The Philippines along with Thailand are bright spots in Asia with 45 per cent of women researchers according to a report released this year by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organizations (UNESCO). Data were not available for many other Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, but researchers say they expect lower levels there.

According to Emerlinda Roman, former president of the University of the Philippines, citing figures from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), of more than 2,100 higher education institutions in the Philippines, 39 per cent, or 850 institutions, were led by women in 2011. Roman notes that there is already a general acceptance of women's ability to assume leadership positions, in higher education especially. Women account for almost half of the country's researchers, which surpass some Western countries, writes Liz Gooch for The New York Times Asia Pacific.