The main aim of this initiative is to critically examine the current status of women in the Arab region. Women’s welfare in the Arab region has steadily improved in the past few decades with gaps in education and health decreasing the gender disparity gap by 60%, Saudi Arabia for example was among those that improved its educational sub-index score by 11% points (
WEF, 2016). Similarly, a report by Assad (
El Swais, 2015) stated that girls in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region actually outperform boys especially in the maths and sciences. However, in spite of such progress, women in the
region remain to be the most vulnerable to poverty because of unequal access to economic and other resources. For example, while 50% of the women in the world are actively employed or seeking jobs, only about half or 27% of women in the MENA are of the same status (World Bank, 2012 cited in
OECD, 2014). Thus, it appears that investments in human development are not readily translated to better economic and political outcomes for women and that women’s potential and crucial role in development within the region is still impeded by social factors. Among the key constraints of women in the region for economic participation are: strong patriarchal society; strong public sector and a weak private sector; and lack of support and benefits for women in the employment sector (Assad cited in
El Swais, 2015).