SANA'A: Yemeni women are facing many challenges and difficulties when it comes to their involvement at work and in the economy at large. Studies reveal the low percentage of women participation in the country's economic development, which economists say is hindering the country's move forward as women‘s entrepreneurship is often vital. Nabil Tairi, a senior economic researcher at the Ministry of Planning recently presented a study on “Women Economic Empowering Priorities in the Transitional Period” at the National Conference for Women, which was held in Sana'a. The study highlighted the fact that the women's participation was 8 times lower than their male counterparts, who represent 74.1 percent of the market. Although an increase of 9.6 percent was witnessed in 2004 and 10.6 percent in 2006, a sharp decline in participation occurred in 2007-2010 with levels going back to 9.7 percent. Moreover, UN Development Reports show that Yemeni women's economic performance was the lowest in the world, underscoring gender inequalities. Local studies depict a similar phenomenon, with women participation in the economy being seriously lagging in Yemen. The studies indicate that only 7.6 percent of the young girls as opposed to 24.4 percent for young boys finish their high school studies. Similarly, woman only represents 0.7 percent of the parliament members and 19 percent of the labor force in comparison to 74 percen for men. Women account for only 8 percent of the total workforce (2004-2010). With low indicators also being recorded in the private sectors with only 3.7 percent of professionals being women, Yemen is probably the worst possible place in the Arabic and Islamic world for working women. Studies showed that several factors contributed to such low level of participation amongst women, such as women low education level, the increase of fertility rate, early marriages, weak infrastructure especially in the villages, as well as social stigma. Furthermore, low economical rates, lack of investments, population increase, low education level, low productivity, unemployment high percentage and the weakness of the private sector are all additional factors that lead to the low participation of women in the economy. Nabil Tairi's study highlighted the needs for reforms which would specifically target women, empowering them and helping them to increase their entrepreneurship skills and benefit the country's economic revival. He advised that rules and regulations needed to be set in place to encourage women to invest their wealth back into the economy as one should not underestimate their abilities to contribute. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/3LdYa Tags: Challenges, Empowerment, featured, Women, Work, Yemen Section: Editor's choice, Latest News, Women, Yemen
