GERPA Research Competition
Handbook
NGED/GERPA Workshop:
Gender and Economics in the MENA:
From Theory to Policy Making
Dubai
November 15-17, 2008
CAWTAR
The Dubai School of
Government
The World Bank
What is CAWTAR?
Founded in 1993, the Center of Arab Women for Training and Research
(CAWTAR) is an independent regional non-governmental institution
established to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment in the
Arab World. Through research, training, networking, and advocacy, CAWTAR
seeks to help Arab women exercise their rights to participate in developing
their communities and to become fully empowered.
To pursue its two-fold goals of women’s rights and women’s empowerment,
CAWTAR generates knowledge to enhance the capacity of Arab institutions to
integrate gender effectively into their programs and projects. The Center
carries out five main programs: training, networking and partnership, the
media and communication, and documentation and database.
CAWTAR cooperates with national and international institutions, research
institutes, and NGOs on gender and development projects. Since 2002,
CAWTAR has collaborated with the World Bank in an effort to build effective
networks of gender advocates and policy makers, especially with the
launching of the ANGED and PGN networks.
Based in Tunisia, CAWTAR is mainly funded and supported by regional and
international organizations. Its creation was a direct response to a long-felt
need in the Arab region for a specialized center to promote the participation
of Arab women in the development process.
CAWTAR has published a series of reports on gender-related issues in the
Arab region: Gender and Globalization, Arab Adolescent Girls, Arab Women
and the Media, Arab Women and Decision Making, and Arab Women and
Legislation. For a summary of CAWTAR reports, please visit CAWTAR’s
website at <www.cawtar.org>.
What is ANGED?
The Arab Network for Gender and Development was launched by
CAWTAR in 2002 to ensure outreach and dissemination of priority issues
identified in the area of gender and development. Funded by the World Bank
and by other organizations and donors, it is considered a unique space for
developing multifaceted policy-oriented programs and policy dialogue. Its
priorities and activities are developed through a participatory and
consultative process with and through its members in the area of gender and
development.
ii
What is GERPA?
Gender-sensitive research is a crucial step toward incorporating a concern
with gender into a country’s economic policies. To help bridge the gap
between gender studies and mainstream economic research, CAWTAR
together with the World Bank launched the Gender Economic Research
and Policy Analysis (GERPA) project. GERPA seeks to mainstream genderrelated issues into high-level research and policy analysis undertaken by top
researchers. An important objective is to work through well-established
economic policy research institutions and research centers in the MENA
region and to provide incentives and mechanisms to make gender-sensitive
research a routine part of the economic policy discourse over time. More
specifically, the GERPA objective is to support gender research within
previously “gender neutral” economic research agendas and research-related
activities.
GERPA will provide incentives and funding to incorporate the gender
dimension within a select number of high-profile policy research activities as
well as to initiate new gender economic research of high priority.
GERPA Governance
The GERPA Initiative is supported by the Development Grant Facility of the
World Bank, and is seeking additional support from the corporate and donor
communities. CAWTAR is the executive agency of GERPA.
GERPA is governed by a Steering Committee and an Advisory Committee.
GERPA Steering Committee
The Steering Committee acts like a board of directors. It consists of highly
respected individuals inside and outside the Middle East and North Africa
region who determine the strategic direction for GERPA activities, approve
the allocation of resources, and select the research activities to be supported.
Chair: Ismail Serageldin, Bibliotheca Alexandrina
Secretary: Soukeina Bouraoui, CAWTAR, Tunis
 Fatima Al Balooshi, Minister of Social Affairs, Bahrain
 Suhair Al Ali, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation,
Jordan
 Gary Becker, Nobel Laureate for Economics, University of Chicago,
USA
 Rahma Bourqia, University Hassan II, Morocco
 Ritva Reinikka, The World Bank
 Shirin Ebadi, Nobel Laureate for Peace, Iran
 Yousef Ibrahim, Economic Advisor, Kuwait
 Mustapha Nabli, MENA Region, The World Bank
 Nadereh Chamlou, MENA Region, The World Bank
iii
GERPA Advisory Committee
The Advisory Committee acts like a management committee and is made up
of a group of prominent thinkers and experts. The Committee advises the
Secretariat and focuses on the technical issues of the projects, the quality
assurance of the process, the utilization of the resources, and the resource
mobilization.
