Women in political decision making and public life in MENA countries

This chapter provides an overview of trends of women’s participation in public life in the MENA region, including in parliaments, the political executive, courts and civil society. Similar to trends in other regions, women tend to be under-represented in top positions in these institutions, although some countries are making important strides to close the identified gender gaps. The chapter is based on a literature review, findings from the MENA-OECD Survey on National Gender Frameworks, Gender Public Policies and Leadership, and interviews with representatives of civil society, parliaments and governments. Overall, women’s participation in public life is hampered by multiple factors such as legal barriers, curtained political rights and freedoms, the reluctance of political parties to support women candidates and cultural barriers. The chapter also underlines the importance of the freedom of movement for women’s public and economic empowerment, and highlights the persistent gaps in this area. The chapter concludes with examples of good practices and policy recommendations to support governments in their efforts to enable women in reaching top public positions.