Resource information
The objective of this policy note is to
examine the gender dimension of the Egyptian labor market,
with a focus on identifying the scope for policies to
improve female labor force participation. An update to the
Egypt gender assessment report of 2003, it is envisioned as
a contribution to programmatic work on gender and inclusion
in Egypt, helping build evidence which can inform policy
aimed at improving the participation and retention of women
in the labor force. Analytical and investigative in nature,
it is the hope that this note will motivate discussion and
debate among stakeholders in the country. The questions to
be addressed in the note are also relevant for policy
discussions and Bank operations in other countries,
especially those in the Middle East North Africa (MENA)
region where females face similar challenges to labor force
participation. Besides laying out the underlying correlates
of gender gaps in these areas, the report recommended a
comprehensive list of 'strategic interventions' by
sector for the government and other development actors, in
areas such as investment in women's education, the
re-examination of certain discriminatory provisions in the
country's legal system, and the promotion of cultural
norms that value women as equal partners to men. In the
sphere of women's economic opportunities, the report
pinpointed vulnerabilities such as high unemployment rates
(particularly among the more educated), and a
disproportionate dependence on an already shrinking public
sector. Highlighting the need for creating productive and
sustainable jobs for women in the private sector, the report
suggested initiatives such as increasing women's access
to training, technology, land, credit and information.
