Study Shows Modest Improvements in Women's Rights in the Middle East

According to a study by Freedom House, a Washington D.C.-based NGO, modest progress in women's rights has been made over the past five years in the Middle East and Northern Africa.   Speaking about the complexity of women's rights issues in the Middle East, Jennifer Windsor, executive director of Freedom House stated:

“There are more women entrepreneurs, more women doctors, more women Ph.Ds, and more women in universities, than ever before. However, substantial roadblocks remain for women pursuing careers. For instance, women in Saudi Arabia are allowed to earn law degrees, but not to appear in court on behalf of their clients, . . . and these same women are still subject to abuse at home, lack child guardianship rights, and are legally compelled to be ‘obedient’ to their husbands.”

In Jordan, several new laws and programs protect women's rights and give women a greater voice in the political process.  In addition, Jordanian women have taken a more active role in the judiciary and bar. The Jordan Times reports:

"In 1996, . . . the Kingdom had only one female judge, compared with 48 today, while 60 per cent of the Jordan Judicial Institute’s students are women in addition to 90 out of 162 students accepted into the Justice Ministry’s Future Judges Programme, which aims to provide the local judiciary system with top class judges."

Fifteen of the 18 countries included in the survey showed some improvement in women's rights.  But, of the 18 countries surveyed, Jordan and Tunisia are the only countries that offer legal protection against domestic violence.  The only countries to show actual declines in women's rights were Iraq, Yemen, and the Palestinian Territories.


You can access the full report for each country here, and the Freedom House press release is here.