CAIRO: Egypt has shown improvement from last year in the results of the MasterCard index of women's advancement, with its index score rising from 62.3 in 2008 to 72.1 in this year's survey. The annual MasterCard Worldwide Index of Women s Advancement compares the socio-economic level of women with that of men via four key indicators: rates of participation in higher education and the labor force, the number of women in managerial positions, and the proportion of women who earn above median income. The index covers 14 countries in Asia and seven countries in the Middle East and Africa including Egypt, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Although the overall index score for the Middle Eastern region dropped to 76.9 in 2009 from 78.3 last year, the region still topped the index over the Asia Pacific region with a score of 72.4 for 2009. Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE had the highest index scores in the region at 112.2, 104.3 and 93.3, respectively. Although the results of the index indicate positive progress for women in Egypt and other Arab countries, it does not measure some of the most vital indicators of women's daily life, according to Rebecca Chiao, a consultant on women's rights issues in Cairo. "The survey is very much focused on labor force data and there are no indexes for political participation or human development indicators. These indicators reveal more about women's daily lives than labor force participation data, she said. Additionally, the methodology and sources of data used in the index are not clearly stated, and other important factors impacting the experience of women are not taken into account. "The methodology of the index is questionable, it states using surveys and government and international NGO data, but which sources are used is not clear and this is important because not all data from these sources is credible. The survey also doesn't seem to cover the informal sector and does not differentiate between rural and urban women; these are important factors when considering Egypt's female labor force, explained Chiao. Even when working within the limits of the index, Egypt's increased score does not indicate progress across all indicators. The rise was primarily the result of a higher proportion of women reporting earning above median income, 77 per 100 men in 2008 to 113 in 2009; and more women occupying managerial positions, 61 in 2009 up from 57 per 100 men last year. Experts disagree on the accuracy of these findings as well. Chaio explained that the median income indicator in the index is based on women's own ratings of their income, which could be influenced by a number of factors. "I don't think the numbers for this indicator reflect reality, and I think that's largely because the indicator was perception-based. Just because women see themselves as earning above median income doesn't mean that they are. Their responses could be impacted by any number of factors. As far as management positions go, the numbers reported by the index haven't really changed since 2007, she said. Speaking at the recent Doha Forum on democracy and free trade, Egyptian delegate Hala Al-Barkouky, managing partner of the Allied Business Consultants, also challenged the idea that women are making inroads into management positions, as claimed in the index results. She said that management positions for women are largely limited to the banking sector, and that women are not found in top positions across sectors. Representation in politics is also limited, she pointed out. "There are only 10 women in the 444-member Egyptian parliament. There are only two women ministers in a cabinet of 33, she said. The index results since 2007 show that Egypt's women's labor force participation rate as measured by the index has actually dropped since 2007, from the already low 27.55 per 100 men to 26.71 in the latest index. Chiao explained that low numbers in this indicator have a serious impact not only on women in the economy, but on the wellbeing of entire families. "Women's labor force participation rates as measured by the index are very low. This has a significant impact here in Egypt because it affects the status of women within the family. "Women who contribute income are more likely to have decision-making power within the family unit and are less likely to be victims of violence. At the same time, 1/3 of Egyptian households are headed by women, so if these women are not in the labor force that impacts entire families, she said. Levels of women in higher education have also dropped slightly since 2007 from 87.59 women per 100 men to 87.54 today. According to Chiao these numbers are strong, but the index does not offer a tool to assess women's representation in different disciplines, or what is actually done with this education after graduation. "Women are still segregated by field in universities; they are encouraged to go into fields like pharmacy or chemistry but are underrepresented in medicine and engineering. Also, many women get married after graduation and don't apply their degrees in a professional setting. "While tertiary education benefits women regardless, it is misleading to compare its benefits directly with the benefits men get, as they are often quite different depending on the circumstances, she said. While the index is not a sufficiently detailed tool by which to determine women's labor policy, it does provide a glimpse into the situation of women in the formal economy, and in particular the challenges facing Egyptian women in the labor market.
