar, which
in this anthology. Although we are sociologists,
are underrepresented in the literature.
our teaching and research increasingly incorpor-
Refl ecting the anthology’s depth, authors
ate rapidly advancing interdisciplinary scholar-
sel ected topics based on their background, research,
ship and applied work related to the topics of the
and knowledge of women’s issues and situation in a
anthology. Contributing authors reside in countries
given country. All authors had the latitude to deter-
throughout Asia and the West, and represent a
mine how the topic pertains to one or more of the
wide range of disciplines including sociology,
anthology’s themes: globalization, development,
anthropology, gender studies, history, social pol-
and gender equity. Overall, the anthology contrib-
icy, and cultural geography. By addressing topics
utes signifi cantly to the discourse on critical issues
from a variety of theoretical and methodological
surrounding women of Asia, giving “voice” to
perspectives, they offer insights relevant for both
women and providing innovative ways for women
conceptual and applied work. The anthology’s
to tell their stories on salient topics and issues.
interdisciplinary thrust and related perspectives
provide new and dynamic insights useful to
scholars, students, policy planners, and advocates ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
and activists in a variety of disciplines.
C ompiling original chapters addressing the W e extend our sincere appreciation to Samantha
situation of women in Asia, the most diverse Barbaro, Senior Editor, Social Sciences, for her
viii
PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS • ix
support and encouragement throughout this sharing their expertise, insights, and wisdom
lengthy process and to Erik Zimmerman, Edito- during the past two decades.
rial Assistant, for his superb assistance in prepar- We also thank each other for providing mutual
ing the manuscript for production. We also thank support as long-standing colleagues and friends.
all our contributors for sharing their expertise, The editing of this anthology, with 32 original
insight, and attentive refl ections as we dialogued chapters written by scholars from around the
on their chapters, all of which enriched the globe, has been both an extremely rewarding
anthology. experience as well as an extensive and challenging
Linda Lindsey also thanks Morris Levin (in process requiring our attention to a myriad of fac-
memoriam), Nancy English, Ann Biele, and her ets and details. Our mutual support throughout
BreadCo friends for their encouragement and this process has been of immense value in bringing
thoughtfulness throughout the process, and this anthology to fruition. Finally, we extend our
Mehrangiz Najafi zadeh thanks her colleagues continuing gratitude to our families for their
and friends in Azerbaijan and Central Asia for enduring support over the years.
