Explaining the Gap: An Analysis of Educational Attainment and Female Workforce Participation in the Middle East and North Africa

Download Explaining the Gap: An Analysis of Educational Attainment and Female Workforce Participation in the Middle East and North Africa PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 92 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (867 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Explaining the Gap: An Analysis of Educational Attainment and Female Workforce Participation in the Middle East and North Africa by : Deena Al Shatti

Download or read book Explaining the Gap: An Analysis of Educational Attainment and Female Workforce Participation in the Middle East and North Africa written by Deena Al Shatti and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 92 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Female school enrollment rates in the Middle East and North Africa are increasing steadily, and have been for the last 40 years. Yet, despite high female education rates, there is a high gender gap in the workforce, with women making up only 25.5% of the region's total workforce. Using panel data from the World Bank and the PRS Group, covering the years from 1980 to 2009, in a country fixed effects regression and controlling for demographic and cultural indicators, this study looks at the effect that female school enrollment rates and religious influence in politics have on this gender gap in the Middle East and North Africa. The regression results support the idea that education has an influence on whether females participate in the labour force. However the statistically insignificant results on the religion in politics variable make it difficult to confirm how influential religion is on female labour force participation.

Women, Work and Welfare in the Middle East and North Africa

Download Women, Work and Welfare in the Middle East and North Africa PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : World Scientific
ISBN 13 : 1783267348
Total Pages : 622 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (832 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Women, Work and Welfare in the Middle East and North Africa by : Nadereh Chamlou

Download or read book Women, Work and Welfare in the Middle East and North Africa written by Nadereh Chamlou and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 2015 with total page 622 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "In the aftermath of the Arab Spring, and in light of socio-economic and geopolitical challenges facing governments old and new, women's rights and empowerment have gained new urgency and relevance. Groups in power, or groups contesting for power, are more conservative than expected, and there are serious threats to roll back some of the gains women had achieved over the past 20-30 years on economic and social fronts. The global gender debate has neglected the economic dimension of women's empowerment and a great deal of debate and interest among researchers is needed to push the topics further. This timely book brings together leading regional researchers to offer original research linking gender equality with economic policy, reinforcing the agenda from a broad-based perspective."--Publisher summary.

Women, Work, and Economic Reform in the Middle East and North Africa

Download Women, Work, and Economic Reform in the Middle East and North Africa PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781685858223
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (582 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Women, Work, and Economic Reform in the Middle East and North Africa by : Valentine M. Moghadam

Download or read book Women, Work, and Economic Reform in the Middle East and North Africa written by Valentine M. Moghadam and published by . This book was released on 2023 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Globalization and changing political economies in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are affecting women's labor-force participation, educational attainment, and access to economic resources. But are these changes in fact resulting in economic gains for women? And will this produce an intensification or a subversion of the patriarchal gender contract that has thus far characterized the region? Addressing these questions, this book examines the connections between gender relations and economic reform. Moghadam begins with an overview of the political economy of women's employment and education, followed by case studies from Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, and Turkey. In the final chapters of the book, she draws together data to explore future possibilities for gender relations in the MENA states.

Women, Work, and Patriarchy in the Middle East and North Africa

Download Women, Work, and Patriarchy in the Middle East and North Africa PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 3319515772
Total Pages : 135 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (195 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Women, Work, and Patriarchy in the Middle East and North Africa by : Fariba Solati

Download or read book Women, Work, and Patriarchy in the Middle East and North Africa written by Fariba Solati and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-03-20 with total page 135 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book investigates why the rate of female labor force participation in the Middle East and North Africa is the lowest in the world. Using a multidisciplinary approach, the book explains that the primary reason for the low rate of female labor force participation is the strong institutions of patriarchy in the region. Using multiple proxies for patriarchy, this book quantifies the multi-dimensional concept of patriarchy in order to measure it across sixty developing countries over thirty years. The findings show that Middle Eastern and North African countries have higher levels of patriarchy with regards to women’s participation in public spheres compared with the rest of the world. Although the rate of formal female labor force participation is low, women across the region contribute greatly to the financial wellbeing of their families and communities. By defining a woman’s place as in the home, patriarchy has made women’s economic activities invisible to official labor statistics since it has caused many women to work in the informal sector of the economy or work as unpaid workers, thus creating an illusion that women in the region are not economically active. While religion has often legitimized patriarchy, oil income has made it affordable for many countries in the region.

