OECD HomeSocial and welfare issuesThe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women’s economic vulnerabilities in the MENA - Synthesis report and focus on Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia - en
Social and welfare issues
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women’s economic vulnerabilities in the MENA
Synthesis report and focus on Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia
This paper examines the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on women's economic empowerment
in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), in the context of elevated gender-based
discrimination in social institutions – formal and informal laws, social norms, and
practices. The analysis focuses on Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia. Using 2023
data from the fifth edition of the Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI), the
paper analyses how discriminatory laws and social norms hamper women's economic empowerment.
The paper also explores how the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this discrimination.
Finally, it provides policy recommendations to tackle discriminatory social institutions
and address the specific needs of women and girls, both in the face of public health
crises and beyond, aiming to foster more inclusive and resilient societies in the
MENA region.