Lack of Women in Government in the MENA Region

Jun 5

Five women from different races together — Photo from https://education.msu.edu/

Author, Emma Cummings, Blond girl in black blazer — *By Emma Cummings*
*Published Spring 2023*
*Special thanks to Susan May for editing and research contributions.*

Summary+

Only 24.3% of parliament seats globally are held by women, and an even lower 10.4% of parliament seats in the MENA region are held by women.¹ With proper representation in government positions, it can be easier to further political positions such as human rights, education, and the overall development of a country.² This is due in part to some of the top government positions in the family, social welfare, and gender equality areas being held by women.³ There is a lack in the MENA region due to popular social perception, the lack of education and experience, and limited support for women to run. Without an increase of women holding government positions, there will continue to be an increased gender gap, policy and government bias, and impaired economic and societal development. In order to help add to the number of women in government, the MENA region has implemented the use of gender quotasin a variety of countries that have shown positive results and impact.

Key Takeaways+

The MENA region has not had the opportunity to have a significant influence from women in government positions and can benefit from a gender-balanced government.
Current social perception, the lack of female education and experience, and the lack of support all play a role in women being absent in MENA region governments.
When women do not have a strong position in government, data has shown an increased gender gap, policy and government bias, and impaired economic and societal development.
Gendered quotas have proven effective in the MENA region and are becoming more commonly required in government bodies.

Key Terms+

Arab Spring—A string of protests and uprisings in the MENA region from 2010–2011 that supported democracy rather than the then-current authoritarian regimes.⁴

Gender Equality—The state in which access to rights or opportunities is unaffected by gender. Women's and men's interests and needs are prioritized.⁵

Gender Quotas—Policies that ensure a percentage or number of women are part of a parliament, committee, or government body.⁶

Legislation—The policies or enactment of laws created by a legislature or legislative body.⁷

MENA Region—The Middle East and North Africa region. This region consists of Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. These predominantly Islamic countries have not experienced a large extent of Western development.⁸

Tertiary School—Education post-high school, such as college or university-level education.

Unprotected Jobs—Jobs that are low-paid, poor quality, and without social security coverage. Jobs that are low-paid, poor quality, and without social security coverage.⁹

Context

Q: Who is affected by women serving in government?

A: Women who serve in government positions directly affect other individuals involved in government, the people they are serving, and the location they are serving in.¹⁰ A government official directly affects the population it serves through various laws, programs, and social welfare.¹¹ Vulnerable populations facing injustice and inequality are one of the primary responsibilities of government officials.¹² Because common positions in government held by women are directly related to family, social welfare, and gender equality, women tend to affect the vulnerable populations in a community directly.¹³ Women holding political positions generally further human rights, education, and overall development of a country as it enacts policies and fulfills their position duties, thus making it valuable to have women serving in government positions.¹⁴

As of January 1, 2023, 31 out of 193 countries worldwide had a woman serving as the Head of State or Government.¹⁵ Currently, only 6 of these countries have 50% or more of the parliament or cabinet positions filled by women.¹⁶ Additionally, 21 more countries have reached 40% of government positions held by women.¹⁷ These statistics highlight a gap in worldwide gender equality. Researchers predict that overall gender equality in top government positions will not be achieved for 130 more years.¹⁸

Chart showing Percent of Women in Government in the MENA Region

The main population targeted in this brief is educated and qualified women in the MENA Region aged 18 and above. Women with education, knowledge, or experience in leadership or government positions are those most likely to participate in politics and contribute to the number of women serving in government.¹⁹ This brief also addresses young women and girls, as positive female role models create some of the most significant impacts for future women serving in government positions.²⁰

Q: Where in the MENA region is the lack of women in government most prevalent?

Two young kids riding bikes on sand by palm trees — Photo by Kristen Sturdivant on Unsplash

A: According to the 2021 Inter-Parliamentary Union report, the MENA Region ranks lowest in the world regarding women's political representation, followed by the Asian and Pacific regions.²¹ While the lack of women in government is an issue throughout the MENA region, the extent of the gender imbalance varies from country to country.