Expectations and Aspirations

Download Expectations and Aspirations PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : World Bank Publications
ISBN 13 : 1464812357
Total Pages : 459 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (648 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Expectations and Aspirations by : Safaa El Tayeb El-Kogali

Download or read book Expectations and Aspirations written by Safaa El Tayeb El-Kogali and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2019-10-21 with total page 459 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Education, which has been at the heart of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region’s history and civilizations for centuries, has a large untapped potential to contribute to human capital, well-being, and wealth. The region has invested heavily in education for decades, but it has not been able to reap the benefits of its investments. Despite a series of reforms, MENA has remained stuck in a low-learning, low-skills level. Expectations and Aspirations: A New Framework for Education in the Middle East and North Africa identifies four key sets of tensions that are holding back education in the region: credentials and skills, discipline and inquiry, control and autonomy, and tradition and modernity. These tensions are shaped by society and are reflected in classrooms. If they are not addressed, MENA will continue to operate at a level below its potential. This report outlines a new framework with a three-pronged approach that can help address these tensions and unleash the potential of education in MENA: • A concerted push for learning that starts early for all children regardless of background, with qualified and motivated educators, and that leverages technology, uses modern approaches, and monitors learning outcomes • A stronger pull for skills by all stakeholders in the labor market and society that involves coordinated multisystem reforms within and beyond the education system • A new pact for education at the national level with a unified vision, shared responsibilities, and accountabilities. Education is not just the responsibility of the education system—it is everyone’s business. The push, pull, and pact framework offers an opportunity for MENA to move forward to reclaim its heritage of a learned region and to meet the expectations and aspirations of its people. The current situation in MENA requires a renewed focus on education, not just as a national priority for economic growth and social development, but as a national emergency for stability, peace, and prosperity.

Female Labor Force Participation in the Middle East and North Africa

Download Female Labor Force Participation in the Middle East and North Africa PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (135 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Female Labor Force Participation in the Middle East and North Africa by : Fariba Solati

Download or read book Female Labor Force Participation in the Middle East and North Africa written by Fariba Solati and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Through quantitative and qualitative methods, this dissertation endeavors to explain why the rate of female labor force participation (FLFP) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is the lowest in the world. Using panel data models for fifty-four developing countries over thirty-five years, the first essay suggests that the most likely factor affecting the rate of FLFP negatively in MENA is the institution of patriarchy. Being part of MENA, which is characterized primarily by the institution of patriarchy, is associated with lower than average FLFP. Oil income appears to have a positive effect on FLFP for countries outside MENA but no effect for countries inside MENA. Moreover, Muslim countries outside MENA do not have lower than average FLFP, while Muslim countries in MENA do. Using ten proxies for patriarchy, the second essay quantifies patriarchy in order to compare MENA countries with the rest of the world. Using principle component analysis (PCA), the study measures patriarchy for fifty-nine developing countries over thirty years. The technique creates three main components for patriarchy, namely; the gender gap in education and demography, children's survival rate, and participation in public spheres. The results show that MENA has the highest level of patriarchy with regard to women's participation in public spheres, education and demography compared with non MENA countries. The region's culture and religion seem to be associated with high levels of patriarchy in MENA. The third essay focuses on women's unpaid work as well as women's participation in the informal sector in MENA. The results point to a severe undercounting of women's work. Since women are expected to provide care and produce goods and services for their family at home, women do not participate in the formal labor force in large numbers. Because of the patriarchal culture, patriarchal family laws and labor laws, many women including educated women have to choose to work in the informal sector in MENA. Since women's unpaid work and their participation in the informal sector are not recorded in labor statistics, the MENA region appears to have a lower rate of FLFP than it does in reality.

Economic Development and Female Labor Participation in the Middle East and North Africa

Download Economic Development and Female Labor Participation in the Middle East and North Africa PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 25 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (889 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Economic Development and Female Labor Participation in the Middle East and North Africa by : Paolo Verme

Download or read book Economic Development and Female Labor Participation in the Middle East and North Africa written by Paolo Verme and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 25 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Middle East and North Africa region is known for having low female labor market participation rates as compared with its level of economic development. A possible explanation is that these countries find themselves at the turning point of the U-shape hypothesis when countries transition from declining to rising female participation rates. This paper tests the U-shape hypothesis in countries in the Middle East and North Africa. It finds that the region has outperformed other world regions in terms of the main drivers of the U-shape hypothesis, including gross domestic product per capita, economic transformation away from the agricultural sector, female education, and fertility rates. These facts are consistent with nonparametric evidence that shows countries in the region are distributed over a U-shaped curve. However, parametric tests of the hypothesis point in a different direction. The region shows an inverted U-shape overall and great heterogeneity across countries and age cohorts that defies any law on the relation between gross domestic product and female participation rate. The explanation behind these findings may be economic and cultural. Jobless growth and the lack of growth in employment sectors such as manufacturing and services, which proved critical for female employment in other countries, weaken labor demand and strengthen the role of institutions that may discourage female participation, such as marriage, legislation, and gender norms.