Chair: Soukeina Bouraoui, CAWTAR, Tunis
 Ali Abdel Gader Ali, Arab Planning Institute, Kuwait
 Mouna Cherkaoui, University Mohammed V, Morocco
 Taieb Hafsi, Universite de Montreal, Canada
 Mona Khalaf, Lebanese American University, Beirut
 Golnar Mehran, Al-Zahra University, Iran
 Guity Nashat, University of Illinois at Chicago
 Tarik Yousef, Dubai School of Government, UAE
 Nadereh Chamlou, MENA Region, The World Bank
GERPA Main Activities
GERPA’s main activities are to:





Increase the quantity and quality of economic policy research on gender
by funding research through a competitive process and providing ongoing
quality guidance to researchers.
Promote the integration of gender into ongoing research in think tanks,
research institutions, and policy institutions through strategic partnerships
around research and conferences.
Build capacity in skills and expertise to address economic issues from a
gender perspective and vice versa through workshops, fellowships, and
training programs.
Strengthen the links between economists and non-economists for better
understanding of the cross-disciplinary nature of research, policy, and
advocacy that affect gender equality and women’s empowerment.
Integrate the pursuit of gender equality into the development of the
region by ensuring the dissemination of the key recommendations of the
research to policy- and decision makers.
First and Second GERPA Research Competitions
GERPA’s first research competition triggered about 60 researchers (with 25
studies) in the region to work on issues as diverse as health, education,
labor, small and medium enterprises and entrepreneurship, poverty and
human development, and socioeconomic analysis of gender empowerment.
During the last few months, some projects have met their first draft
deadlines while others are already on their final draft. A second competition
was launched in June-October, 2008. Its results will be announced soon.
iv
First Competition Results
Contents
Education ............................................................................................ 4
Gender Effects of Education on Economic Growth in Turkey .................. 4
Analysis of Educational Gender Inequalities in Egypt Using ELMPS 06 .... 5
Recent Trends in Wages and Returns to Schooling in Palestine and
Turkey ........................................................................................... 6
Labor .................................................................................................. 7
Implications of the GCC’s Labor Nationalization Policies for Employment
Opportunities for Indigenous Females ................................................ 7
The Participation Decision of Married Women in the Private Sector: A
Comparative Analysis of Egypt, Morocco, and Syria ............................. 8
Oil, Immigration, and Gender Economics: Causality and Transformation
in the GCC countries ....................................................................... 9
Educated Women’s Participation and Employment in the Palestinian Labor
Market .......................................................................................... 11
Poverty and Human Development .......................................................... 12
Anti-poverty Policies in Palestine, Jordan, Egypt, and Morocco: An
Assessment Study of Small Enterprise Programs from a Gender
Perspective ................................................................................... 12
Gender-sensitive Fiscal Policy for Poverty Reduction in Developing
Countries: A Comparative Analysis of Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, and
Tunisia ......................................................................................... 13
Investigating the Impact of the Iranian Anti-poverty Program on Poor
Women in Iran .............................................................................. 14
Female Palestinian Refugees’ Economic Activity in Camps in Jordan: A
Case Study of Al-Baqaa’ and Al-Wihdat Refugee Camps ...................... 16
The Role of Government Expenditure and Aid Programs to Empower
Women-headed Households in the Palestinian Territory and Refugee
Camps in Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon ............................................... 17
Poverty Dynamics and Child Wellbeing in Gender-biased Societies of
MENA Region: Comparative Evaluation of the Impact of Poverty on the
Status of Vulnerable and Disadvantaged Children, and the Concerned
Institutions and Programs of Intervention in MENA with Focus on Sudan,
Yemen, and Djibouti ....................................................................... 18
SMEs and Entrepreneurship .................................................................. 20
Female and Male Share Traders on the United Arab Emirates Stock
Exchange: How Do They Manage in a Turbulent Market? ..................... 20
Female Entrepreneurship and Challenges Posed by its Environment in
Morocco and Tunisia: Opportunities and Constraints Facing Business
Women ......................................................................................... 22
Women Entrepreneurs in the MENA Region: Obstacles, Potential, and
Prospects ...................................................................................... 23
Health ................................................................................................ 25
Labor Supply, Childbearing, and Women’s Welfare in Old Age: The
Consequences of Reproductive and Work History for Mid- and Later-Life
Health among Women in Egypt, Lebanon, and Iran ............................ 25
2
Family Planning and Rural Fertility in Iran: a Study in Program Evaluation
................................................................................................... 26
Health Sector Reform and Women’s Equitable Access to Reproductive
Health Services.............................................................................. 27
Socio-economic Analysis of Gender Empowerment................................... 29
Intra-household Resource Allocation in Egypt: Effect of Power Distribution
within the Household on Child Work and Schooling ............................. 29
Role of Religion in Gender Entrepreneurship Development in the MENA
Region .......................................................................................... 30
Socio-demographic and Economic Characteristics, and the Problems of
Jordanian Female-headed Households .............................................. 31
Migration, Gender, and Attitudes: A Comparative Study of Turkish
Migrants in Germany ...................................................................... 31
3
Education
Gender Effects of Education on Economic Growth in Turkey
Authors: Nil Demet Gungor (Atilim University)
Expected date of completion: 30/06/2008
Country of study: Turkey
Objective: The study investigates the impact of male and female education
on economic development in five regions in Turkey.