Of the 10 countries in the world with the lowest representation of women in national legislatures, the MENA Region takes 4 spots—Qatar at 4%, Kuwait and Oman at 2%, and Yemen at 0%.²²^,²³ In other countries, such as Saudi Arabia and Iran, women face significant barriers to political participation, including legal restrictions on their right to vote and run for office.²⁴^,²⁵ On the contrary, UAE has the highest percentage of women in parliament in the region, with women holding 50% of seats in the national parliament.²⁶ Iraq, Tunisia, and Israel are the next closest at 29%, 26%, and 24%, respectively.²⁷

Q: What cultural aspects play a role in the governments in the MENA region?

A: Many local cultures and traditions stem from Islamic practices that affect daily life in the region. Islamic culture is predominant in the region, as an estimated 91.3% of the population identified as Muslim.²⁸ Islamic beliefs also account for government and civilian actions, influencing their attitudes toward women's rights and involvement, which will be discussed more in the contributing factors section of this brief.²⁹^,³⁰

Q: How has the process of women involved in government changed over time?

A: Since 1946, Israel has been the only country with a female head of state in the MENA region. While other countries have gradually increased their state’s female participation in government, women's participation in the MENA region is still significantly below other regions.³¹ At the end of 2022, women were below average for the percentage of legislative seats held in the MENA region—women hold 16.8% of seats compared to 26.4% globally.³² However, this number increased since 2000, when women held 4% of seats in the MENA region and 14% globally.³³^,³⁴

Three pie charts to show 50% of MENA countries ensure ender equality, 56% ensure women in government positions, and 94% have a ratified committee to eliminate discrimination against women

Women’s suffrage has also recently expanded in the MENA region. The United Arab Emirates in 2006, Kuwait in 2007, and Saudi Arabia in 2015 were the last nations in the MENA region to allow women the right to vote.³⁵ Women’s suffrage rates in the MENA region delineate a trend in which women in many MENA countries have had the opportunity to participate in the political arena in the same capacity as men for only a few years.

Contributing Factors

Social Perception

Bias

Bias against women in politics in the MENA Region prevents women from being supported in their political ambitions. Of the 8 regions of the World Economic Forum, MENA has the largest gender equality gap, with only 61.6% of the gap closed.³⁶ The gap ranged from 72% in Israel to 49% in Yemen, and 16 of the 18 MENA countries were ranked in the bottom 30 (of the 156 countries).³⁷ Survey responses can demonstrate the gender equality gap. For instance, over two-thirds of respondents from a survey of the MENA region agreed with the statement, “In general, men are better at political leadership than women.”³⁸ This result shows that bias against women in the MENA region is unconscious and acknowledged. Both women and men responded to the question, showing that it is a societal norm in the region to hold the perception that women are not as capable of being political leaders as men are. However, women in government lead to increased cooperation across party and ethnic lines, decreased levels of corruption, lower levels of civil conflict, and a reduced risk of civil war relapse.³⁹

Violence Against Women in Politics (VAWP)

Women, especially in politics, are not only perceived as being worse at their job but are targets for threats and actions of violence. This perception was evident in Kuwait between 2005–2009 when 4 women began to receive harsh and judgmental media coverage after their election to parliament. Much of the media coverage focused on how women dressed and how emotional they were; these same comments were not said about men in parliament.⁴⁰ In the Arab region as a whole, around 80% of women parliamentarians were exposed to “one or more acts or threats of physical, sexual, and psychological violence,” with 32% reporting harassment and threats through the internet or social media between 2010–2020.⁴¹ Reports show that worldwide, women are 3.4 times more likely than men to receive threats and harassment. Violence against women increases during election cycles and is prominent before, during, and after elections.⁴²^,⁴³ Even after changes to democracy due to the uprisings during the Arab spring, Libya, and Iraq saw female leaders and women’s human rights defenders become targets for violence and death.⁴⁴

