Arab States Report: Reforms urged for women’s political participation despite progress on legal status

There is an urgency to gear up the work towards adoption of women quotas for their political representation, strengthening of existing quotas as well as laws that criminalise violence against women in politics and elections. Recently issued UN country reports on Gender Justice and the Lawon 17 Arab countries, including Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon, and Iraq, highlight the progress made on women’s legal status, but it urges the need for more reforms protecting against domestic violence, encouraging political participation and sexual and productive health rights.

These reports state that the only 10 out of the 17 Arab States have adopted quotas for women in national parliaments while only Tunisia, Somalia, Sudan, and the UAE have a quota that meets or exceeds 30% of seats for women parliamentarians.

Gender Concerns International works in Arab States to improve gender equality and women’s political participation. Tunisia remains the only Arab country to have enacted a law explicitly criminalising violence against women in elections and politics, an achievement which the organisation is honoured to contribute to.

Believing in women's collective power to improve lives and advance their communities, we endeavour to continue supporting women's leadership in governance and decision-making processes in Arab States and wider region.

All country reports can be found here: https://www.undp.org/arab-states/publications/gender-justice-and-law