Acknowledgement We would like to express our deepest gratitude to all the country offices of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung(FES) for their invaluable support and cooperation in ensuring that the paper is grounded in the current political and socio­economic realities of the Asia-Pacific region. About the authors Dr. Ammar A. Malik is an award-winning researcher, policy advisor, and educator based in Washington, DC. He is a non-resident fellow at the Urban Institute, and affiliate of the Harvard Kennedy School. His work centres on women’s economic empowerment, urban mobility, and entrepreneurship in low- and middle-income countries, combining rigorous research with policy-oriented analysis. He holds a PhD in Public Policy from George Mason University, an MA in Public Affairs from Sciences Po Paris, and an MA in Public Policy from the Lee Kuan Yew School at the National University of Singapore. Noor Un Nisa is a development researcher with expertise in mixed-methods analysis, survey design, policy research, and project management across themes including gender, entrepreneurship, climate change adaptation, migration, digital inclusion, and social protection. Her work frequently centres on the experiences of marginalised and vulnerable groups such as Afghan migrants, female domestic workers, child beggars, and recipients of social protection schemes, approached through a gender-sensitive and contextually grounded lens. She holds an MA in Development Studies from the Institute of Development Studies(IDS), University of Sussex, and a BSc in Sociology and Anthropology from the Lahore University of Management Sciences(LUMS). Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung(FES) is the oldest political foundation in Germany. The foundation is named after Friedrich Ebert, the first democratically elected president of Germany. The Gender Justice Competence Center Asia-Pacific (GJCCAP) coordinates FES’ work on gender justice in the Asia and the Pacific region. Together with colleagues, feminists, and partners in the region, we create spaces for exchange and mutual learning, and develop transformative strategies for a more gender-just future.