Research Question: The study explores the following questions: Do female
educational attainment levels have a different impact on economic growth
than male educational attainment level? Through which channels does female
schooling affect growth?
Period of the study: 1980-2000
Innovation: Among the first studies relating female educational attainment
and economic growth in Turkey.
Methodology: Econometric panel data techniques, instrumental variable
estimation.
Data: Panel data for five regions in Turkey.
Abstract
“Gender inequalities in educational attainment levels can have important
macroeconomic consequences in terms of their impact on economic growth
and development. An increasing number of females are becoming
participants in the labor force and their education is believed to affect
productivity and growth levels positively. Female educational attainment can
also have a positive, less direct effect on the growth rate through its impact
on fertility and health. The proposed study will seek to answer the following
questions for the case of Turkey: 1) Are there gender differences in the
impact of schooling on economic growth? 2) Does gender inequality have a
significant, negative impact on growth? and 3) What are some of the possible
channels through which gender inequalities in education affect economic
growth? These questions are of significance to policymakers in Turkey and in
other developing countries in terms of determining the extent to which
gender and gender inequalities should be targeted as part of a high-growth
strategy.”
4
Analysis of Educational Gender Inequalities in Egypt Using ELMPS 06
Authors: Asma El Badawy (McMaster University) and Ragui Assad (Population
Council)
Expected date of completion: 30/09/2008
Country of study: Egypt
Objective: The paper analyzes the issue of educational gender inequalities in
Egypt, precisely, how school and household characteristics affect some
aspects of schooling determination such as school entry, school dropout,
school interruptions and tutoring-taking.
Research question: How do household and school characteristics affect some
aspects of school determination in Egypt?
Innovation/duplicability: The project presents an innovation in the sense that
some variables such as access to tutoring have not been included in previous
studies on gender educational inequality in Egypt. The project can be easily
replicated to other countries.
Data source: Egypt Labor Market Panel Survey ELMPS 06 (which is an
extension of the ELMPS 98).
Methodology: Econometric techniques. Regression analysis models such as
probit models. Dependant variable takes a value of 1 if the individual has
been to school and the value 0 if he has not been to school. The attendance
or non-attendance to school is explained by a number of explanatory
variables including regional dummies, urban/rural residence dummy,
household characteristics and other variables related to school
characteristics.
Abstract:
“We propose to study gender differences with respect to several educational
outcomes in Egypt. We particularly would like to examine gender gaps in
school entry, school dropout and completion, educational attainment, and
private tutoring. We would employ data based on the Egypt Labor Market
Panel Survey of 2006 as well as data based on the Egypt Labor Market
Survey of 1998. The data would thereby allow us to examine the changes in
gender disparities that took place between 1998 and 2006. To take into
consideration the sequential nature of educational decisions as well as to
overcome censoring problems, we would use a two-step hazard model for
age of entry and years in school.”
5
Recent Trends in Wages and Returns to Schooling in Palestine and
Turkey
Authors: Aysit Tansel (Middle East Technical University), Yousef Daoud
(Birzeit University,), Nabil Aranki (Orebro University)
Expected date of completion: 30/06/2008
Country of study: Turkey and Palestine
Objective: The objective of this project is to provide evidence on the returns
to education in Palestine and Turkey and to evaluate changes in the returns
to schooling in these two countries.
