Reports on women's status in Egypt and the Arab world make call for equity. Dina Ezzat examines some of the arguments As the rights of women in the Middle East are steadily propelled to new heights, and the culture of peace is progressively regarded as one with women at it's core, the question of governance shifts more prominently into the agenda. Part of that effort includes a report launched earlier this month by the World Bank in cooperation with the Egyptian National Council for Women, entitled Jobs, Growth, Gender and Governance: Unlocking the Potential for Prosperity. Focussing on the Middle East and North Africa region, the report's primary focus is prescribing a formula for economic growth in the region, touching on women's status and role in these countries and looking into the link between women's status and economic growth. "The region has yet to fully integrate into the stream of global commerce and investment," the report stated, pointing out regional failure to bridge the gap between its meagre three per cent trade growth during the past decade and the world trade growth of 10 per cent during the same period. It argues that the region's per capital income "could have grown substantially more had women had greater access to economic opportunity", -- a notion to which a sizable portion of the report is dedicated. "The situation of women in the region presents a unique paradox," authors of the report write. While, on the one hand, decades of heavy investments in social sectors have in fact made a marked difference in women's education and health, on the other hand, women in the Middle East and North Africa region are far from being empowered. "Less than one-third of women participate in the labour force, the lowest among all regions," the report states. It attributes this "disappointing" figure to "persistent social and economic barriers that limit women's access to opportunities". It is a reality of which Arab women are acutely aware. "We in Tunis are very liberal compared to other Arab countries when it comes to women's rights," shares Fadila Tawfiq, a Tunisian woman in her late 20s. "We have better laws and better rights there is no doubt about it." Working as a guest manager in a five-star hotel, Fadila manages a team comprised of both men and women. She has no problem delegating tasks, but says that competition with men certainly poses an obstacle. "Nobody would ever say it as such but when it comes to promotions women don't have as a good opportunity as men. The bias is not total but it is there." Fadila's remarks, however, are perhaps the most positive compared to other Arab women interviewed by Al-Ahram Weekly -- indicative, aptly, of the differing circumstances from one country to another. But the difference is relatively slight if one is to look at a bigger, ideally genderless picture. Women from Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Syria and Egypt are in consensus that their access to job opportunities is never equal when it comes to men. "I was bluntly told that I am qualified but the job will go to another contender, simply because he is a man and I am a woman," shares Salwa Abdel-Wahab, an Egyptian computer engineer. "Why do they prefer a man? I don't know. They did not tell me. I did not ask. I suppose it is obvious that men get to have the best jobs and we get to have their leftovers," she shrugs. Another report recently issued by the Egyptian National Council on Women indicates that while women consist of about 50 per cent of the Egyptian population, women's participation in the work force does not comprise much more than 20 per cent. And indeed, unemployment rates among Egyptian women seeking job opportunities is four times more than among Egyptian men. According to the World Bank report "economic growth relies increasingly on a country's quality of human resources and women remain a hugely untapped resource." The report goes on to stress that "gender issues need to be viewed as central in policy design and implementation. Gender implementation is not only for the sake of women, it is for the sake of economic growth and welfare." The World Bank report urged policy-makers to swiftly pursue policies leading to gender equity -- a point being called for globally. Egypt figures squarely into that international action. According to Farkhonda Hassan, secretary-general of the Egyptian National Women's Council, the Egyptian government is being continuously encouraged by the council to promote women's access to job opportunities and promotion. The point is reiterated by Hana Sorour, director of the Women's Affairs Department at the Arab League, who says that women's access to job opportunities is a key concern for many Arab governments, even those of more conservative societies such as Saudi Arabia. Indeed, the concept of gender equality makes an impressive appearance in many constitutions and other relevant legal texts across the Arab world. But as realities indicate, text does not systematically translate into practice. Discrimination against women for opportunities in the workplace remain rife. A reality partially based on skewed perception. "Let me be very honest with you," says the owner of one Cairene stationary shop. "When I give a job to a man he uses the money to provide for his family, but when I give it to a woman she uses the money on her make-up and jewellery." The remark reflects a widespread ignorance -- oblivion to the fact that some 30 per