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A Review of Policy, Gender Rights Movements and Civil Society Space in the Region
INTRODUCTION
Women and girls in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are among the most vulnerable populations in the world. The region ranks lowest on the Global Gender Index (GGI) scoring minimally on indicators on health, education, economic, and political participation. The context is precarious for young women and impedes girls’ full enjoyment of their rights and freedoms. With one in three women in MENA having experienced or at risk of experiencing physical or sexual abuse in their lifetime, Gender-based violence (GBV) is the most common rights violation experienced by women and girls in the region.
In Lebanon and Jordan for example, following the Covid-19 pandemic, there is a reported increase in abuse iii and violence against women, as well as a spike in reports of domestic violence. Access to GBV response and support services has also been inadequate with several vulnerable groups ignored during the pandemic response with a lack of programs targeting women in prisons as well as migrants and refugees. Access to GBV services by women and girls in the country - as is the case in other countries in the region - have traditionally been challenged by limited response capacities and social stigma and discrimination which impede and discourage girls and women from accessing quality services and seeking justice.
Conservative political regimes and contradictory legal and policy systems at national and regional levels are an obstacle to the protection of women and girls in MENA. While national constitutions provide for equality of all citizens, four out of five countries analysed have loopholes that hinder young women and adolescent girls from fully accessing and enjoying their rights. Furthermore, predominantly sectarian systems of governance that are captured by elites and religious leaders, alongside civil wars and regional conflicts that affect and impact several countries in MENA represent obstacles to enhancing legal and policy measures to protect women and girls in the region. Furthermore, the lack of local and national policies to prevent and address rights violations, and cultural and religious barriers, have contributed to increased challenges to addressing gender rights violations.
Driven by the ambition to advance children's rights and the equality of girls in countries in the MENA region, Plan international is concerned that within this policy and rights activism environment, adolescent girls and young women in MENA are facing multiple threats to their protection, each contributing to exacerbating the other; exposure to weak legal and policy protections, limited access to protection services, and persistent cultural and social barriers.
To review the protection afforded to girls and women, this analysis focused on 5 countries in MENA:- Lebanon, Sudan, Egypt, Syria, and Jordan. Despite the level of conflict and instability in the country, the displacement of Syrian refugee women and girls into countries in the region warrants its inclusion in this analysis.
Due to limitations in literature and actions focused on the protection of adolescent girls and young women in MENA, this report extrapolates conclusions from the experiences of women rights activists, civil society groups and rights-based agencies coupled with a review of available literature to evaluate the policy and legal environment, nature of girls and women rights movements, as well as the level of civil society freedom in the region.