Routledge Handbook on Women in the Middle East

Download Routledge Handbook on Women in the Middle East PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Taylor & Francis
ISBN 13 : 1351676431
Total Pages : 883 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (516 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Routledge Handbook on Women in the Middle East by : Suad Joseph

Download or read book Routledge Handbook on Women in the Middle East written by Suad Joseph and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2022-12-30 with total page 883 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Routledge Handbook on Women in the Middle East provides an overview of the key historical, social, economic, political, religious, and cultural issues which have shaped the conditions and status of women in the region. The book is divided into eleven thematic sections, providing a comprehensive guide to understanding the current and historical contexts of women in the Middle East, each giving ground-breaking insights into various aspects of women’s movements: The importance of historical context, including pre-Islamic through post-colonial histories The importance of politics and the state in understanding women in the ME Women’s roles in political and social movements The impacts of the formal and informal economies and education on women of the region Women’s spaces and the creation of publics and counterpublics The effects of war, displacement, and other forms of gendered violence Women, family, and the state Discourses and practices of religion Women and health practices Bodies and sexualities Women and sites of cultural production A unique overview of cutting-edge research in the key arenas of pre-Islamic to post-colonial histories, this Handbook will affect the way future generations of scholars engage with and add to the vast repository of socio-political studies of the Middle East. It will thus be of interest to researchers in gender studies, women’s studies, pre-Islamic and post-colonial studies, feminist studies, and socio-political and socio-economic studies.

Women's Rights in the Middle East and North Africa

Download Women's Rights in the Middle East and North Africa PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
ISBN 13 : 1442203978
Total Pages : 606 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (422 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Women's Rights in the Middle East and North Africa by : Sanja Kelly

Download or read book Women's Rights in the Middle East and North Africa written by Sanja Kelly and published by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. This book was released on 2010-07-16 with total page 606 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Freedom HouseOs innovative publication WomenOs Rights in the Middle East and North Africa: Progress Amid Resistance analyzes the status of women in the region, with a special focus on the gains and setbacks for womenOs rights since the first edition was released in 2005. The study presents a comparative evaluation of conditions for women in 17 countries and one territory: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestine (Palestinian Authority and Israeli-Occupied Territories), Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. The publication identifies the causes and consequences of gender inequality in the Middle East, and provides concrete recommendations for national and international policymakers and implementers. Freedom House is an independent nongovernmental organization that supports democratic change, monitors freedom, and advocates for democracy and human rights. The project has been embraced as a resource not only by international players like the United Nations and the World Bank, but also by regional womenOs rights organizations, individual activists, scholars, and governments worldwide. WomenOs rights in each country are assessed in five key areas: (1) Nondiscrimination and Access to Justice; (2) Autonomy, Security, and Freedom of the Person; (3) Economic Rights and Equal Opportunity; (4) Political Rights and Civic Voice; and (5) Social and Cultural Rights. The methodology is based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the study results are presented through a set of numerical scores and analytical narrative reports.

Explaining the MENA Paradox

Download Explaining the MENA Paradox PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 49 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (13 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Explaining the MENA Paradox by : Ragui A. Assaad

Download or read book Explaining the MENA Paradox written by Ragui A. Assaad and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 49 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Despite rapidly rising female educational attainment and the closing if not reversal of the gender gap in education, female labor force participation rates in the MENA region remain low and stagnant, a phenomenon that has come to be known as the "MENA paradox." Even if increases in participation are observed, they are typically in the form of rising unemployment. We argue in this paper that female labor force participation among educated women in four MENA countries - Algeria, Egypt, Jordan and Tunisia - is constrained by adverse developments in the structure of employment opportunities on the demand side.Specifically, we argue that the contraction in public sector employment opportunities has not been made up by a commensurate increase in opportunities in the formal private sector, leading to increases in female unemployment or declines in participation. We use multinomial logit models estimated on annual labor force survey data by country to simulate trends in female participation in different labor market states (public sector, private wage work, non-wage work, unemployment and non-participation) for married and unmarried women of a given educational and age profile. Our results confirm that the decline in the probability of public sector employment for women with higher education is associated with either an increase in unemployment or a decline in participation.

