Participation in Work Force by Palestinian Women among Lowest in World

The level of participation in the workforce by Palestinian women is among the lowest in the world according to a new poll. The Palestinian research organization Al-Shabaka reports that while the rate throughout the Arab world is 25%, only 19.4% of Palestinian women are in the work force. By way of comparison, the global average is 51%. The Ma’an news agency in reporting the survey noted that the low rate comes notwithstanding the high level of education among Palestinian women who have higher primary and secondary enrollment levels than males in the entire Middle East and North Africa. Notwithstanding the overall figures, the report indicates that more women are engaging in commerce and service industries while fewer participate in agriculture and manufacturing. Entrepreneurship accounted for only 15% of women’s employment, a large part of which is explained by the greater difficulty women have in securing financing and the lower salaries paid to women (80% of the average male salary).