Situational analysis of Women & girls In the MENA & arab states region

Reduction in maternal mortality outperforms the global average; decreased from 238 (2000) to 156 (2015) per 100,000 live births, compared to a world average of 216 and the region is yet to reach the goal for lifetime risk of maternal death among 15 years and plus females. 13 of the 21 countries have reached at least 90% skilled birth attendance (Yemen and Somalia report levels below 75%) and roughly 78% of ever married women aged 15-49 reported having their reproductive needs for family planning satisfied with modern methods. Antenatal care is lower in rural and poor areas; estimated 65% of women receive postnatal care. However, in similar areas in the LDC subregion women are most likely to receive no postnatal care at all. Abortion, especially unsafe abortion, is a neglected public health topic despite two in five pregnancies being unplanned, of which one half ending in abortion. Qatar and Tunisia have CSE in schools, with other countries (Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan and Syria) providing some form of sexuality education outside the school context.

Ensure provision of integrated benefit packages which deliver services including thewhole continuum of care at all ages with focus on maternal health, family planning, and the prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted infections, HIV/AIDS and GBV services, and strengthen cross-sectoral coordination to improve efficiency including aadvocating for comprehensive sexuality education in education - both in formal and non-formal settings.

The region has experienced a steady increase in mental health disorders. Within the region 33% of women felt stressed to a point where 'everything seemed like a hassle either 'often' or ‘most of the time' and anxiety disorders and depressions is highly prevalent amongst girls 10 -19 years. Female youth in crisis-affected areas of the region exhibited a higher prevalence of mental health issues than male and refugees with disabilities were twice as likely to report psychological distress than refugees without. COVID-19 pandemic introduced additional mental health strains (and associated strains on services) in all countries. Mental health services are extremely limited within the region, with intra-regional disparity in dedicated human resources and the number of mental hospitals (per 1000,000 population) is higher than global median in only three countries. Women and girls face major barriers in accessing services, programming, and information. Approximately 70% of NGO-run shelters in the region follow the practice of not accommodating women with mental health issues and cultural stigma around mental health often prevents both access to services and effective treatment.

Advance mental health legislations and policies and expand access and quality of available medical, mental health and psychosocial support services, including to address violence against women and girls.

While the region has witnessed a decrease in DALYs for causes such as diarrhoea and respiratory infections in recent years, ischaemic heart disease, major depressive disorders and diabetes have become more widespread. Unhealthy diets – along with physical inactivity - are key contributors to the burden of non-communicable disease in the region where several countries demonstrate highest rates of physical inactivity, obesity, and diabetes in the world (26.9% of men and 43.5% of women). Adolescents perform poorly in engaging in adequate physical activity, this is true globally but is worse in the region with a rate of 87% (84.3% boys and 89.9% girls).

Address the major increase in non-communicable diseases by ensuring gender-responsive research, policies as well as adequate access to training facilities.

There is a specific gender dimension to food security and nutrition. Despite the key roles women play in food systems, they tend to experience a greater risk of food insecurity than men, and more girls die of malnutrition than boys. Across the region, and particularly in countries affected by conflict, female-headed households, rural and refugee women, and women living with a disability are the most susceptible to food insecurity and the most likely to resort to negative coping mechanisms.

Address existing social and economic barriers to women's food security and nutrition by ensuring their equal entitlements, access to and control over assets, resources and services (financial and non-financial), and by enhancing their access to decent employment and social protection. Special attention should be dedicated to support women and girls in conflict-affected areas, women refugees and IDPs, whose access to resources and services is particularly compromised.

The increase in girls' and women's literacy and educational attainment has not translated into participation in the labour force. Socio-cultural norms including what is considered appropriate work and roles for women, laws and policies that restrict a woman's ability to perform certain tasks (e.g., hours or sector), and traditional gender norms all contribute to higher levels of unemployment. Unemployment is highest among female youth in the Mashreq region, where 42.7% of women seeking work are not successful at finding a job. The unemployment rates among women is much higher rates than among men, in both youth and adult categories. The least educated and the most educated women see the highest levels of unemployment.

Enact gender-responsive laws and policies, including those on finance and enforcement, and support the private sector to improve working conditions, safety and security at work, to encourage more women to enter the private sector as an employer of choice.

Women shoulder the majority of the burden of unpaid work in the region, on average 4.7 times more unpaid care work than men - the highest ratio anywhere in the world. This gender gap between women and men's contribution to unpaid care work highlights the undervaluation of women's economic contributions in the region, and suggest the need to recognise the social and economic function of women's unpaid care work as well as the opportunity cost of the time that women spend towards unpaid labour.

Address the high burden of women's unpaid care work and disproportionate domestic responsibilities such as childcare, education, and caring for the elderly and the infirmed, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, including responding to any need of support for women to re-enter the workforce or shift demands as businesses reopen.

Within the region, access to ICTs and low levels digital literacy are factors that contribute to an unequal landscape within the region, both between countries and between the sexes. The percentage of the female population using the internet in the region ranges from 11% in Sudan to 99.8% in Kuwait, average 53.9% for females and 65,5% males. The greatest disparity between males and females is in Iraq where 98.3% of males use the internet versus 51.2% of females. Computer literacy data reveal gaps between females and males in the region. Apart from Qatar (where females are 3.8% more email literate than males in the country), females are reported to have technological skills at lesser rates than their male counterparts. The gender gap in mobile ownership and mobile internet use in the region is pronounced and has remained stagnant or increased within the last few years (women in the region were 9% less likely to own a mobile phone in 2019).

Promote and monitor equal access to and acceptance of digital learning to address and mitigate gender-inequalities reinforced by the digital divide and expand affordable access to the most disadvantaged population with focus on girls in rural areas.

