Perspectives

Stories from around the world of Mastercard

Discover how our people and technology are connecting everyone to Priceless possibilities.

Payments Trends
Inside the wealthy’s playbook

Ben Gilbey speaks to MONEY FM about how affluent consumers are mastering their money with financial gymnastics.

Innovation
Live from Singapore FinTech Festival

Sandeep Malhotra speaks to Bloomberg about the outlook for APAC's payments industry and how Mastercard is driving the secular shift from cash to digital payments.

Commerce
How China is rolling out the virtual (and digital) red carpet for tourists

Industry experts say more customized travel options and an upgraded payment infrastructure, already underway, will make the country more competitive with other foreign destinations.

Sustainability
5 ways to propel inclusive climate action

The Reach Alliance, which studies sustainable innovation, outlines powerful strategies for tackling climate change in hard-to-reach communities, pointing to initiatives in Mongolia, Vanuatu, Philippines, India and Kenya.

Passions
‘We couldn’t believe it’: Football fans win all-expenses paid trip to watch UEFA Champions League Final

Watching the UEFA Champions League Final live was just one of the many priceless experiences that five Citibank customers and their loved ones enjoyed on their paid trip to London, made possible by Citi’s partnership with Mastercard.

Innovation
Retailers cannot afford to ignore AI's competitive edge

Matthew Driver explores how retailers can harness the power of AI to serve consumers better, while ensuring data responsibility and transparency in today's challenging economic climate.

Sustainability
‘We are looking after nature — and our nursery — for our future generations’

Restoring 400,000 trees to a Philippine national park devastated by Typhoon Odette is replenishing nature and reestablishing livelihoods for the local community.

Digital Payments
Why frictionless money movement matters in Asia Pacific

With half the world’s annual remittance flows - worth more than $700 billion – passing through Asia Pacific, Sandeep Malhotra explains why there is a pressing need for new technologies and modern payments to bear the load for the millions of people and businesses that depend on these payments.

Travel
Momentum will continue as consumers allocate more of their budgets to travel

David Mann, chief economist, Asia Pacific discusses the key takeaways from the Mastercard Economics Institute's "Travel Trends 2024" report on CNA Asia First, and shares why the global travel sector remains robust despite economic challenges.

SMEs
Asia’s $2.5tn credit access gap is costing us dearly

APAC is widely accepted as the growth engine of the world, but that engine is not firing on all cylinders. AP President Ari Sarker says one key reason is that SMEs still lack access to credit. The upside? Governments’ increased investment in DPI and advancement of emerging technologies may help to turn the tide.

Travel
Global travel sector breaking boundaries

David Mann, chief economist, Asia Pacific speaks to Bloomberg about the key takeaways from the Mastercard Economics Institute's "Travel Trends 2024" report and the impact of the region's travel boom on major economies like Japan, China and India. 

Innovation
The next generation of blockchain – and banking: Fusing the flexibility of crypto with the convenience of fiat

A new pilot in Hong Kong with Standard Chartered Bank is the latest sign that momentum is building for tokenized bank deposits.

Innovation
AI is revolutionizing industries. Here's what that means for consumer trust.

Matthew Driver discusses the crucial role of transparency and ethics in safeguarding consumer trust across industries in the age of AI.

Innovation
Mastercard eyes booming Chinese consumer market

APEMEA President Ling Hai on how Mastercard is supporting China's shift toward innovation-oriented growth and fostering a payment ecosystem that is friendly to international travelers.

ECONOMICS
Taylor Swift's tour spurs travel and accommodation spend in Asia Pacific

As tourists flocked to Singapore for The Eras Tour, they boosted not only retail and dining spend but travel and accommodation too. David Mann, chief economist, Asia Pacific tells CNN how the Swift Lift seen in APAC could even outperform the uptick seen in the US.

Inclusion
Designing financial tools with women in mind can empower them — and boost economies

From Pakistan to Peru and beyond, deploying gender-sensitive training and creating gender-specific financial tools is making a difference in women’s lives.

ECONOMICS
Taylor Swift’s sold-out concert set to make Singapore’s economy shimmer

David Mann, chief economist, Asia Pacific speaks to CNA about Taylormania and how the feel good factor of the concerts, along with the spending sprees of the Swifties, can deliver the desired Swift Lift for Singapore.

