UN Report Uncovers Gender Disparity in Workforce Participation in Arab Region
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Synopsis
The UN report highlights a persistent gender gap in labor force participation in the Arab region, revealing that only 20% of women are employed. The report calls for urgent measures to empower women and address inequalities in the workforce.
Key Takeaways
- Significant gender gap in labor force participation.
- Only 20% of women in the workforce.
- Women spend 4.7 times more on unpaid work.
- 115 years to close gender participation gap.
- 18% of parliamentary seats held by women.
Beirut, April 16 (NationPress) A recent report published on Wednesday by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) highlights a notable disparity in workforce participation between males and females in the Arab region.
Titled 'Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: A Gender Snapshot of the Arab Region 2024', the report indicates that merely one in five women in the region is either employed or actively looking for a job, in stark contrast to the global average of 49 percent.
Women in this area bear an unequal burden of unpaid domestic and caregiving responsibilities, dedicating 4.7 times more hours each day to these tasks compared to men.
According to the report, at the current rate, it would take an alarming 115 years to eliminate the workforce participation gap between women and men.
The report also notes that 29.4 million girls in the Arab nations were wed before turning 18.
Despite these challenges, some advancements in the empowerment of women and girls have been made.
Women now occupy 18 percent of parliamentary positions, a significant rise from a decade ago, and maternal mortality has decreased by 45 percent, from 246 to 139 deaths per 100,000 live births from 2000 to 2020.
Moreover, 5.5 million more girls are completing each educational stage from primary to lower secondary since 2015, as reported by Xinhua. The gap in primary education completion rates has narrowed to 3 percentage points, and girls in secondary education are outperforming boys, with completion rates of 68 percent compared to 66 percent for boys.
In the job market, 23 percent of employed women in the region work in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.
The report urges a renewed regional commitment to hasten efforts to close the gender gap and enhance the rights and empowerment of all women and girls.
