Women’s economic role in the Middle East and North Africa
Abstract
The labour market in most MENA countries is highly segmented, with women’s work and enterprise activity clustering in a narrow number of sectors considered to be culturally ‘appropriate’. Women are overrepresented in the public sector, which is seen to provide a more accommodating and flexible environment than the private sector, particularly for married women. While the portion of women working in agriculture varies across countries, some evidence points to an increasing ‘feminisation of agriculture’ in the region. Though statistics are considered unreliable, available data indicates that much of women’s work is informal, offering little social insurance and entitlements, and typically low wages. A significant portion of women’s work in the region is thought to be ‘vulnerable’ employment, meaning it offers them little protection against economic shocks.
Added by
CAWTAR
| 2019-02-08 09:48:04
Document Type
Papers
Keywords :
/Women's economic role in the MENA region //Women and labour //Labour Market///Barriers to women's economic participation //Women in the informal sector//Middle East and North Africa/