Period of the study: 1996-2005
Innovation: Very few studies that deal with gender differences in returns to
education in Palestine and Turkey
Methodology: Econometric techniques, panel data techniques, estimation of
wage equations. Econometric models of self selection.
Abstract
“This report investigates returns to schooling in Turkey and Palestine. Data
from Household Labor Force Surveys and Income and Expenditure Surveys
from the respective countries will be used. Recent trends in returns to
education for men and women will be provided, which is expected to reflect
different labor market and educational experiences of men and women. The
data will be subjected to the same kind of analysis. In estimation, sample
selection issues will be addressed. Comparisons will be carried out over time
to investigate trends in both countries. The authors will also carry out the
analysis along sectoral, gender, geographic, and private/public lines. The
choice of countries was made to highlight similarities and discrepancies in the
two countries. Furthermore, the report will provide policy makers with
recommendations as to what age groups, geographic areas, and gender to
target.”
6
Labor
Implications of the GCC’s Labor Nationalization Policies for
Employment Opportunities for Indigenous Females
Authors: Fatima Al Shamsi (United Arab Emirates University), Emilie
Rutledge (United Arab Emirates University), M. El Bassiouni (United Arab
Emirates University), Hind El Sheik (Saudi Arabia’s Institute of Public
Administration)
Expected date of completion: 31/09/2008
Country of study: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates.
Objectives: The study has two research objectives. First, it analyzes the
extent to which labor nationalization policies will result in increasing
employment opportunities among indigenous females and second, it will
examine existing laws and regulation pertaining to labor markets to see
whether they are appropriate for indigenous females.
Research question: Will the labor nationalization policies, ongoing in the Gulf
countries, lead to greater indigenous female participation in the GCC labor
market?
Innovation/duplicability: No previous research on the effect of labor
nationalization policies in GCC from a gender perspective. The project is not
easily replicable because of the specificity of the GCC countries’ labor market
(especially in terms of attracting foreigners).
Data sources: The UAE’s Tanmia, Education Ministries, expert panel seminars
and other sources (not defined).
Methodology: Statistical analysis of primary data, interviews.
Abstract
“Our research objective is two-fold; firstly it seeks to establish whether or
not GCC labor nationalization policies will result in increasing employment
opportunities for indigenous females. Secondly, it intends to examine existing
labor laws and regulations and ask whether or not these are appropriate from
the perspective of female employees. At present, it is clear that women are
underrepresented in the labor force; for example, data from the World Bank
show that only 15 percent of the Saudi workforce is female. It is our
contention however, that ongoing labor nationalization policies, such as
‘Emiratization’ and ‘Saudization’, which are being pursed to varying degrees
across the Gulf will, more likely than not, lead to greater employment
7
opportunities for indigenous females. We draw this preliminary conclusion
based on published evidence from the UAE that shows the level of female
educational attainment is consistently higher than their male counterparts’,
particularly at the tertiary level. In light of the fact that many of the
employment positions being reserved for nationals under the UAE’s
Emiratization policy are in the skilled and semi-skilled professions in the
service sector, it follows that female nationals, in many instances, will be the
optimal choice of candidates for replacing expatriate labor based on the merit
of their skills and educational attainment. This research therefore proposes to
address and test the following hypothesis: The ongoing policy of labor
nationalization will lead to greater indigenous female participation in the
GCC’s labor market. If, as our hypothesis predicts, women are going to play
a greater role in the region’s labor markets over the coming period, labor
laws and employment regulation must be modified where necessary to reflect
this change. Thus, the second part of our proposed research project will look
at existing employment regulations, and where appropriate suggest
amendments that will improve the statutory rights of indigenous female
workers.”
The Participation Decision of Married Women in the Private Sector: A
Comparative Analysis of Egypt, Morocco, and Syria
Authors: Nader Kabbani (American University of Beirut), Ragui Assaad
(Population Council, Egypt)
Expected date of completion: 31/10/08
Country of study: Egypt, Morocco, and Syria
Research question: The study seeks to answer the following research
questions: What factors induce women to leave private sector jobs after
marriage as compared to public sector jobs and what factors induce a small
minority of women to keep working in the private sector? What distinction
can be made between the informal and formal sector?
