Hijab and haramlik – two Arabic words which mean, respectively, ‘veil’ and ‘a part of the house reserved for women’, and which represent the limits between which, even today, too many women are forced to restrict their existence. So says the fourth UNDP Report (United Nations Development Programme) on human development within Arab countries. Edited by a team of Arab experts, the document, which examines 21 states, including those of Mediterranean Africa (like Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt), and of sub-Saharan Africa (such as Mauritania, Sudan and the Comoros Islands), is dedicated to “the other half of the sky”, as its title, ‘Towards a new role for women in the Arab world”, makes clear.

And from this UN study an image of both light and shadow emerges – much progress has been made, but there is still a long way to go. Education, health, politics, work and rights remain areas to which access for Arab women remains difficult and limited. Despite 17 of the 21 countries examined having signed and ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), there remain many reservations regarding certain articles of that convention which are considered to be in conflict with national laws and the sharia. In short, if, on the one hand, there has been a certain degree of legislative recognition to outlaw distinctions between the sexes, on the other, employment law, criminal law and laws on nationality continue to favour discrimination.

Indeed, regardless of the increase in female primary school attendance, still today nearly half of all women cannot read or write. The percentage amongst men, on the other hand, is 25.1%. Furthermore, although the majority of Arab public opinion declares itself in favour of equal rights to education for men and women, and although female university enrollments have increased, these latter have been concentrated in the fields of literature, human sciences and social sciences, which carry less currency in the world of work. The discomforts which women face in the field of healthcare are equally serious – the quality of the services at their disposition remains poor, they are often not provided with basic health provisions, and the problem of Aids in particular continues to cause concern. In spite of the fact that the Arab region remains one of the least worst hit by the virus, the number of girls and women infected has risen significantly, and now constitutes half of the contaminated population.

In the report, which represents the latest step in a general analysis of the shortfalls in the region’s development and of the failings of the female ‘empowerment’ process, there is also a focus on the dramatic reality of the many kinds of violence of which Arab women are often victims. In particular, the tribal custom of killing women ‘in defense of honour’ still survives in many countries. The issue of domestic violence is also raised, a problem which is often denied and considered to be a taboo subject, along with the high percentage of female genital mutilation in some Arab states, and all the physical and psychological consequences which this practice brings. Nevertheless, according to the report, Arab public opinion condemns outright any kind of violence inflicted on women.

Obstructions and obstacles to emancipation are also a part of everyday life in the workplace. If, on the one hand, there is a positive note with the steady growth of female entrepreneurs (in Tunisia, from 1998 to 2005, the number has grown from 2,000 to 5,000), on the other, the level of female employment (that is, the percentage of women over the age of 15 who are working or looking for work) has ground to a halt at 33%, thus remaining the lowest in the world. Furthermore, it is women who are the first to be made redundant in times of difficulty. A dominant male culture, a general lack in employment opportunities, sexual discrimination and distinction in salaries, not to mention high birth rates, are the main reasons which explain the low female participation in national economies.

Gender issues have nevertheless found a new space for discussion, thanks to the appearance of new media, and also to Arab literature and cinema. These last two have recently made important contributions to criticisms of cultural and social stereotypes, even confronting taboo issues such as sexual violence and marginalization. On the other hand, however, whilst there is a greater female presence within the media in some countries, the existence of a global communication network has facilitated the diffusion of traditionalist ideas which run contrary to female emancipation. As far as the sphere of politics is concerned, according to the report there is a marked contrast between Arab public opinion, which is favourable to the idea of female participation in even the highest positions of responsibility, and the present reality. Certainly there have been some positive developments, thanks in part to the implementation of positive discrimination which, in Morocco, for example, has caused the number of women in Parliament to rise from 1% to 11%. Despite this, however, the proportion of female MPs in Arab countries remains below 10% – and thus claims last place in the world rankings.

Finally, this UN document on human development in the Arab world notes that these problems experienced by women are not solely the result of conservative societies or erroneous interpretations of Islam, but also to the existence of conflicts, wars, foreign occupation, terrorism and economic crises. And yet the report’s authors claim that it is, in fact, the conquest of full autonomy on the part of women which could bring about a trading, economic and cultural renaissance within Arab countries.

Translation by Liz Longden