International Women's Day: Asia shows mixed progress on gender equality

Women's rights in Afghanistan took a turn for the better after the US-led international coalition toppled the Taliban regime in the country in 2001. But recent developments, including the possible inclusion of the Taliban in the Afghan government, could mean that women will have to compromise on their rights to education and work, among others.

Women in Iran now have their own football team, but the fight for freedom and female empowerment goes on. Lawyer Nasreen Soutoudeh, who defended women protesting against the mandatory wearing of the headscarf, was recently sentenced to five years imprisonment.

The picture shows Uzma Nawaz (center), Pakistan's first female car mechanic. The South Asian country is slowly moving toward more freedom for women. In the city of Karachi, women are taking part in the #AuratAzadiMarch, or women's freedom march, on International Women's Day this year.

Women bikers are the latest trend in India, but despite progress, women are often targets of rape and sexual assault. Last year, several women in India stood up to their abusers as part of the #MeToo campaign, complaining against many influential men, including political leaders.

Indonesian women are at the forefront of progress in their country, but still suffer under repressive religious laws, like the Sharia. The province of Aceh, for instance, has implemented the rigid Islamic code, forcing women to wear headscarfs and prohibiting them from interacting with non-family members of the opposite sex.

Women in this island country enjoy a fair degree of gender equality, and depending on the financial status of their families, they can choose to study longer or start work. Sri Lanka is perhaps the only South Asian nation where women have good access to healthcare and education.

For over two decades now, Bangladesh's people have consistently chosen a woman to lead their country as prime minister. While women's rights have considerably improved, women are still underrepresented in the workforce and have limited access to healthcare and education.

Chinese women have undoubtedly benefited from the country's rapid economic growth, but social discrimination against females still exists. Even today, social bias against the female child means that the sex ratio is skewed. Women also have limited access to education, compared to their male counterparts.