cent of Egyptian families depend either entirely or partially on women-made incomes. And the little notice on the window of the stationary store advertising an opening for "a male stationary attendant" reflects simple disregard for the fact that the Egyptian constitution stipulates "equal opportunity" for men and women. But as the owner of this stationary says, "if my note is unconstitutional then why do state banks put ads in the papers and declare job openings for men?" Jordan's Queen Rania, current chair of the Arab Women's summit, emphasises the repercussions, quoted in the World Bank report saying "gender inequality has a negative impact not only on women but also on society as a whole." Despite this high level Jordanian recognition of the impact of gender-based injustice, some believe strong tangible change is still needed in the country. "It is true that things are improving for women in my country, but this is primarily related to access to education," said a female Jordanian journalist who asked for her name to be withheld. "As for access to job opportunities, I think that men are still preferred -- generally. I have a decent job but I think I deserve better jobs. Maybe I can get a better job if I go to work in Dubai." Dubai is a reoccurring reference -- having fast blossomed into a work haven, for those in the media as well as a multitude of other fields. But while reporters and producers admit there is little evidence of discrimination, many of them attribute this luxury status to the fact that work in most organisations there -- the media being no exception -- is run by foreigners. As one journalist commented, "when we are talking about Dubai we are talking about a cosmopolitan environment. This does not mean that women of the United Arab Emirates are accorded any equality." Regardless of the root, the situation of equal employment opportunities in Dubai is something that should, constitutionally, be the regional norm: Arab countries have made repeated commitment to gender equality in the workplace, partaking in a host of international conventions, including the Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the plan of action of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development, and the 1995 Beijing Plan of Action adopted by the UN Women's Conference hosted by the Chinese capital. The meek level of commitment demonstrated to honouring international commitments on women's rights is an issue that is monitored closely by numerous concerned bodies, including the Amman-based regional office of UNIFEM. "We try to monitor as much as we can, especially that over half of the 22 Arab countries ratified CEDAW, obviously with reservations on certain articles related to equality on inheritance and other matters that some governments perceive as contradictory to the principles of Islamic laws," said Haifaa Abu Ghazala, director of the UNIFEM regional office. UNIFEM shares the findings of this monitoring process not only with the governments, but also with concerned members of the Arab civil society. "Women's issues is not just a job for the governments, we are not saying this to spare the governments, but it is really a matter for NGOs to worry about too," she said. Abu Ghazala believes that the monitoring process has been somewhat successful in encouraging governments to revisit their national laws and encourage the adoption of new legislation that promote women's rights. But she is convinced that without a profound shift in social perspective of the role of women as "mainly wives and mothers" discrimination against women will continue when it comes to offering women a fair access to education, employment and career advancement. Discrimination against women in the Arab countries, however, is far from being limited to access to job opportunities -- even if that is the most widely made complaint. Even when it comes to the "wife and mother role", UNIFEM findings indicate that women are still subject to wide discrimination: in most Arab countries women do not have equal freedom to choose their spouses; women do not have the same rights within the marriage institution; women are not in full control of their reproductive plans; women do not have equal rights on decision-making related to their children; and women do not have equal rights to their spouses to terminate the marriage upon their wish. Yasmine Mohamed is a 30-year-old Egyptian woman trying to get a divorce, keep the custody of her children, and find a job. Her account offers a good resume of the widespread gender discrimination in the Arab world: "I was married to my husband under family pressure. I was not forced but I was really pressured because I was 27 and my mother was concerned that I am getting too old," she recalls. "My father categorically refused to hear any talk about stipulating my right to divorce in the marriage contract because he thought that was not decent." She was pressured by both her mother and mother-in-law to give up her job as a translator and have a child during that first year of marriage. "When my husband started to be mean to me, they said that I have to put up with him," she continues. "Now, I know that this marriage cannot last much longer because I am beaten and insulted by my husband everyday. I want to get divorce but the legal process is going to take a while. I cannot get Khul' because my parents say that will make me look bad." To her, however, she has reached that final straw.
