UN Says Gender Labor Gap in Arab World Could Take Over a Century to Close
A United Nations report released Wednesday highlights the wide gender disparity in labor force participation across the Arab region, warning that progress toward equality remains too slow. The study, published by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), found that only 20% of women in the Arab world are employed or actively seeking work—far below the global average of 49%.
The report, titled Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: A Gender Snapshot of the Arab Region 2024, estimates it could take 115 years to close the labor force gap between men and women if current trends continue.
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While some gains have been made, major challenges persist. Women spend nearly five times as many hours on unpaid domestic and caregiving tasks compared to men. The report also found that 29.4 million girls across the region were married before the age of 18.
Still, the data shows signs of improvement. Women now hold 18% of parliamentary seats in the region, up from a decade ago, and maternal mortality has dropped by 45% between 2000 and 2020. Girls are also performing well in education, with 68% completing secondary school—slightly outpacing boys at 66%.
In the workforce, 23% of employed women are in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics roles, signaling a shift toward broader participation in specialized sectors.
ESCWA called for renewed commitments from regional leaders to promote gender equality, close educational and economic gaps, and protect women’s rights across the Arab world.
