Women worldwide continue to face significant challenges in becoming equal partners to men in terms of economic power, legal rights and political representation. In particular, women have less access to paid employment, land ownership, credit and capital. They are also often paid less for their labor at comparable skill attainment, and are more frequently working in vulnerable employment , such as self-employment, or in the informal economy. Gender inequalities are very pronounced in the Asia-Pacific region, more so than anywhere else in the world except Africa.