Dubai, July 08: The MENA region has witnessed radical changes since December last year, which resulted in toppling two of dictators. These popular uprisings were not only unprecedented but also had a snowball effect which has now swept most Arab countries and mobilised more women demanding change.
Tahani El-Gebali, Egypt’s first female high court judge said in a teleconference on Thursday after a UN Women’s report was released two days ago, that women in Egypt were instrumental in bringing about a regime change, the current transitional period is bringing opportunities for change, there are nevertheless a number of concrete challenges, notably in relation to women’s participation in the emerging states as well as the increasing role and visibility of conservative religious groups. “In this particularly important moment in history, the reform of national constitutions presents one such challenge. The key issue at this stage is to ensure that the current constitutional reforms practice equality between women and men and non-discrimination in both the private and the public sphere. In addition, the shape, nature and legitimacy of women’s public and political participation remains a work in process,” she said.
While women do not enjoy fully equal citizenship or nationality rights in any country in the region, since 2002, Egypt, Libya and Morocco have introduced reforms to give women greater rights to transmit citizenship to children, while Algeria, Iraq, Qatar and Tunisia have taken steps to amend laws that discriminate against women in relation to passing citizenship to both children and spouses.
Four countries — Algeria, Iraq, Morocco and Tunisia — outlaw sexual harassment in the workplace, protecting women’s rights in this sphere.
However, women’s labour force participation is 26 per cent, around a third of that of men. In most countries in the region, women are restricted from working the same hours or in the same jobs as men, limiting their opportunities.
In decision-making and politics, the UAE has the highest number of women holding key positions and along with Tunisia is second when it comes to women representation in the parliament. The UAE is ranked third globally where 53 per cent of working-age women had jobs compared with 78 per cent of men. When it comes to maternity leave (45 days), Bahrain and UAE were ranked third from the bottom.
“Women have been at the forefront of the Arab Spring campaigns for democracy, demanding a say in how their countries’ futures are shaped. In Tunisia, women’s rights activists have secured a commitment that the new parliament will include a 50:50 quota for women’s representation,” said Doraid.
Three countries in the region now have laws that prohibit domestic violence — Egypt, Jordan and Morocco. Algeria, Iraq, Morocco and Tunisia outlaw sexual harassment in the workplace, but no countries explicitly outlaw marital rape.
Globally, data from 39 countries show that where women are present in the police, reporting of sexual assault increases. But, on average only 2 per cent of police officers in the region are women.
With regards to the driving ban in Saudi Arabia and women defying it, he said that being the only country in the world which denies women from driving, considering that Saudi women had reserved this all along was “a serious manipulation of gender inequality.”
–Agencies