Innovation
How APAC’s leading businesses are balancing trust and innovation

Matthew Driver, executive vice president and head of Services, Asia Pacific, reflects on insights from the APAC report titled “Raising Trust and Innovation Together in the Asia-Pacific Region” launched by Harvard Business Review Analytic Services, in association with Mastercard.

Commerce
Taylor Swift’s Asia tour seen boosting local economies

David Mann, chief economist, Asia Pacific speaks to CNA Asia First about the ‘Swiftonomics’ effect and the impact that major events like concerts could have on the region's economies.

Inclusion
This ‘pictureless’ film is visionary cinema for those who can’t see

“Touch,” which debuted in Sydney Feb. 13, is making the moviegoing experience more accessible.

Innovation
It’s not always about the next big thing: How “innovations of necessity” are reshaping Asia

AP President Ari Sarker explains why it's time to recalibrate our collective fixation on paradigm-shifting technologies like gen AI so we can refocus our attention on iterative innovations that can positively impact people's lives.

future of payments
The future is digital, personalized and sustainable

Sandeep Malhotra speaks to Money FM about the trends transforming the payments landscape — from tokenization, AI and a growing preference for sustainable consumerism to intelligent experiences bridging virtual and physical worlds.

Commerce
During the holidays, many people are sending money home from overseas — an often fraught experience. Here's how to make it more joyful

Sandeep Malhotra, executive vice president of products & innovation, Asia Pacific, highlights the benefits of a multilateral cross-border payment system for fulfilling users' needs.

future of payments
How new tech is transforming the payments sector

Matthew Driver tells Money FM how Mastercard is utilizing emerging technology like AI and big data to transform the payments sector for businesses and consumers.

Commerce
Higher discretionary spend in Asia Pacific expected in 2024

David Mann, chief economist, Asia Pacific, outlines the Mastercard Economics Institute's 2024 economic outlook on BBC's Asia Business Report, focusing on the rise in discretionary spending on travel and tourism in Asia Pacific and the continued recovery in China.

Innovation
Shifting AI’s focus to serve Asia’s digitally disconnected

Matthew Driver, executive vice president, head of services, Asia Pacific, shares that hurdles of technology access must be overcome to leverage AI for financial inclusion and community empowerment.

cybersecurity
Mastercard and NEC to pioneer facial recognition checkouts in Asia

Karthik Ramanathan highlights how Asian consumers are receptive to embrace new technologies, making the region an ideal ground for Mastercard to pioneer quick face scan payments for Asian shoppers, transforming checkout experiences.

Commerce
The future of commerce in the AI age

Ari Sarker, president, Asia Pacific speaks with Bloomberg Markets Asia from the sidelines of the Singapore FinTech Festival 2023 about how AI will change the way we travel, shop and commute.

future of payments
How Mastercard is leveraging AI to revolutionise the e-payment experience

Mastercard’s executive vice-president for products and innovation (Asia Pacific), Sandeep Malhotra, shares his thoughts on how AI is utilized in reshaping the commerce landscape, personalising user journeys and bolstering online safety.

cybersecurity
Meet the tenacious teenage ethical hacker helping small businesses beat cybercriminals

Jackson Henry is a young Australian cyberwhiz who is helping entrepreneurs shore up their defenses.

Innovation
Sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch — could gen AI soon be added to our list of senses?

Gen AI is poised to revolutionize the way we live and work. From transforming travel planning to enhancing retail with personalized shopping assistants, explore how Gen AI can reshape conventional experiences.

Innovation
Reimagining learning in the metaverse

Mastercard's Safdar Khan explores how the metaverse is augmenting traditional teaching methods by offering interactive and inclusive learning environments, breaking down barriers, and ensuring accessibility for every learner.

Inclusion
Sustainable development? Unsustainable without women

An inclusive growth forum hosted during the B20 in New Delhi offers insights into centering women in efforts to digitize, expand health care and combat climate change.

Small Business
Economies soar when the private and public sectors help SMEs go digital

Lim Kok Kee, senior vice president, Government Engagement, Asia Pacific, writes in the Financial Times about our three-step approach to digitally transforming small and medium-sized businesses, and why this will have a community-wide impact.

future of payments
Why consumers calling the shots on how their data is used will transform the next digital decade

We’re entering the data ownership era where consumers will retain control of their data — and stop giving it away for free. Sandeep Malhotra tells us why it’s more powerful in their hands.

