A vanguard of women in the MENA region is driving changes in business and society. How can the economic potential of half the region’s population be unleashed?
Hana Barqawi realised her dream of opening her own children's furniture store two years ago in the Jordanian capital of Amman. Ms Barqawi is part of a wave of female entrepreneurs that has swept across the Middle East and North Africa area over the past decade or more. She is not surprised: "Arab women are well-educated, openminded, open to new ideas, new cultures, new challenges," she says. Nor has she found cultural attitudes to be a major problem, with Jordanian men accepting the new female business presence. But Ms Barqawi notes that while servants and nannies are available to help with childcare, balancing work and family life has now become a daily juggle for many women like her. But to what extent do Ms Barqawi's experiences reflect those of other women across the Middle East and North Africa region?
This is a key policy question. Sure enough, women have started to emerge in business and government in several MENA countries, with some countries moving faster than others, but overall they represent a small minority. Nor are all women in the region well-educated or indeed able to enter the work force.
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