Rising inequality poses a dire threat to continued prosperity in Asia, where an estimated 500 million people remain trapped in extreme poverty, most of them women and girls. The huge gap between rich and poor hinders economic growth, undermines democratic institutions and can trigger conflict. A determined effort to combat discrimination, combined with improved policies on taxation and social spending, is needed now if the region is to secure a stable and prosperous future.
Source: OXFAM Briefing Note, January 2015