Increased threats and violence have shown to be significant deterrents for women considering running for political office. Although statistics for the MENA region concerning overall female participation in politics are difficult to find, reports from South Asia show that more than 60% of women in India, Nepal, and Pakistan combined do not participate in politics due to fear of violence.⁴⁵ While it is difficult to gauge a similar number in the MENA region, the 2 regions are comparable on many social and cultural statistics, including their ties to Islam and low rates for women in government.⁴⁶^,⁴⁷ This statistic signifies that over half of the women in the region will not run for public office or participate in politics, and if they choose to run, they are faced with additional risks.

Patriarchal Society

**Disclaimer: The patriarchy and perceived anti-feminism attitude in the MENA region are commonly misperceived by Western cultures due to Islamic society. Still, it is important to note that feminism and gender equality usually have negative Western connotations for many Arabs.⁴⁸ Natives of the region tend to see feminism and gender equality as movements that promote a Western agenda, thus causing many to push against these terms actively, but not necessarily the ideas behind them. This can be seen in Turkey as, rather than using the term “gender equality,” many choose to use “gender justice” to promote ideas of equality.⁴⁹ Islam as a religion is not contributing to the lack of women in government, but rather the current patriarchal society.

Muslim women in the act of prayer — Photo by Monstera

The patriarchal society of the MENA region leads to a lack of women in government because it leads to women not being able to make autonomous decisions easily. While each country varies in specific details, overarching cultural practices and laws promote patriarchy in the MENA region. One of these practices is that women must obey their husbands. One source found that over half of all individuals in MENA countries surveyed agree that the husband should have the final say in decisions affecting the family.⁵⁰ Additionally, if a wife does not behave “appropriately,” deeply embedded cultural beliefs support the thinking that a man has “the right and even the obligation” to discipline or punish her.⁵¹ This fear of punishment or potential violence dissuades women from implementing their autonomy and, by extension, dissuades them from entering the political sphere if not fully supported by men.⁵² The male guardianship system in Saudi Arabia showcases this by ensuring that every Saudi woman has a male guardian to make critical decisions, thus treating women as permanent legal minors.⁵³ Whether to run for political office or hold a job is one of those critical decisions that men rather than women decide.⁵⁴

This reliance on the husband and father extends beyond decision-making or financial support into economic dependence. Turkey and other MENA countries have official state policies designating mothers as primary caregivers, thus relieving the state of any responsibility or legal obligation to provide additional child support or financial help to working mothers.⁵⁵ These policies have led to market segmentation, allowing men to monopolize most occupations.⁵⁶ This was evident in 2012 throughout the region as the percentage of unprotected jobs was higher among women than men; at this time, nearly 60% of these jobs were held by women, as opposed to only 40% held by men.⁵⁷ The MENA region holds the world’s lowest female labor participation rate at 25%, with a global average of 50%.⁵⁸ Naturally, a lack of women in the labor force is correlated with a lack of women in government positions, as the labor force includes government jobs.⁵⁹

Lack of Equality in Legislation

The MENA region continues to lack women in government due to a lack of enforced laws that protect their rights. These unenforced or absent laws include equal inheritance, domestic violence, age of marriage, right to travel abroad, gendered discrimination laws, and gender equality laws.⁶⁰ Some laws (such as equal inheritance laws) make it difficult for women to ensure control over their money. In contrast, other laws (such as the right to travel abroad) make it difficult to maintain autonomy. These laws work together to inhibit women’s movement and create a cultural barrier for women to participate in the public sphere.⁶¹ Throughout the region, it is difficult for women to be allowed the same political opportunities if there is an inherent starting disadvantage. While various versions of these laws exist throughout the MENA region, women cannot hold influential governmental positions until these laws are overturned and widely discouraged.⁶²

