How Arab states can gain from women’s workforce participation

How Arab states can gain from women’s workforce participation

Wed, 2019-12-18 00:44

ABU DHABI: The importance of gender equality “” equitable or fair representation of men and women “” is gaining ground in Arab countries whose leaders and governments have come to regard it as an economic and strategic imperative.

The consensus view of a group of experts who took part in a panel discussion at the recent SALT Conference in Abu Dhabi is that countries that boost women's employment are, sooner or later, likely to reap economic rewards.

Estimates show that bringing each GCC member up to the best regional standard for women's workforce participation would roughly add $180 billion “” or 7 percent “” to the size of the bloc's combined economy by 2025, while full gender parity would add 32 percent, or $830 billion.

"The Middle East has traditionally been behind other regions of the world in terms of the gender gap,“ said Masuda Sultan, chief executive officer of Symbio Services and a women's rights advocate. "But that's changing, with countries like the UAE leading the way amid a revolutionary time for the region.“

From establishing a Gender Balance Council to guaranteeing that women will comprise almost half the seats in the Federal National Council (FNC), the UAE is seen as