By Valentine Moghadam
1. Introduction
Social indicators and gender statistics reveal that women in the Arab region are on average more disadvantaged economically, politically, and socially than are women in other regions, and certainly more so than in regions with similar income levels or at similar stages of economic development (e.g., Latin America, Southeast Asia, East Asia). Arab women’s share of the formal non-agricultural labour force is relatively small, as is their share of earned income. Given the region’s oil wealth and urbanization, literacy and educational attainment rates are comparatively low, especially for the adult female population. Women also are under-represented in governance and decision-making positions.
Continue reading: TOWARDS GENDER EQUALITY IN THE ARAB/MIDDLE EAST REGION: ISLAM, CULTURE, AND FEMINIST ACTIVISM