One of the most effective laws for ensuring women's representation in government has come through gendered quotas. These quotas ensure female participation in government as it becomes a requirement for a certain percentage or number of women to hold government positions. However, these quotas exist in only 10 of the 18 states in the MENA region.⁶³ The 10 countries with a quota average 24.28% of parliament members who are women, whereas the 8 countries without a quota average only 7.9% of parliament members who are women.⁶⁴ With the implementation of gender quotas, the percentage of women in the national government has increased from 3.4% in 2000 to 18.2% in 2022.⁶⁵ Without enacting laws that support women’s freedom of movement or implementing gender quotas, there will continue to be a lack of women representation in MENA governments.⁶⁶

Graph showing the women in government in Quota vs Non-Quota Countries

Lack of Education and Experience

Low Female Education Rates

In the MENA region, women are not supported in their political ambitions due to the lack of girls receiving an education. Higher levels of education lead to increased political participation, and voters are more likely to see educated candidates as competent and electable.⁶⁷^,⁶⁸ Female literacy rates are 12% lower than their male counterparts.⁶⁹ The correlation between lower education rates and women in government can be seen in the region through the correlation between women enrolled in tertiary school and the percentage of women holding seats in parliament. In 2009, age-appropriate women comprised only 30% of tertiary school attendees and 9% of available seats in parliament.⁷⁰^,⁷¹

Muslim Women holding a computer smiling at the camera — Photo by Keira Burton

As of 2020, women made up 43% of tertiary school attendees and 17% of available seats in parliament.⁷²^,⁷³ While the percentage has increased throughout the years, there is still an absence of women receiving higher education, which seems to correlate with women's deficiency in government. These numbers correspond because higher education often provides students opportunities to obtain and practice various civic skills.⁷⁴ This shortfall in education correlates to a deficiency in female candidates seeking to run for political office as higher education leads to greater interest and participation in political activities.⁷⁵

Limited Female Youth Participation in the Community

The limited female youth participation in local communities leads to a lack of women in government because it does not allow them ample opportunities to gain necessary political skills. Outside of formal education opportunities, educational opportunities within the community help women engage in political affairs. Civic engagement in the MENA region is the lowest globally, with a median of 9% of youth participating in any civic organization.⁷⁶ The next lowest region is sub-Saharan Africa, with a median of 14% youth participation.⁷⁷ The National Scout Organization for the Arab countries shows girl participation from 0% in most countries to around 30% in Qatar and Palestine, 40% in Algeria, Lebanon, Oman, and 50% in Iraq and Libya.⁷⁸ These statistics show that these rare organizations do not serve much of the female population. The absence of these groups would directly cause even fewer women in government because girls would be unable to participate in leadership positions and develop community-serving desires.⁷⁹ In Yemen, the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and National Endowment for Democracy (NED) held various training sessions and workshops for both Yemeni women and youth that promoted better party inclusion by engaging local community members and social organizations on some of the local issues.⁸⁰ This effort showed promising results as it led to the signing of the “Political Empowerment of Youth and Women Document” by government parties, ensuring a minimum of 30% of women and youth participation in future negotiation processes.⁸¹ Organizations similar to the 2 previously discussed are integral for preparing young women to have the necessary skills to one day later hold a position in government. Though data in the MENA region is scarce, we can see this in a worldwide survey where 67% agree that the situation of women running for government improves when young women participate in political preparation programs.⁸²

Lack of Support

Insufficient Internal and External Support

The lack of women in government in the MENA region comes partly from the scarcity of support women receive to run for office. While many women are qualified to run or have similar qualifications to their male counterparts, they feel underqualified.⁸³ Earlier in this brief, we discussed the survey performed by the Arab Barometer in 2022. Most people in 9 out of 12 countries in the region agreed or strongly agree with the statement, “In general, men are better at political leadership than women.”⁸⁴ This shows that women do not feel qualified and are seen as less qualified by their peers. Frequently, local political organizations do not encourage women to run for office.⁸⁵ The necessary quotas for the number of women in government have helped grow support for exposing women to the idea of running for office. However, many still believe that these quotas would lead to a decline in the quality of politicians.⁸⁶ However, studies have found that enforced quotas have improved the quality of politicians as women can be equally qualified.⁸⁷ Political parties have worried about openly supporting women for fear of losing elections, but women who run for office are elected at similar rates to men.⁸⁸^,⁸⁹