Gender, Education and Employment

Download Gender, Education and Employment PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Edward Elgar Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1784715034
Total Pages : 414 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (847 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Gender, Education and Employment by : Hans-Peter Blossfeld

Download or read book Gender, Education and Employment written by Hans-Peter Blossfeld and published by Edward Elgar Publishing. This book was released on 2015-10-30 with total page 414 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For much of the twentieth century, women lagged considerably behind men in their educational attainment. However, in recent decades, young women have become an important source of human capital for labor markets in modern societies, as well as potential competitors to the male workforce. This book asks whether or not women have been able to convert their educational success into gains on the labor market. The expert contributors address the topic on a comparative level with discussions centred on gendered school-to-work transitions and gendered labor market outcomes. Thereafter they analyze the country-specific implications of the gender redress from a wide range of countries including the USA, Russia and Australia. This enlightening book will appeal to graduates and postgraduates studying social policy, education, the labor market, inequality and gender. It will also be of interest to experts in the fields of sociology, education, political science and economics and those interested in educational research.

Education and the Reverse Gender Divide in the Gulf States

Download Education and the Reverse Gender Divide in the Gulf States PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Teachers College Press
ISBN 13 : 0807773042
Total Pages : 225 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (77 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Education and the Reverse Gender Divide in the Gulf States by : Natasha Ridge

Download or read book Education and the Reverse Gender Divide in the Gulf States written by Natasha Ridge and published by Teachers College Press. This book was released on 2014 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this groundbreaking work, the author provides a close examination of the relationship between gender and education in the Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC) and reveals that women’s participation and achievement in education is rapidly outpacing that of men’s. Ridge refers to this situation as a “reverse gender divide” and examines the roots and causes of this imbalance, as well as implications for the future. Based on timely material that is largely unavailable to other scholars, the book further describes how GCC countries, in their desire to be perceived as modern nation states, have enacted and embraced education policies that leave no space for local policymakers to acknowledge boys’ deficits and challenges. In addition to the important implications for educational policy and practice, the author also explores wider social and political issues, such as the impact on the workforce and future sustainable development in the region. "This book offers a refreshing perspective on education in the Gulf States. Reframing the conversation about gender equity in education, Natasha Ridge studies how teachers and schools contribute to the growing educational marginalization of young boys in the Middle East. This book should be required reading for anyone interested in the region and in deeply understanding the centrality of gender equity as a goal of modern education." —Fernando M. Reimers, Ford Foundation Professor of International Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education "Focusing on the resource-rich monarchy states of the Arabian Gulf, Natasha Ridge makes a compelling and nuanced case that the international discourse on gender and education has overlooked the growing academic marginalization of boys. Analyzing relevant political, economic, and social factors, she provides a critically important study that dispels myths, examines the impacts of gender-related educational disparity, and offers thought-provoking suggestions relevant in the Gulf countries and beyond." —Ann Austin, professor, Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education, Michigan State University "This volume provides a well-researched and insightful examination of gender differences in school achievement and retention in the Gulf States. It makes a timely and important contribution as it debunks widely held misconceptions and adds nuance to our understanding of the dynamics of education and employment in the region. This volume in a ‘must-read’ both for those concerned with gender issues in education and those interested in the social and economic development of the Middle East." —David W. Chapman, professor, University of Minnesota Natasha Ridge is the executive director of the Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research based in Ras Al Khaimah (RAK), UAE. She has also been an educational consultant for the World Bank, UNICEF, and USAID in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

Impact of Gender Inequality in Education and Employment on Economic Growth

Download Impact of Gender Inequality in Education and Employment on Economic Growth PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (16 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Impact of Gender Inequality in Education and Employment on Economic Growth by : Stephan Klasen

Download or read book Impact of Gender Inequality in Education and Employment on Economic Growth written by Stephan Klasen and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

The Middle East

Download The Middle East PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : CQ Press
ISBN 13 : 1544358210
Total Pages : 889 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (443 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Middle East by : Ellen Lust

Download or read book The Middle East written by Ellen Lust and published by CQ Press. This book was released on 2019-07-19 with total page 889 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the more succinct Fifteenth Edition of The Middle East, editor Ellen Lust brings important new coverage to this comprehensive, balanced, and superbly researched text. In clear prose, Lust and her contributors explain the many complex changes taking place across the region. All country profile chapters now address domestic and regional conflict more explicitly and all tables, figures, boxes, and maps have been fully updated with the most recent data and information. This best-selling text not only helps you comprehend more fully the world around you, but it also enables you to recognize and formulate policies that can more successfully engage the Middle East.

