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subscribeNejla Ben Mimoune is a research associate and programs manager at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs. Previously, she was a research assistant at the Brookings Doha Center, where she examined topics such as economic diversification in the Gulf, youth transition in MENA, and labor market dynamics. She holds a master’s of development economics and works on development issues in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. She has consulted for different international organizations such as the International Labour Organization (ILO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for West Asia (UN ESCWA). She contributed to several reports on inequality of opportunity, youth unemployment, and labor market skills needs, among others.
Women nationals in the six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have made remarkable progress in terms of educational attainment and labor force participation. GCC countries now lead the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in terms of female employment among nationals (i.e., citizens). The rapid improvement in female economic participation in the Gulf has propelled them to the forefront of women’s economic empowerment in the MENA region. This goes against persistent historical narratives that depict the Gulf states as outliers in terms of repression of women’s economic, social, and political freedoms.
learn moreDiscover the Causes of Food Insecurity in the Middle East and North Africa, along with Solutions to Achieve Food Security and Increase Agricultural Production.
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