A recent study that sought to find why women do not run for political office as often as men found that women tend to lack the desire to run because they are not as competitive or confident, are more risk-averse than their male counterparts and are still the primary individual responsible for all household tasks and basic childcare.⁹⁰ In the MENA region specifically, women reflect this in taking on the majority of unpaid work in the region. On average, women in the MENA region perform 4.7 times more unpaid work than men.⁹¹ Not only are women finding it difficult to believe they have the qualifications to win, but they are also internally discouraged by consistent responsibilities that may take priority over political participation. Many women feel that holding office can negatively impact these necessary duties and create an unnecessary risk of going against the traditional norm of minimal female political participation.⁹²

A minimal amount of support also exists for female Heads of State in the MENA area. The Arab Barometer surveyed the region and asked if participants think women should be allowed to become the Head of State in a Muslim-practicing country. The survey found that 1 in 6 individuals believed women should be afforded this right (although the number of women who believed this was 18 percentage points higher than the number of men).⁹³ This same study found that two-thirds of individuals across the MENA region think that men are better political leaders (this time, with women being about 12 percentage points lower when compared to men).⁹⁴ Considering that only one woman has been elected as a Head of State in the region and that 10.4% of MENA parliaments are made up of women is a visual reality of these data.⁹⁵

Minimal Female Role Models

Low rates of women in government in the past have led to continued low rates of women in government now. Positive female role models are important for bolstering future generations to run for government leadership. Seeing other women in various government positions allows for future potential female candidates to see it as a viable and potential option.⁹⁶ Muslim women in government have a powerful effect because it shows that it is not a juxtaposing idea to being a woman in power.⁹⁷ To have enough of a role model effect, women need to make up about 33% of the government members.⁹⁸ With sufficient female role models, finding a positive correlation between women in government and future women in government is easier. However, once the 33% threshold is passed, the cross-national percentage of women interested in running for politics exponentially increases.⁹⁹ This has been difficult in the MENA region to procure as only the UAE has a gender quota above 33%, and the women holding government positions are not in prominent leadership roles.¹⁰⁰ The lack of representation keeps women out of the spotlight and reduces the chances of role models to inspire or mentor future political women.¹⁰¹

Consequences

Increased Gender Gap

Limited Representation

When there are fewer women in government, the perspectives and concerns of women may not be fully represented. This can result in policies that do not adequately address issues that are important to women, such as gender-based violence, reproductive rights, equal pay, and overall lack of women’s participation in decision-making.¹⁰² The 2019 Women, Peace, and Security Index attributed the region’s low scores in financial inclusion, employment, and discrimination to disempowering laws against women (such as those discussed earlier in this brief) and low rates of women in government.¹⁰³ Not only do women receive better representation when their female counterparts are in government positions, the general public sees more stable progress and representation.¹⁰⁴ When women are not present in the places of government decision-making, there is greater government unresponsiveness, decreased party, and ethnic cooperation, increased levels of corruption, higher levels of civil conflict, and a higher risk of civil war relapse.¹⁰⁵

Prejudices

The under-representation of women in government can reinforce gender prejudices and biases, leading to the perception that women are less capable or less interested in politics and leadership roles. Juxtaposing the stereotypical roles of men and women in government throughout the region, women are perceived to be more competent in healthcare-related items, while men are perceived to be more competent in economic-related items.¹⁰⁶ In addition, a poll in Morocco showed the men in government were seen as more assertive while the women in government were perceived as compassionate.¹⁰⁷ A 2016 poll through the Arab region showed that most of the population views men as superior political leaders and that an Arab woman could not become the Head of State.¹⁰⁸ Additionally, 90% of men in the MENA region believe that men are better leaders than women, as opposed to 64% of men globally.¹⁰⁹ The Wilson Center, a large-scale research center, emphasized that women will never get the chance to prove these prejudices wrong if they are not in government to do so.¹¹⁰

Graphic showing 90% of men in the MENA region and 64% of men in the world believe men are better leaders than women.

