– Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan
Check out Freedom Houses 2010 edition of Women’s Rights in the Middle East and North Africa, which analyzes the status of women in the region. The report addresses the status of women in 18 countries and territories; each country is scored on a scale of 1 (no rights) to 5 (most rights) in five categories: Non-Discrimination and Access to Justice; Autonomy, Security, and Freedom of the Person; Economic Rights and Equal Opportunity; Political Rights and Civic Voice; Social and Cultural Rights.
For anyone interested in the region, this is a must-read. The 2005 edition found that despite some progress in a number of countries, there was a pervasive gender-based gap in rights and freedoms in every facet of society: the law, criminal justice system, economy, education, health care, and the media. The online edition of the 2005 report received nearly one million visits since posted in 2005.
The 2010 edition is a five-year retrospective review of women’s rights in the MENA region, covering events that occurred from mid-2004 until October 2009. Check it out online.
“It is vital that MENA countries more urgently recognize that the status of women is the key determinant to the development of their societies. This report provides important data to encourage reform in womens rights.”