Research objectives: Identify the most significant factors associated with the
odds of continued female participation in private sector employment and
determine the push and pull factors that cause women to leave public sector
employment. The proposed research will study these factors for three MENA
countries at different stages of the implementation of public sector
retrenchment policies.
Data source: Demographic and Health Survey 2000.
Period covered: 1990s
Methodology: Econometric techniques: multinomial logistic regression
8
Abstract:
“It is well-established in the research literature that women in the MENA
region are attracted to jobs in the public sector, because of higher wages and
benefits, more generous maternity leave policies, and less discrimination
compared to jobs in the private sector. Indeed, women in Egypt, Morocco,
and Syria are far more likely to continue working in public sector jobs after
marriage than in private sector jobs. However, little research to date has
analyzed the key factors that lead most women to leave private sector
employment after marriage and other factors that induce a small minority to
remain in private sector work after marriage. Factors may include the pull of
voluntary preferences of women and/or the push of social norms and
discrimination. Identifying the most significant factors associated with the
odds of female participation in private sector employment, before and after
marriage, has important policy implications, given the low rates of female
labor force participation in the MENA region and the fact that many MENA
governments are trying to reduce, or at least limit the growth of, public
sector employment. This project will study these factors empirically using
labor-force survey data for Egypt, Morocco, and Syria. It also will use newly
available panel data for Egypt to track the transition of women in and out of
the labor force and between sectors.
Oil, Immigration, and Gender Economics: Causality and
Transformation in the GCC countries
Authors: Sulayman Al-Qudsi (Canadian Energy Research Institute and
University of Calgary), AbdulWahab Abudahesh (Investment and Business
Development)
Expected date of completion: 31/12/2009
Countries of study: GCC countries.
Objectives: Proposition to study the causal relationships between oil price
fluctuations, immigration flows, and indigenous labor market with special
consideration to gender composition. The study analyses the extent to which
foreign workers can be substituted by nationals and looks particularly at the
effect of oil price fluctuation on the composition of the labor force (between
immigrated -gender based transformation of employment- and national work
force).
Research question: How do oil price fluctuations affect gender employment
opportunities of indigenous and immigrant workers?
Innovation/duplicability: The proposal deals with an important and yet
unanswered question in the literature: the relation between oil revenues,
immigration, and employment/unemployment. The research cannot be
9
duplicated to non-oil countries and to the countries that do not receive
important flows of immigrants.
Data sources: Government publications and databases, SAMA2006, IMF,
DOE, UN Statistical Database, ILO Database, Saudi Plans Achievements
(2005), Oman Annual Statistical Yearbook, single countries’ labor surveys,
Kuwait Population Census, Kuwait Family Expenditure and Income Surveys.
Methodology: Econometric techniques: time series and cross
techniques, multinomial probit and multivariate probit models.
section
Abstract:
“Applying a combination of time series and cross section techniques within
the macro and micro-economic frameworks and institutional analyses, the
research proposed here traces out the gender-based socio-economic
transformations that have occurred in the GCC economies during the last few
decades and examines their intricate relationships with oil and immigration
cycles and policies. The overall objective of the inquiry is to unravel the
dynamic changes that have occurred in the GCC economies and their
attendant gender economic transformations. It raises important questions
about the overall patterns of economic development according to gender,
native GCC males and females, and foreign workers by gender. It seeks to
identify possible changes in the overall transformation patterns during
cyclical economic and migratory movements over time and across individual
member countries of the GCC. Comparing the GCC with other
regions/countries, one test that the proposed inquiry would undertake
pertains to the probable impact of oil abundance and volatility on long-term
gender developments in the GCC economies, both individually and when
grouped. The comparison here would deploy a suite of international gender
development indices in order to profile the long-term transformations and
examine their underpinnings; oil and economic and non-economic drivers.
Who bears the brunt of economic downturns in oil economies is the second
area of inquiry of this proposal. Do women of the GCC economies become
more disadvantaged in terms of inactivity and unemployment rates during
periods of economic downturns than during periods of economic prosperity
and expansion? The inquiry will accordingly examine the incidence rates of
inactivity and unemployment along with wage rates according to gender over
the business cycles in the GCC economies. The third hypothesis deals with
the long-term policy issues of complementarities and/or competition between
immigrant and native workers according to gender. Do male and female
immigrants impose differential impacts on the developments of natives by
gender? How are these impacts manifested over the business cycles? Are the
labor market outcomes of native workers differentially affected by the sex
composition of immigrant population in the GCC?”