These cultural prejudices can also be seen through the type of government positions they hold, which are education, human rights, and healthcare, rather than economic and development positions.¹¹¹^,¹¹² In the region, women are 4 times more likely to be in traditionally “feminized” roles that primarily consist of some sort of caretaking such as child care, cooking, and cleaning.¹¹³ This perpetuates the stereotype of a woman’s role is centered on the family and traditional feminine responsibilities.¹¹⁴

Policy and Government Bias

Skews Public Decisions

Policy bias stems from a lack of women in government in the MENA region because representation is influential in decision-making processes. When women help with public ¹¹⁵ A cross-examination of studies from 1960–2018 showed that politically empowering women to enact change has been more effective in increasing human capital development, particularly in the MENA region, than implementing democracy.¹¹⁶ In addition, women’s political empowerment has been linked to improving equal access to health and education.¹¹⁷ Without a pointed push for change, such as one that more female representatives supply, governments would continue to maintain the status quo.¹¹⁸

Government Corruption

The absence of women in government leads to higher corruption rates because women help lower internal corruption. Countries and areas where women are deprived of various freedoms, such as political representation, tend to have statistically significant higher rates of corruption.¹¹⁹ A study of over 100 countries found that the greater the proportion of female legislatures, the less likely the country’s officials would take bribes.¹²⁰ In part, because the MENA region has typically been susceptible to female political deprivation, they rank higher on the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), with an average of 39 out of 100 for corruption and no significant improvement in the last decade.¹²¹ This can be compared with a higher global average rate of 43 out of 100 on the CPI, where a higher score represents less corruption.¹²² Government corruption impedes many human rights that ensure personal and societal development due to the uncertainty of political structures.¹²³ Through an analysis of multiple studies in the MENA region, researchers concluded that women’s nonparticipation in parliament and in the labor force is correlated with higher rates of corruption, especially in terms of higher levels of partiality, illegalities, discrimination against minorities, nepotism, and overall social inequality that could be minimized with women's political participation.¹²⁴

Impaired Development

Impaired Economic Development

Economic and social development in the MENA region tends to stall due to a lack of women in government. On the World Bank’s Women, Business, and Law Index, 6 countries in the MENA region are among the world’s bottom 10 performers.¹²⁵ This statistic illustrates that the relationship between women, business, and law is negatively interconnected.¹²⁶ Because India has made recent strides for women in government and economic development, it can provide data that can be compared to the MENA region, as they have yet to prove or negate improved economic development when women are in government. In India, 4526 cases showed that each woman legislator in India helped to raise economic performance by about 1.8% per year more than their male counterparts.¹²⁷ This shows that women directly help the economy improve positively. As the number of women in parliament grew, the economic growth in their respective regions was also positively correlated.¹²⁸ Without women in parliament, countries are not able to experience as much economic development as they potentially could.

Impaired Societal Development

Social development in the MENA region is strained when there are limited opportunities to participate in civil society. Many young children, specifically females, are not included in opportunities to participate in social society.¹²⁹ There is also a gap in the number of women participating in these civic organizations versus male participation. On average, 13% of women and 22% of men are a part of various civic organizations.¹³⁰ Over 370 women-led protests have occurred since 2015, focusing on women’s rights and inclusion.¹³¹ Women wanted to see societal change, but due to a lack of women in government to support them. The Human Development Report also showed that societies that are not tolerant and inclusive of minorities (specifically women) are often not resilient.¹³² These societies also tend to be inefficient at helping their people avoid adversity or societal conflict.¹³³ Without women in government, the MENA region will continue to see impaired social development.

