Middle East needs to close gender gap to spur growth | beyondbrics

Middle East needs to close gender gap to spur growth | beyondbrics:

"For years, the Middle East and North Africa has been grappling with conflict, widespread unemployment, and civil unrest. Today, governments across the region face the additional challenges of an unprecedented refugee influx, inadequate infrastructure after years of neglect, and lukewarm investor sentiment. With all of this, should closing gender gaps be a priority in the region?

A growing body of evidence makes a strong business case for saying “yes” and ensuring that women are fully integrated into the economy. A report from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) found that if Egypt leveled the economic playing field, for example, it could boost its GDP by 34 per cent.

According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), women’s work is an important poverty-reducing factor in developing economies. Greater earnings by women could result in higher spending on school enrollment for children, including girls. Economies in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) gain tremendously from closing economic gender gaps."



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