Closing the gender gap in the middle east and North Africa

Abstract

The gender gap in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is one of the largest in the world, despite considerable evidence that gender equality is associated with higher economic growth and improved human development. The size and implications of the gender gap in the region are reviewed to explore alternatives for reducing gender inequities. Unlike the focus on supply-side interventions, such as providing access to schools or to contraceptives, highlighted in some of the gender literature, this paper argues that progress in enhancing women's economic roles must rely more on changing the demand for women's education and employment.

Citation

Shafik, N. (2001), "Closing the gender gap in the middle east and North Africa", The Economics of Women and Work in the Middle East and North Africa (Research in Middle East Economics, Vol. 4), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 13-31. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1094-5334(01)04004-3