Practices

Gendered Quotas

After being launched in 2018, the 30% Quota campaign advocated for both local and national governments to enact quotas for the number of women in government positions.¹³⁴ Some countries, such as Libya, did not only adopt this campaign but pledged to include a minimum of 30% of women in executive government positions, thus giving them an even stronger position in power.¹³⁵ In addition, outside factors such as conditional foreign assistance in Egypt caused a supported increase in women’s rights, thus allowing more women to be involved in government.¹³⁶ As the MENA region continues to promote the 30% quota for women in government positions and advocates for women to vote, women’s participation in government will change to include more women's involvement.

Impact

The use of gendered quotas has been seen to have a positive impact worldwide. The effectiveness of quotas (and their ability to foster change by encouraging gender parity in government bodies) is visible through the top 20 countries with the largest share of women in parliament in 2020; 16 of those countries employed some type of gendered equality quota.¹³⁷ In the MENA region specifically, the UAE ranked 1st in the region and 18th on the UN Development Programme’s Gender Inequality Index due to their 50:50 female-male split in the government.¹³⁸ This only happened after a 2018 presidential decree called for equal representation in the government body.¹³⁹ In Egypt, women comprised more than 25% of the chamber’s members after a 2014 amendment to the constitution implementing gendered quotas.¹⁴⁰ Kuwait did not have a quota in place and saw all 29 female candidates lose the race and existing elected women lose their seats in the 2020 election.¹⁴¹ Additionally, as of 2023, MENA countries without a gendered quota system maintained a share of women in parliament below 15%; Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, and Yemen maintained an even lower share, with fewer than 10% of parliamentary seats being held by women.¹⁴²

Jordan demonstrated that implementing a gendered quota helps give representation to small tribes or minorities in their countries. Since these minorities have a slight chance of having their male candidates win, they pushed for local female candidates to ensure their success due to ¹⁴³ This has allowed more women and minorities to be represented in government bodies in Jordan.¹⁴⁴ Tunisia has also seen positive effects from the increased female representation due to the country’s quota. In 2017, the country passed a law eliminating violence against women, emphasizing political violence.¹⁴⁵ As more women have been elected to positions of governmental power, there has been an increase in the laws protecting women and their human rights.¹⁴⁶

Gaps

Gendered quotas may change laws and practices, but changing cultural beliefs and stigmas takes longer. A 2016 poll in the MENA region agreed that men make superior political leaders even though many states had gender quotas in place during that time.¹⁴⁷ This can be seen through a study in Libya in 2015, where women were elected to the government via gendered quotas but were not given the same respect as their male counterparts.¹⁴⁸ Many missed meetings because they were held late at night when it was not culturally appropriate or safe for women to be out, and others were victims of verbal harassment from colleagues and constituents.¹⁴⁹ Therefore, gender quotas are unsuccessful at quickly dismantling stereotypes and biases against women in government.

Chart representing country's and their women in government, gender equality, and if they have a committee to ensure gender equality

Footnotes

Preferred Citation: Cummings, Emma. “Lack of Women in Government in the MENA Region.” Ballard Brief. Spring 2023. www.ballardbrief.byu.edu.

Viewpoints published by Ballard Brief are not necessarily endorsed by BYU or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Middle East

Emma Cummings

Emma Cummings is a strategic management major with an international development minor. After spending three years of her childhood living in the countries of Kuwait, Jordan, and Egypt, Cummings developed a love for the MENA region. As she plans to attend law school shortly after graduation, Cummings additionally has a passion for government and equal representation within government bodies. Her experience serving 18 months in rural Russia and participation at BYU with the UN, international development, and Ballard Brief’s sibling – the Social Venture Academy – have all contributed to her overarching passion for creating positive social impact in the world.