MANILA, Philippines, Aug. 18 (UPI) -- The Asian Development Bank Wednesday granted $250,000 to Laos to promote gender equality among ethnic communities.
The Manila-based ADB said women in the country have to work harder and yet have fewer rights, including property rights, particularly those who live in more remote areas.
"Women play an important role in the economy and are primarily responsible for meeting their households' food requirements, health, and well-being. However, gender gaps exist in several areas and these are particularly wide among several northern ethnic minorities," said Manoshi Mitra, an ADB social development specialist.
The bank pointed out women "lose out during land use planning and allocation programs."
The grant will thus be used first to examine issues surrounding gender inequality in access to land, forest and water resources, the ADB said.
