The problems on the subcontinent look likely to persist. And early marriages are still common throughout South Asia. Because parts of South Asia are so poor and the divide between it and the rest of the region is so stark, it is tempting to draw a connection between health and wealth. The theory is that when countries like Pakistan and India have more money to spend, they will invest more on women's health and education. Not necessarily, says a major U.N. study recently issued for the Beijing conference.
Economic growth helps, but effective local government helps more.
This year, the U.N. Human Development Report began comparing wealth and health statistics between the sexes in 130 nations. The results are instructive. That compares to the U.N.'s general development index, which ranks countries according to overall wealth, health and literacy. In that index Japan ranks third. Depending on your vantage point, the struggle for equal rights in Asia might seem unceasing, muted, even doomed.