Sustainability
Investing in our planet: a collaborative approach

Ari Sarker, president, Asia Pacific, shares with TIME about our continued focus on empowering our network of communities, and the increasing importance of collaboration in our sustainability strategy.

Commerce
Myth busters: Buy Now Pay Later edition

Mastercard’s Ben Gilbey debunks widespread myths about Buy Now Pay Later, and explains how trust in payments is hard to earn but easy to lose.

Leadership
Effective leadership in a hybrid world

Ari Sarker, president, Asia Pacific, talks about the importance of creating time and space for yourself, advice for how to build your career, and why being clear on your purpose is critical for success in the workplace.

Commerce
Asia travel in rapid recovery mode

David Mann, chief economist, Asia Pacific, speaks with CNBC Squawk Box about Asia’s healthy travel recovery and the ongoing upside for China’s tourism spending that is expected to remain through 2024.

Sustainability
In India, conflicts between humans and elephants are rising. This tree-growing effort could restore the balance

Hundreds of people are killed each year as elephants lose their natural migratory corridors and must roam farther afield for food.

Commerce
Asia’s economic revival

Ling Hai, co-president, International Markets, speaks to “Bloomberg Markets Asia” about the highly anticipated reopening of borders across APAC, the resulting impact on travel recovery and consumer spend trends in China and around the region.

Leadership
How chess can nurture essential critical thinking skills for business leaders

Four things Mastercard’s Safdar Khan has learned from playing chess.

Leadership
Women in tech

Lyndal Cardy, chief technology officer (CTO) for Asia Pacific, discusses her love for technology and how women can succeed in the field.

Leadership
Turning obsession into action

With another year of economic uncertainty on the horizon, Asia Pacific President Ari Sarker urges us to remember the power we hold in our hands to change people's lives and livelihoods through digital payments.

Sustainability
How one clean energy scientist is waging ‘a fight worth fighting’

Chennai-born Teja Venkatesa Perumal is part of the inaugural Quad Fellowship, which brings together young STEM leaders from India, Australia, Japan and the U.S. to spur innovation.

future of payments
Leveraging data & analytics in installments

In the increasingly crowded Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) space, leveraging data-driven insights to drive differentiated strategies is more important than ever. Mastercard’s Aditi Sawhney and Adarsh Recriwal share how businesses can harness advanced analytics to make smarter decisions for better outcomes at the BNPL APAC Summit.

future of payments
The Asian BNPL landscape

How has the installments landscape in Asia evolved, and what do the next 12 months look like? In this video replay, experts from Flipkart, Grab and Shopback joined Mastercard’s Ben Gilbey at the Buy Now Pay Later Summit APAC to discuss the shifts shaping the industry.

future of payments
The metaverse will reimagine money as we know it

From digital wallet accounts to shares in project ownership, Mastercard’s Sandeep Malhotra explains how the metaverse will reimagine money as we know it.

cybersecurity
AI-powered customer journeys need to be centered in the human experience

How can businesses and the teams who run it best harness the power of artificial intelligence? Gautam Aggarwal explains the criticality – and limitations – of the technology in cybersecurity and customer experience.

Leadership
Reverse mentoring: a cross-generational bridge for the workplace

Mastercard’s Safdar Khan discusses how reverse mentoring can unlock new perspectives for senior leaders and bridge generational gap at the workplace.

SMEs
Small businesses, big potential

Sandeep Malhotra explains how public-private partnerships can help Asia's SMEs navigate the payments-related challenges they face on the journey to digitize and scale.

Commerce
Grounds for optimism in APAC

Ari Sarker discusses Asia’s economic recovery amidst rising global inflation, consumer spending trends, and accelerating inclusive growth.

Innovation
Marking 25 years of Priceless

It all started with a commercial about a baseball game, and the memorable moments it sparked. On its 25th anniversary, Priceless remains as resonant and relevant as ever.

Innovation
A tale of three unicorns

India's Razorpay and Zeta are among the alumni of Mastercard Start Path that have achieved billion-dollar valuations.

B2B
Mastercard eyes US$5.5t opportunity in B2B procurement settlements

Ari Sarker explains how the company is working with financial institutions to address the relatively untapped B2B payments space.