10
Educated Women’s Participation and Employment in the Palestinian
Labor Market
Authors: Mahmoud El-Jafari (Faculty of Business and Economics, Al-Quds
University, Jerusalem)
Expected date of completion: 31/12/08
Country of study: The West Bank and Gaza Strip (WBGS).
Innovation: The study is one of the first to provide information on the labor
market for graduates in higher education in the WBGS.
Data source: Surveys, data collection, time-series data.
Methodology: Econometric model, simulations.
Abstract:
“Based on the labor surveys conducted by the Palestinian Central Bureau of
Statistics in 2005, unemployment rates among educated females reached 60
percent. These rates were double those of educated males. On the other
hand, the participation rates of educated males in the labor market exceeded
the participation rates of educated females by 40 percent. Thus, the main
objective of this proposal project is to evaluate the factors behind lower rates
of participation and the sharp increases in unemployment rates among
educated females in the Palestinian labor market. To accomplish the
objective of this study, an econometric model will be utilized. Primary and
secondary data will be used to estimate the model. Based on the empirical
results, several simulations will be conducted to trace out the evolution of
employment and participation rates among educated females. It is
anticipated that this project will focus on specific options related directly to
the Palestinian labor market. The results of this research will be of interest to
several parties, agencies, and institutions. Recommendations will be
submitted to policy makers to assist in socio-economic policy formulation in
the labor market.”
11
Poverty and Human Development
Anti-poverty Policies in Palestine, Jordan, Egypt, and Morocco: An
Assessment Study of Small Enterprise Programs from a Gender
Perspective
Authors: Khalid Sulaiman (Amman Center for Human Rights Studies), Majd
Hammad (King Hussein Bin Talal Institution, Jordan), Ibtisam El Zeraiy
(Canaan Institute of New Pedagogy, Palestine), Amal Ewaida (Al-Ahram
Organization, Egypt), Khadiga El Mansoury (Faculty of Law, Morocco).
Expected date of completion: 31/12/2007
Research question: To what extent do “small enterprises” help reduce
poverty among women in four MENA countries?
Aim of the study: The objective of the project is to analyze the issue of
poverty in four MENA countries and the extent to which small enterprises
(owned by a poor or semi-poor woman) help reduce poverty among women.
The study highlights the weaknesses and the strengths of the “small
enterprise” programs in the four selected countries and the extent to which it
succeeded in empowering women.
Countries under study: Palestine, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco.
Innovation/Duplicability: The project can be easily replicated to other
countries
Methodology: Survey questions, interviews.
Abstract:
“In many Arab countries, the problem of poverty, especially among women,
represents one of the most critical issues that must be placed as top priority
by all bodies concerned. This problem has serious and adverse dimensions
and repercussions on the development potential of these countries. In
general, many Arab countries adopt different programs to address and
alleviate poverty, with varying degrees of success. In view of this, the
research problem of this study aims to shed light on efforts exerted in many
Arab countries (Jordan, Egypt, Palestine, and Morocco) to combat poverty
among women. This focus involves examining policies and programs
developed by these countries and identifying to what extent they incorporate
the approach of "poverty and gender" in these programs. As the
establishment of small enterprises for women is a major effort in this regard,
the study will focus on assessing a number of the most outstanding projects
12
that aim at improving women's conditions in the countries covered by the
study. The study will highlight points of strength and weakness in these
projects and investigate their socioeconomic impacts on the beneficiary
women and their families.”
Gender-sensitive Fiscal Policy for Poverty Reduction in Developing
Countries: A Comparative Analysis of Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, and
Tunisia
Authors: Ismail Fofana (Laval University), Touhami Abdelkhalek (Institut
National de Statistiques et d’Economie Appliquée, Rabat), Rim Chatti (Institut
des Hautes Etudes Commerciales, Tunis)
Expected date of completion: 31/08/2008
Country of study: Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia.
Objective: The project evaluates the impact of macroeconomic policies on the
distribution of income within the household with special attention to market
and non-market household production.
Research question: Do macroeconomic shocks have different distributional
(and well-being) effects on men and women?
Innovation/duplicability: The study represents two innovations. First, it
integrates the gender dimension into mainstream analysis of shocks and
macroeconomic policies. Second, it differentiates between market and nonmarket production and between productive non-market activities such as
domestic activities and non-productive non-market activities such as leisure.
