In Arab countries, the presence of women in the labor market remains lower than the global average by a noticeable margin. A regional director from UN Women highlighted at a COP27 gathering in Sharm El Sheikh last year that the participation rate sits about 24% below the world average, and progress since then has been slow.
As one observer notes, women enter the business world and advance until family responsibilities demand their attention at home. A member of the Arab International Women’s Forum, Raghda Kurdi, stresses that social pressure pushes many women to leave their professional paths early. In her own leadership experience within Jordan, the pace of a country’s economic health appears to influence how fully women integrate into work life. Economic conditions, not just policy, shape everyday realities for working women.
Low wages compound the challenge: limited funds for transportation, child care, or kindergarten can make the daily commute untenable. Women often question the value of continuing sacrifices when the household bears the cost of those gaps. Kurdi has long understood that reconciliation between work and family hinges on national economic and labor policies in Jordan and across the region. This pattern is echoed in other Arab nations with weaker economies, yet lighter in contrast in Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates where the economic rewards can justify the costs. This dynamic helps explain why many women there sustain longer careers, with reliable transportation and childcare enabling them to get things done while earning a salary. The observation comes from a digital trade publication that tracks boardroom dynamics and family business leadership.
Training and education are increasingly cited as catalysts for change. A Brookings Institution report shows women in the Middle East and North Africa account for about 57% of college graduates, surpassing the United States in some metrics. Jordan, in particular, stands out for its relatively high female education levels. Yet economic constraints still limit progress. If the economy strengthens, the churn of women leaving the workforce tends to ease; when economies falter, early departures can rise again, as social conservatism can tighten its grip.
As women in the region attain higher levels of education, barriers to entering traditionally male-dominated fields gradually soften. Women are increasingly seen in leadership across finance, aviation, business, technology, and research. Despite this progress, the overall rate of early withdrawal from the workforce remains a gender gap across many sectors. Advocates argue that equipping women with more managerial tools will help them advance and prevent them from stepping away to focus on family during periods of economic stress. Only with improved economic conditions and targeted support can gender equality in leadership advance more consistently.
Notes from sector commentators underscore the need for ongoing investment in women’s workforce participation. The conversation emphasizes how economic health, education, and supportive policies together determine the pace of change for Arab women in business and public life. This holistic view aligns with broader regional efforts to empower women while sustaining competitive economies.