Gender equality

This chapter reviews the extant literature gaps on the impact of autocratization on gender equality in Southeast Asia. It offers explanations for why autocratization and gender equality might have been under-explored in the region. It argues that insufficient data availability on the region as a whole makes it challenging for scholars to systematically evaluate the extent to which regime types matter for gender development. It also contends for a more comprehensive understanding of gender equality to ensure that no biased conclusions are drawn on the role of autocratization in the various dimensions of gender equality, such as political representation, economic liberation, and reproductive rights of women. The chapter offers recommendations for future research on autocratization and gender equality in Southeast Asia, including decentralizing power of research teams and supranational organizations and decolonizing the scholarship.