Only every fifth woman is busy-investments in the care economy change that
Only every fifth woman is busy-investments in the care economy change that
In the Middle East and North Africa (Mena), only 18 % of women are formally employed, , what far below the global average of 49 % lies.
challenges for women in the labor market
women in this region are faced with various obstacles that make their access to the labor market difficult. This includes legal restrictions, cultural pressure relationships and violent conflicts. The traditional gender roles are an essential factor that leads to a low employment rate. This is a strain on women with unpaid care work, explains Susanne Mikhail Eldhagen, director of women's employment in the field of Greens and Stem (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) as well as the care economy in UN Women.
unpaid care work as the main obstacle
Unpaid care work, which can include childcare, geriatric care and housekeeping, is in the Arab area Drastically undervalued Labor market, So the international work organization .
initiatives to strengthen the Care Economy
The strengthening of the care economy, which includes services in the areas of care, health and education, is a central goal of an initiative that was established this year and in which 22 governments as well as over 100 institutions of the private sector and international financial institutions are involved. This initiative represents the next phase of UN Woman's goal of increasing the employment of women in the region by 2030 by 5 % by creating 400,000 jobs in important markets such as the rapidly growing Greens and STEM sectors as well as in the care economy.
economic independence of women
Eldhagen emphasizes that it is not just about economic advantages: “If a woman is economically and financially independent, this also has an impact on other areas of her life, be it on the political participation, the decision -making power in the home or in public space."
need for investments
Currently, the care services in the MENA region only cover about 10 % of the needs, says Eldhagen. Many governments have already taken measures. For example, Egypt categorized 2021 kindergartens as micro, small and medium-sized companies (MSMES), which leads to larger business advantages, including tax relief. In 2024, Jordan simplified the registration process for domestic kindergartens, which facilitates the start of a children's measurement company from home.
strategies to relieve Care work
The improvement of access to childcare alone is not enough to reduce the stress through care work, which often also includes other homework, says ragui Assaad , research employee in the Economic Research Forum. He believes that health, education and social care must be invested in the entire sectors in order to reduce the load of unpaid care work from different perspectives.
focus on education and health as an investment
The realignment of the view of governments on expenditure on education or health - as a "investment" instead of "expenses" - could also create an environment for future -oriented decisions, says Assaad: "There are a variety of studies that show that investments, for example in early childhood care and education, bring a very high return."
positive effects on the economy
Investments in the Care Economy would not only create new jobs-many of them could benefit women who make up the majority of the majority of employees in the Care sector-but could also make it easier for women to enter other professions by offering reliable childcare, as Safaa El Tayeb El-Kogali, director of the World Bank for the countries of the golf cooperation council, explained in an email to CNN.
Women's promotion in Saudi Arabia
Last year, the female employment population in Saudi Arabia reached a record value in Saudi Arabia, well above the regional average. This can be attributed to the extensive investments of the country in nursing policies, including "measures such as the Qurrah childcare grant, extended maternity protection periods, flexible work options and extended professional training programs for women in traditionally dominated people," explained EL-Kogali, who recently gave and recently held a principle at the Global Market Conference in Riad the rapid gender reforms of the kingdom in the work area highlighted.take advantage of economic opportunities for women
"In the MENA room, the closure of the gender gap in employment could increase GDP per capita in the average economy by 51 %. In this context, the economic empowerment and opportunities for women must be at the center of the agenda for inclusive growth in our region," she added.