Publication: Opening Doors : Gender Equality in the Middle East And North Africa
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2012-03
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2012-08-13
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Many countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region are undergoing a profound transformation. From Morocco to Yemen, popular movements have called for reforms to make government more inclusive and more accountable, extend social and economic freedoms, and boost employment opportunities. Young men and women have been at the forefront of these calls for change, reflecting their desire to participate actively in the political sphere. As new governments are being formed in Tunisia and Egypt, and elections are underway elsewhere in the region, people continue to demonstrate for meaningful change. It is now clear that the rapid transformation that seemed so close at the start of the Arab Spring is in fact likely to be a process of gradual change that will take months, if not years. This quick note is based on a report which complements the 2012 World Development Report (WDR) on Gender Equality and Development, focusing on challenges and reform priorities for gender equality in the MENA region. The approach of the WDR 2012, the report draws on economic analysis of quantitative data from countries in the region, qualitative research and other international evidence.
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“Vishwanath, Tara. 2012. Opening Doors : Gender Equality in the Middle East And North Africa. MENA Knowledge and Learning Quick Notes Series; No. 60. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/10844 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
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Publication Opening Doors : Gender Equality and Development in the Middle East and North Africa(Washington, DC, 2013-02-06)Since the early 1990s, countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region have made admirable progress in reducing the gap between girls and boys in areas such as access to education and health care. Indeed, almost all young girls in the Region attend school, and more women than men are enrolled in university. Over the past two decades, maternal mortality declined 60 percent, the largest decrease in the world. Women in MENA are more educated than ever before. It is not only in the protest squares that have seen women whose aspirations are changing rapidly but increasingly unmet. The worldwide average for the participation of women in the workforce is approximately 50 percent. In MENA, their participation is half that at 25 percent. 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The report's analytic approach is unique in threading together three bodies of evidence and analysis to shed new light on significant trends and causes underpinning the large gender disparities in the country. The report presents: i) a fresh look at available survey data on human development and socio-economic indicators in the country; ii) a brief history and in-depth analysis of the most critical legal barriers to women's and girl's full participation in Yemeni society; and iii) insights from a rich qualitative dataset collected in January 2011.The findings especially highlight the powerful roles of social norms and legal rights and entitlements in placing women and girls at a disadvantage and constraining not only faster progress on gender equality but also the country's economic development. The objectives of this report are two-fold: first, to take stock of the status of gender outcomes in Yemen and understand the forces that are driving the strong gender inequalities; and second, drawing on these insights and outcomes of the study, to highlight promising areas for policy action in this crucial transition period. The report explores how individual aspirations and opportunities in the areas of education, family formation, and labor force participation are constrained by the severe gender gaps in Yemeni society.Publication Capabilities, Opportunities and Participation : Gender Equality and Development in the Middle East and North Africa Region(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2011-09)Many countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region are undergoing a profound transformation. From Bahrain to Yemen, from Tunisia to Egypt, popular movements are calling for political change and a more inclusive development path that will provide ordinary citizens with greater voice, social and economic freedom, and government accountability. Young men and women have been visibly at the forefront of these calls for change, and continue to participate actively. This quick note is based on the overview of the regional report with the same title which complements the 2012 World Development Report (WDR) on gender equality and development. The WDR highlighted the influence and interconnectedness of markets, formal and informal institutions and households in determining gender outcomes. Following the WDR, the report, which will go through a series of consultations in the countries in the region, draws on economic analysis of quantitative data from countries in the region, qualitative research and international evidence. 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