The study can be easily duplicated to other countries.
Methodology: Computational general equilibrium model (where the labor
market is fragmented into female and male labor market).
Abstract:
“There is a growing recognition that macroeconomic and adjustment
policies may have quite different effects on men and women. The
importance of macroeconomic policy, especially fiscal policy, in
influencing women’s welfare and their prospects for economic
empowerment has been well documented in recent years. It can worsen
or improve the living standards of women and contribute to narrowing or
widening gender gaps in income, health, education, nutrition, etc. In the
analysis of macro shocks on individuals’ well being, it is important to take
account of gender and household production for two sets of reasons.
First, this is necessary in order to capture the distribution of the costs
and benefits of macro shocks between women and men as females are
13
more vulnerable to chronic poverty, because of gender inequalities in the
distribution of income, access to productive inputs such as credit, asset
management, and the labour market, as compared to males. Second,
gender differences and household production activities are likely to
strongly condition in turn the impacts of macro shocks on the rest of the
economy and, consequently, on poverty itself. This study contributes to
promote the integration of gender dimension into “gender neutral”
macroeconomic analysis. Applied to Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia
the study assesses the impacts of macroeconomic policies on the
wellbeing of women and men and on poverty reduction. The comparative
aspect of the study takes the analysis of gender in macro-poverty
linkages one step further by separating and contrasting mechanisms that
drive country-specific effects from more general effects. The methodology
followed in the study is illustrated in four steps. First, we explore the
gender dimension of poverty and provide answer to the question whether
or not women are overrepresented among the poor. Furthermore, the
analysis sheds light on the likely economic factors that explain gender
difference in poverty. Second, the salient features of gender participation
in market activities are described in order to give greater insight to the
factors driving gender differences in poverty. Third, a brief review of
macroeconomic policies, especially fiscal measures, and their importance
in influencing women’s and men’s welfare and their prospects for
economic empowerment, is documented. It also provides additional
clarification and guidance regarding fiscal policy formulation. Finally, the
proposed fiscal measures are tested and their implications for genderdisaggregated variables are quantified. In general, macroeconomic
policies and shocks have an economy-wide set of repercussions and
strong general equilibrium effects. One can demonstrate easily their
implications on factor reallocation and relative prices in the economy.
Thus, the study will use a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model to
understand as well as to quantify the likely distributional impacts of the
proposed gender-focused fiscal reforms.”
Investigating the Impact of the Iranian Anti-poverty Program on
Poor Women in Iran
Authors: Ashan Shooshtarian (Shiraz University, Iran) and Mohamed
Bakhshoodeh (Shiraz University, Iran).
Expected date of completion: 31/06/2008
Country of study: Iran
Research question: Has the Antipoverty Program in Iran improved the
condition of poor women?
14
Research objectives: The project has several objectives. First, it investigates
whether the Anti-poverty Program implemented within the third Five-Year
Development Plan (2000-2004) has alleviated poverty among poor women in
different regions in Iran. Second, the project analyzes the main causes of
regional poverty considering households that are headed by males and those
headed by females. Finally, it decomposes the poverty change (under the
program application) into growth and redistribution components and by
sector of activity.
Data source: Household survey data.
Period covered: 2000-2004
Methodology: The analytical part of the study is composed of three main
sections. First, the authors estimate the absolute poverty lines for each
region and a total poverty line. Household survey data are used to estimate
regional poverty lines for 2003. To check whether poverty decreased under
the Program, the Foster- Greer- Thorbecke index (used to measure poverty)
is calculated for all years covered by the Anti-Poverty program for different
regions, for families headed by males and those headed by females, for
educated and non-educated householders, and for employed and nonemployed female householder families.
Second, the authors apply probit models to study the effects of poverty
determinants on poor and non-poor households (probit models where the
function takes a value of zero if the household is poor and one if not). The
probit model is estimated for households headed by males and those headed
by females. Finally, the authors decompose poverty changes over time into a
growth effect and a redistribution effect, investigating the effect of poverty
change and economic growth by sector of activity (agriculture, industry, and
services).
