Women’s Economic Empowerment in Jordan, Oman and Tunisia

Abstract

To develop greater insight into future programming in Jordan, Oman, and Tunisia, the International Republican Institute (IRI) posed the following question: What legal, cultural, and existing economic barriers are preventing women from contributing to their respective national economies? This question was submitted as a research proposal to the University of Minnesota Humphrey School of Public Affairs as a potential capstone project for Master’s degree-seeking students. The proposal by IRI was selected as the capstone project of three graduate students who were then commissioned to examine the existing literature, identify key themes, and develop policy and programming recommendations to better assist IRI in understanding the context of women engaging in their respect economies in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The result is a comprehensive analysis of the local and national barriers in Jordan, Oman, and Tunisia that prevent women from engaging in their national economies, and developing a stronger sense of economic empowerment.