Digital Payments
Reimagining the role of India’s banks

India stands out for having developed the account-based payments infrastructure to ensure easy access to instant, free payment transfers. For consumers, can it get any better than this? And what role can banks and fintechs play?

Leadership
Good leadership is people curiosity, not people management

Mastercard’s Shafi Shaikh shares why the drive to understand people is the most important thing about leadership and the H.I.G.H principles that guide him.

future of payments
APAC among the most enthusiastic adopters of digital payments

Sandeep Malhotra discusses the latest research findings showing that digital payments uptake will only accelerate.

India
CNBC TV18 Exclusive with Michael Miebach

Mastercard CEO on the future of digital payments, the importance of India to Mastercard’s global strategy, his approach to leadership and more.

Innovation
ETCIO SEA Spotlight

Sandeep Malhotra shares his thoughts on cryptos, NFTs, money tips for kids and where he thinks we'll be ordering coffee from next.

Sustainability
Forget “back to normal” tourism — it’s time for a new, sustainable approach

With border restrictions lifting and flights increasing, is travel going back to what it used to be? Lim Kok Kee argues that there is an opportunity to write a new future where tourism is more sustainable, inclusive, and beneficial to greater segments of the population.

Leadership
Let’s not mistake corporate social responsibility for corporate decency

Amanda Gervay, Mastercard's senior vice president for People & Capability, Asia Pacific, explains why organizations should foster a culture of corporate decency.

Digital Payments
Bolstering India's digital payments ecosystem

In the inaugural episode of India Financial Series, Ari Sarker shares his perspectives on inclusive growth, tokenization and cybersecurity, the needs of India's MSMEs and more.

Inclusion
How one kirana owner took her store into the digital age

Geeta Patel, the owner of a small neighborhood shop in Ahmedabad, India, has been able to grow her Ahmedabad shop through financial education and digital tools that help her better access credit.

Inclusion
How female entrepreneurism is growing in Vietnam

Luu Thi Hoa’s agricultural cooperative, which sells produce and mint honey, a regional specialty, is helping bringing sustainable jobs to her remote community.

Inclusion
How to turn farmers from price makers to price takers

In India, Mastercard Farm Pass is helping farmers digitize their operations, access new buyers, and secure capital to grow.

Commerce
Inside the rise of the super app

Super apps are the modern-day equivalent of the ancient bazaar. With open banking and enabling technologies, they promise to deliver seamless consumer choice.

Innovation
Game on: A new era of rewarding experiences

Gaming can no longer be viewed as just a trend. Instead, it has become a reality that sits inside the living rooms of billions of people. As consumer preferences and the dynamics of the rewards redemption industry have been irreversibly modified, there is no time like the present for consumers and brands alike to benefit from stepping into the gaming arena.

Inclusion
Three lessons for women on the way up

Mastercard's Rama Sridhar, who leads digital and emerging partnerships and new payment flows in Asia Pacific, shares three lessons from a 33-year career in tech.

Small Businesses
In the wake of COVID-19, small business support programs need to deliver at scale

The economic aftermath of COVID-19 continues to disproportionately affect the poor. Adopting two key priorities: leverage technology to test and learn in real time, and accept a different risk-reward ratio over an extended duration, can make a transformative difference that results in equitable opportunity and prosperous economies.

Inclusion
The engine powering diversity and equity efforts

Mastercard's Matthew Driver, Head of Services in Asia Pacific, shares three ways to reevaluate our approach to diversity and inclusion.

COVID-19 RESPONSE
How governments reimagined citizen engagement

As nations scrambled to fight the pandemic, we examine how administrations around the world faced a moment of reckoning. Those that supported the public and accelerated pandemic recovery through digitization have bounced back stronger.

future of payments
Why smart businesses will prioritise smart payments acceptance

As businesses emerge from a pandemic that drove many to adopt digital payments, they are now looking to leverage their investments for faster recoveries. The more digital payment options a merchant makes available, the more points of interaction (POI) it has with consumers.

Innovation
Winning loyalty in a digital-first world

As we move into 2022, the reinforced importance of digital resulting from the ongoing impact of Covid-19, and 'Web 3.0’, will continue to quicken the adoption of more innovative digital-based solutions in the consumer loyalty landscape, particularly in financial services.

