This publication is the result of a participatory research process. A wide number of stakeholders with expertise on women’s economic empowerment in MENA countries contributed. It is a joint effort of the OECD, the Arab Women Centre for Training and Research (CAWTAR) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
The report has been developed in the framework of the MENA-OECD Women’s Economic Empowerment Forum, under the direction of Andreas Schaal, Director of the OECD Global Relations Secretariat. It also benefited from the leadership, oversight and support of Gabriela Ramos, OECD Chief of Staff and Sherpa to the G20.
At the OECD, Charlotte Goemans led the project and drafted the report under the strategic direction of Carlos Conde, Head of the Middle East and Africa Division. Carlos Conde provided guidance on the conceptualisation and analytical framework for this study. Vanessa Berry-Chatelain supported the drafting and provided insightful views throughout the process. Consultants Nora Alim and Farah El Barnachawy carried out research and analysis on the legislation and jurisprudence of the four countries covered by the publication. Sabrina Gasparrini provided drafting support and strategic insights. Yasmina Aziki, Elise Jelsma, Sara Mouhoud, Lynda Kokui Zanu, Meryam El Bouhati, Peilin Lu and Yasmeen Moreau provided valuable research and drafting support. Peilin Lu designed the infographics. This publication is inspired by the 2017 OECD report, Women's Economic Empowerment in Selected MENA Countries: The Impact of Legal Frameworks in Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia. The 2017 report was led by Nicola Ehlermann, who advised on the first steps of the current report.
At the CAWTAR, Dr. Soukaina Bouraoui, Executive Director, provided strategic direction and guidance.
At the ILO, Eric Oechslin, Director, ILO Cairo Office and Decent Work Team for North Africa provided overall overview. The following staff members participated in the drafting and/or peer review of the publication: Ines Ayari, Chief Technical Advisor, Decent Work for Women, ILO Cairo Office, Decent Work Team for North Africa; Coen Kompier, Senior International Labour Standards Specialist, ILO Decent Work Team for North Africa; ILO Cairo Office and Valeria Esquivel, Employment Policies and Gender Specialist, Employment and Labour Markets Policies Branch, ILO. Dr. Fatma Alrazzaz, Professor of Social Legislations, Dean of the Faculty of Law, Helwan University provided an overview of legal and policy reforms aiming at women economic empowerment in Egypt.
The publication team expresses its sincere gratitude to the co-Chairs of the MENA-OECD Women’s Economic Empowerment Forum (WEEF), Dr. Sahar Nasr, former Minister of Investment and International Co-operation of Egypt; and H.E. Marie-Claire Swärd Capra, Ambassador of Sweden to Algeria, for their commitment and support. The participants of the 2017 and 2018 WEEF provided important information and insights that fed into the publication. The team wishes to thank Neziha Labidi, former Tunisian Minister of Women, Family, Children and Seniors Affairs; Mohammad Naciri, former Director of UN Women Regional Office for Arab States; Eva Johansson, Lead Gender Policy Advisor, SIDA; and Nickie Monga, Country Director, Oxfam in Jordan for co-organising and participating in the side event of the 63rd Commission on the Status of Women. This side event discussed the importance of legislative reforms in support of women’s economic empowerment in MENA and provided useful information for the publication.
The publication team would like to thank all the people who responded to the questionnaires sent out for the purpose of this publication. In-depth interviews for the publication were carried out in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia. Annex A details the key contributors by country.
A team of peer reviewers reviewed the report. Comments and inputs were provided by Capitolina Díaz, Professor of Sociology and President of the Association of Women Researchers and Technologists; Nayda Almodovar-Reteguis, World Bank; Katrin Schulz, World Bank; Julia Braunmiller, World Bank; Nour Chamseddine, World Bank; Samaa Haridi, Hogan Lovells, Coral Hill, The School of Law; Ilham Kabbouri, Hogan Lovells; Hayet Khaled, Multilateral Cooperation Officer, Tunisian Ministry of Women, Family, Children and Seniors Affairs; Moushira Khattab, former Egyptian Minister for Family and Population; Sue Millar, Stephenson Harwood and Lizzette Robleto de Howarth, The Law Society of England and Wales; and Suzanne Szczetnikowicz, Millbank LLP.
Experts from within the OECD also reviewed the report. William Thompson was the report’s lead reviewer. Mariarosa Lunati provided strategic advice and guidance, in particular on statistical approaches. Comments and suggestions were also provided by Willem Adema, Miriam Allam, Pierre de Boisséson, Chris Clarke, Gaelle Ferrant, Jonas Fluchtmann, Regina Gallego, Alessandro Goglio, Pinar Guven, Sarah Hermanutz, Estelle Loiseau, Alejandra Maria Meneses Scherie Nicol, Hyeshin Park, Lorenzo Pavone, Roula Sylla, Tatyana Teplova and Lisa Williams. Fiona Hinchcliffe edited the publication.
The report benefitted from financial support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).