Female Labor Participation in the Arab World

Download Female Labor Participation in the Arab World PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 24 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (894 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Female Labor Participation in the Arab World by : Paolo Verme

Download or read book Female Labor Participation in the Arab World written by Paolo Verme and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 24 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Female labor participation in the Arab world is low compared with the level of economic development of Arab countries. Beyond anecdotal evidence and cross-country studies, there is little evidence on what could explain this phenomenon. This paper uses the richest set of panel data available for any Arab country to date to model female labor participation in Morocco. The paper finds marriage, household inactivity rates, secondary education, and gross domestic product per capita to lower female labor participation rates. It also finds that the category urban educated women with secondary education explains better than others the low level of female labor participation. These surprising findings are robust to different estimators, endogeneity tests, different specifications of the female labor participation equations, and different sources of data. The findings are also consistent with previous studies on the Middle East and North Africa region and on Morocco. The explanation seems to reside in the nature of economic growth and gender norms. Economic growth has not been labor intensive, has generated few jobs, and has not been in female-friendly sectors, resulting in weak demand for women, especially urban educated women with secondary education. And when men and women compete for scarce jobs, men may have priority access because of employers' and households' preferences"--Abstract.

Women's Education in Developing Countries

Download Women's Education in Developing Countries PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : World Bank Publications
ISBN 13 : 9780801858284
Total Pages : 356 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (582 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Women's Education in Developing Countries by : Elizabeth M. King

Download or read book Women's Education in Developing Countries written by Elizabeth M. King and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 1997-07-01 with total page 356 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why do women in most developing countries lag behind men in literacy? Why do women get less schooling than men? This anthology examines the educational decisions that deprive women of an equal education. It assembles the most up-to-date data, organized by region. Each paper links the data with other measures of economic and social development. This approach helps explain the effects different levels of education have on womens' fertility, mortality rates, life expectancy, and income. Also described are the effects of women's education on family welfare. The authors look at family size and women's labor status and earnings. They examine child and maternal health, as well as investments in children's education. Their investigation demonstrates that women with a better education enjoy greater economic growth and provide a more nurturing family life. It suggests that when a country denies women an equal education, the nation's welfare suffers. Current strategies used to improve schooling for girls and women are examined in detail. The authors suggest an ambitious agenda for educating women. It seeks to close the gender gap by the next century. Published for The World Bank by The Johns Hopkins University Press.

Promoting Inclusive Growth in the Middle East and North Africa

Download Promoting Inclusive Growth in the Middle East and North Africa PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : International Monetary Fund
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 150 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (2 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Promoting Inclusive Growth in the Middle East and North Africa by : Mr. Roberto Cardarelli

Download or read book Promoting Inclusive Growth in the Middle East and North Africa written by Mr. Roberto Cardarelli and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2022-10-11 with total page 150 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Despite some pre-pandemic gains in poverty reduction, literacy, and lifespans, many economies in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have struggled to ensure that the benefits of economic development and diversification accrue equitably to all segments of their populations. Among the main issues that remain unresolved are the high share of inactive youth (who are not engaged in employment, education, or training); large gaps in economic opportunities for women; fragmented social protection systems; and underdeveloped private sectors with tight regulation, absence of a level playing field, and limited access to credit that stifle the creation of new firms and growth, employment, and incomes. The COVID-19 pandemic not only risks wiping out some of the progress made in the region over the past decades, but could also exacerbate inequality in a durable way. There is evidence that the impact of the pandemic has been uneven across groups, with the recession having a disproportionate effect on the low-skilled, the young, women, and migrant workers in employment and incomes. With widespread inequality, high unemployment, and the expected entry of 27 million young people into the labor force over the next 10 years, countries across the MENA region need to evolve their economic models to boost job creation and make sure that the benefits of economic development are shared more widely among all their citizens. This book’s objective is to reassess the inclusive growth agenda in the MENA region in light of the rapidly changing pandemic-influenced world. It argues that countries need to embrace global trade and technological advances and evolving demographics at home as an opportunity to successfully implement policies that foster higher and more inclusive growth. It underscores that a return to the old social contract is neither desirable nor feasible. The book presents a comprehensive view of policies suited to the regional context that would boost job-rich and inclusive growth within a resilient macroeconomic policy framework. Its goal is to provide guidance to policymakers in the region to frame how best to promote inclusive growth, including in their engagement with all stakeholders.