Financial Inclusion
Leveraging digital technologies for inclusive growth

In Asia Pacific, the migration toward a more digitized future has been even more pronounced in the wake of Covid-19, with a sharp rise in the adoption of emerging payment methods. This rapid transformation of the digital economy is, of course, to be welcomed. The challenge we face is to continue leveraging the clear benefits of the digital economy, while at the same time pursuing a common broader objective: inclusive growth.

cybersecurity
This startup can spot your refund scam

An Australian teenage e-commerce entrepreneur is now tacking the billion-dollar problem of fraudulent refund claims through his startup Disputify, part of Mastercard's Start Path startup engagement program.

cybersecurity
The many faces of Mastercard’s 'Biometric Man'

Singapore-based Rajat Maheshwari uses ‘Mission: Impossible’-style masks and fake body parts to stress-test biometric technology.

Digital Payments
Tackling the multibillion-dollar problem of friendly fraud in Asia

‘Friendly fraud’ may sound like a contradiction in terms, but it is in fact a serious and damaging problem for merchants and card issuers – and often a time-consuming headache for consumers too. As digital payments surge across the Asia Pacific region, so do incidences of ‘friendly fraud’. What can be done to counter this?

Financial Inclusion
In Indonesia, mentors are turning entrepreneurial spirit into business success

"You're never too young to set up a business," says one entrepreneur who sought advice from through Mercy Corps' MicroMentor Indonesia platform, part of a larger initiative to digitize Southeast Asia's largest economy.

cybersecurity
Partnering to protect Singaporean SMEs on the frontlines of cybersecurity

SMEs form such a large part of the Singaporean business ecosystem and are entrusted with the personal details of such a large part of the population, that the cyber risks to SMEs are actually cyber risks to us all.

Digital Wallets
Wallet wisdom: The transformative power of Asia’s ‘Wallet Economy’

With the e-wallet economy in Asia set to have 2.6 billion users, involving over $7 trillion in transactions by 2025, this revolution in digital finance is transforming how consumers and markets operate, empowering businesses and boosting financial inclusion. Here’s how Asia’s wallet economy differs to the West’s, the opportunities for both and the three factors propelling its rise in Asia.

Financial Inclusion
Bridging the digital divide is key to building financial inclusion

With Southeast Asia's digital economy projected to hit $300 billion by 2025, it's easy to get caught up in the headlines about the meteoric rise of e-commerce in Asia. Yet, for 55% of the world’s people who are not digitally connected, the pandemic worsened the digital divide, locking them out of the digital economy.

Innovation
Boosting Australia’s open finance to spur innovation

With the emergence of open finance including open banking, the way consumers and businesses can connect with and control their data, for everything from budgeting and payments to investing and borrowing, is being reimagined and redefined.

Payments Trends
Mastercard promotes contactless payments as Japan gears up for a new phase of cashless

While cashless payments are becoming more popular in Japan, major credit card companies are expanding contactless payment cards around the world, spurred by measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. In this new normal, Mastercard has set its sights on Japan, and has begun to push for sustainable, contactless payments with credit functions and versatility not found in other electronic payment systems.

Sustainability
How smart infrastructure will make our cities safer, aid those in need and shorten your commute

The World Cities Summit brought industry leaders together to share sustainable city challenges and urban solutions. On the sidelines of the City Possible™-sponsored Smart Cities Workshop, Lim Kok Kee explains how smart infrastructure makes cities safer, offers aid to those in need and shortens your commute.

future of payments
Key trends shaping Asia’s future payments landscape

Use of digital payments in Asia has grown by 2.5 times in 2020, compared to pre-Covid times. The role of payments in Asia’s overall banking landscape has expanded as well, now representing 44% of aggregate banking revenues, compared with a third as recently as 2007.

COVID-19 RECOVERY
COVID effect: APAC consumers quick to embrace QR codes for payments

The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed e-commerce technology ahead by two years and driven a revolution in how people pay for things. According to the Mastercard New Payments Index, 94% of consumers in the Asia Pacific region say they’ll consider using at least one emerging payment technology in the next year.

Payments Trends
Business Insider Finance Transformers roundtable

Mastercard's Ari Sarker joins executives from Airwallex, Klarna and PayPal to discuss the massive shift toward digital payments in 2020, and what's in store for 2021. Here’s what they had to say.