On average, the rates of women and girls who are NEET were 26 percentage points higher than their male counterparts. The female labour force participation rate in the region is lowest in the world slightly over 20% compared to a world rate of 48%. The reason behind gender gaps in employment are largely socio-cultural; including patriarchal state structures, dominant public sector employment, weak private sector employment, and an inhospitable business environment for women because of the conservative nature of gender roles and the lack of support for reproductive and family costs. For those women who do participate in the formal economy, they most often participate in agriculture (27%), education (21%), and manufacturing (11%).

Support women entrepreneurs through increased access to credit and capital, business and technical training, strengthening networks and associations, and gender-responsive procurement and inclusion of women-led businesses in value chains.

Women and girls in the region continue to face very challenging barriers to accessing justice in both formal and informal institutions. Discriminatory gender norms enforced by family or personal status laws remain in many countries, essentially codifying inequality. Many deep-rooted socio-cultural practices do not incentivize but stigmatize and even endanger women and girls who seek justice and services to challenge these norms and help women and girls overcome such barriers are largely insufficient.

Establish and maintain comprehensive referral systems that are survivor-centred and are aligned with human rights standards.

Gender-based violence refers to harmful acts directed at an individual based on their gender. It is rooted in gender inequality, the abuse of power and harmful norms. Different forms of violence include; intimate partner violence, violent discipline and corporal punishment, violence in school, online violence, household chores and unpaid child labour, sexual harassment in private and public sphere including work as well as violence targeting female politicians.

Ensure VAWG programmes assess risk, including recognizing the overlapping risks girls and women experience at different stages, and protective factors across the lifecycle of women and girls in order to promote prevention and age-appropriate responses at all stages.

An estimated one in five girls are married before the age of 18 in the MENA and Arab States region, and one in 25 before the age of 15. Data from Word Bank study highlighted that if child marriage will continue unabated, it will cost developing countries trillions of dollars by 2030. The MENA and Arab States region contains countries with some of the highest female genital mutilation prevalence rates in the world.

Adopt stand-alone legislation on VAWG, including violence related to the legal age of marriage, trafficking, marital rape, and online harassment and amend existing legislation in line with a survivor-centred approach.

Progress has been slow in terms of ensuring comprehensive multi-sectoral care for survivors that is accessible and affordable. Across the region, the legal and justice system is characterized by a patriarchal structure. Women’s organizations have been central to advocating for the needs of survivors, and for the provision of services, particularly case management and counselling, legal aid, livelihood and other social and economic support. Barriers to reporting violence includes fees for services, illiteracy, access to information about services, absence of protection against retaliation and stigmatization. Evidence suggests that elderly women, women with disabilities and women with mental health issues face particular challenges accessing shelters.

Address the stigma related to support-seeking and ensure integrated, age-appropriate and specialized services for survivors of VAWG are affordable, acceptable, accessible and of good quality.

Civic engagement among young people – both men and women – in the region is the lowest in the world. Only 15% of girls and 22% of boys volunteered in their communities. A larger percentage of youth are a member of a civic organization, however the gap between women and men is relatively large: an average of 13% of women and 22% of men are members of civic organizations. Female youth’s ability to participate in any type of civic engagement is limited by both traditional norms around gender, age and lack of opportunities to participate. The shrinking civic space is hampering women’s effective participation in civil society.

Enhance partnerships with civil society organizations and other non-governmental actors and ensure adequate funding for services provided by civil society organizations.

Gender bias is significantly more prevalent in the region among males and females than the worldwide average; 75% women and 90% of men in the region versus global level of 53% of women and 64% of men. This exacerbates traditional gender roles, with homemaking and caretaking being held in high regard. Perceptions of women as leaders, and especially political leaders, are significantly more negative in the region as compared to global statistics. Low civic engagement is caused by traditional age-based hierarchies, disillusionment in engagement with civic action, a lack of safe spaces, and/or a wariness of foreign sponsored programming.

Introduce policies and programmes and allocate adequate resources that address the unequal division of labour and gender stereotypes within households.

In all countries, women have been granted the right to vote. However, women are between 6-18% less likely than men to vote. In some countries, the process of registration and identification can cause issues for women. The social and cultural norms surrounding women in politics are largely similar throughout the region and play a crucial role in impacting decisions women make with regards to participating in the political process. Perceptions of women as leaders, and especially political leaders, are significantly more negative in the region as compared to global statistics. More than 90% of men in the region believe that men make better leaders and do not agree that women’s rights are essential, as compared to a global average of 64%. Violence against women in politics is another reason for limited participation, around 80% of women parliamentarians in the Arab region were exposed to one or more forms of violence, and 32% reported experiencing harassment on the internet or social media. The implementation of quotas has been a significant way that Arab States have been able to ensure women’s participation in the electoral process. 33% of countries in the region have legally mandated candidate quotas and 58% have reserved seats in the legislative body.

Adopt legislation and policies that facilitate women’s political participation, including gender-based quota systems for seats in national parliament and local government level or gender-based quota systems for candidate lists for national parliament that meet the international standard of 50 per cent.

Issues at the household level often influence the most basic and most important decisions that families make, such as decisions to start a family, health care, child and elder care, employment, spending habits, residency, and migration. There are still many barriers preventing women from exercising full autonomy. More than half of the married respondents in the region believes that a husband should always have the final say on family decisions. Young people feel left out from public life, for many girls, this sense of disempowerment begins at home, where decision-making power is often severely restricted.

Initiate qualitative research to understand household decision-making dynamics, as well as research into women’s participation in activism and politics at the local and national levels, in order to better understand and address barriers to leadership.