Open Banking
Open banking: The race to protect data rights

Data decency and consumer trust are the bedrock of open banking. Head of Services for Asia Pacific Matthew Driver says decency, transparency and consumer consent are required for long-term success, and shares why open banking, if done right, will change the world.

coopetition
The changing nature of 'coopetition'

Collaborating with competitors – is it worth it? APAC CTO Gautam Aggarwal says technology is transforming how and why companies work together, and how competitors can make the most of it.

Data Strategy
Don’t shy away from building a competitive data strategy

Three steps to building a competitive data strategy.

Digital commerce is here to stay

As digital payments become a mainstay in the next normal, SMEs can overcome the sustained impacts of COVID-19 and earn customer loyalty by embracing ecommerce and touch-free transactions – without compromising on cybersecurity.

Small Business
Mastercard taps on tech to boost SME funding access, e-commerce needs

The payments giant has been building new tech platforms that help increase access to credit for small businesses.

Innovation
Payments prediction: Your face is the future

Imagine paying using only your face, voice or a wave of the hand. Soon biometrics and the integration of AI, technology tools and social commerce will make passwords and pins things of the past. Ari Sarker and Sandeep Malhotra offer a peek into the future.

Payments Trends
RTPs: Supporting nation-building agendas

The shift from cash to a digital economy fuelled by real-time payments (RTPs) has accelerated. With financial inclusion via payments digitization at the core of most nation-building agendas, Asia now leads the world in RTPs. Asia Pacific Co-President Ari Sarker says the next challenge is connecting those infrastructures across borders.

Open Banking
With open banking, nice guys will finish first

Open banking can turn tedious processes into delightful transactions – as long as users share their data. As open banking takes off, businesses that ethically manage consumer data will see the greatest returns.

COVID-19 RECOVERY
We need to talk about data inequality

As COVID-19 wreaks havoc on businesses, those with the resources and know-how to use data and predictive analytics will have a supersized advantage over those that don’t.

COVID-19 RECOVERY
The future of payments is contactless

Change is often a gradual process — not a big-bang event — as information, motivation and infrastructure take time to converge. But in the case of COVID-19, the need for social distancing has heightened demand for secure, quick transactions, creating ripe conditions for the rapid adoption of contactless payments which provide users with much-needed peace of mind.

COVID-19 RECOVERY
If you want to go far, go together

While collaboration between big corporates and small fintechs isn’t always easy or organic, it’s important to focus on common goals — benefiting consumers and growing businesses. As millions emerge from COVID-19 more digitally-savvy and e-commerce-oriented, not investing in partnerships now could be costly in the long run.

Open Banking
Going digital: Transformation of Asia-Pacific financial landscape

Open Banking is accelerating the development of the digital financial economy. Learn how players need to adapt to the digital ecosystem to better serve the needs of consumers and SMEs.

Open Banking
Mastercard APAC's winning strategy in the digital age

As Asia’s banking scene makes way for more digital players, find out how we think they’ll change the game, why fintegration is the way forward and how we see the next five years playing out as digitization continues to revolutionize banking.

cybersecurity
Time to get in tune with consumers on data and cybersecurity

62% of consumers are concerned about fraud or identity theft, but only 43% of corporates are, according to a new survey conducted by Mastercard and Harvard Business Review. This perception gap is dangerous and potentially costly for companies

inclusive growth
Do SMEs hold the key to real inclusive growth?

Globalization has carried us far but it will take more to uplift the billions that remain left behind. As technological change races on and governments grapple with innumerable challenges, it’s time for the private sector to step up.

women entrepreneurs
With fewer women entrepreneurs, economies suffer

Though women make up close to half of Singapore’s workforce, they account for little more than a quarter of all business owners. This not only holds women back, but also has consequences for the macroeconomy and society which may miss out on ground breaking ideas.

Open Banking
The future of banking in Asia

In a region of diverse financial systems, which is also home to an astonishing share of the world's digitally native population, here's what our Asia Pacific head of Data & Services sees as the three unifying factors that will transform the face of banking in Asia.

women entrepreneurs
For richer or poorer: One size doesn’t fit all when designing a better world for women in business

Discover the enabling factors that make the difference for women entrepreneurs in Asia. Knowing how inequalities can be expressed in various ways across the region is the first step in closing the gender gap.