Abstract
“Although the Iranian government is highly interested in poverty and
inequality alleviation in Iran, available evidence reveals that poverty has not
been reduced as planned in the post-revolution periods. In this way, the
Iranian Anti-Poverty Program proposed by the government in 1999 within the
third Five-Year Development Plan (2000-2004) has the goal of reducing
poverty. The Anti-Poverty Program continues during the fourth plan with the
aim of eliminating absolute poverty in Iran by the end of this plan (2009).
Furthermore, it seems that urbanization has increased the number of families
with female-headed households. Although it seems that the Anti-Poverty
Program in Iran is expected to reduce the number of poor, there is not
enough evidence of poverty alleviation for poor female-headed households.
Also, in this program, there is not any clear plan for reducing poverty of
women in Iran. The efficiency of the Anti-Poverty Program would be
enhanced if the information about poverty, its distribution, dimensions, and
15
determinants is complete and accurate. Against this background, this study
will focus on gender issues and compare the conditions of female-headed and
male-headed households. The study has the following objectives: (1) To
estimate rural, urban, and national food poverty lines for the identification of
poor households. (2) To compute the poverty gap and severity of poverty in
Iranian families by gender. (3) To identify the key determinants of regional
poverty considering conditions of female-headed and male-headed
households in Iran. (4) To determine the growth and redistribution
components of poverty change. (5) To derive policy implications for poverty
alleviation in Iran.”
Female Palestinian Refugees’ Economic Activity in Camps in Jordan:
A Case Study of Al-Baqaa’ and Al-Wihdat Refugee Camps
Authors: Nof Nasser Eddin (United Kingdom)
Expected date of completion: 31/12/2010
Country of study: Jordan (Palestinian refugee camps).
Research question: The study seeks to answer the following research
questions: what work opportunities are there available for female refugees
and what techniques do they use to avoid poverty? What are the reasons
behind the high rates of unemployment among female refugees? How and to
what extent do the UNRWA’s projects provide Palestinian female refugees
with job opportunities and training programs?
Research objectives: Exploring different aspects of employment and
economic activity of the third generation of female refugees living in AlBaqaa’ and Al-Wihdat camps.
Innovation: The study contributes to widen the knowledge on economic
aspects of Palestinian refugee camps and especially the study tackles the
issue of female labor force participation, which is very poorly covered in the
economic literature.
Methodology: Survey, questionnaire, data analysis.
Abstract
“This research will be based on a comparative study of the economic activity
of female Palestinian camp and non-camp refugees. The camp I will be
studying is Amman New Camp and the age range will be 18 to 28, because
this is the period in which females in the Middle East are supposedly
economically active. This study will identify the rationale behind the
differential economic situations between non-camp and camp female
refugees. I will do so by looking at and comparing some aspects like
16
education, class, gender bias, and cultural restrictions. I will also be
researching male camp refugees and non-camp refugees’ points of view with
respect to women’s economic activity. This study will complement the
literature and the research which has found that the situations of female
Palestinian camp and non-camp refugees are drastically different.”
The Role of Government Expenditure and Aid Programs to Empower
Women-headed Households in the Palestinian Territory and Refugee
Camps in Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon
Authors: Saleh Al-Kafri (Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics) and
Abdelfattah Abu-Shokor (An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine)
Expected date of completion: (Reported to a future competition)
Country of study: Palestinian refugee camps (Jordan, Syria, Lebanon)
Abstract
The research targets a number of interrelated issues on female headed
households and female poverty in three MENA countries: Jordan, Syria and
Lebanon. The first issue is the low participation rate of women due to lack of
job opportunities offered to them. In addition, the household work of the
female labor force is usually not accounted for in the national statistics. The
second issue is the economic and social dimensions of the female headed
households who very often face tremendous hindrances and discrimination
which prevent them from getting a job and earning income to support their
family members. As such, female headed households should be considered
as a priority concern and an important variable to take into account when
designing public policy and budgeting. The current study looks at the above
mentioned issues while linking them to the public budget policy of integrating
female headed households as active members in the economy. Based on the
economic and social importance of female work at home, the study highlights
the need for government policy to recognize the household work and
reimburse it. The research compares the economic situation of female
headed households in the three MENA countries and evaluates the
effectiveness of the different public policies designed to help this social
group. The research will also shed light on the special needs of female
headed households and will try to explain the reasons behind their low
participation rate and their concentration in unpaid household work. The
number of female headed households is very high in Palestine due to the loss
of the male head of the family in conflict or because of his detention the
Israeli occupation authority. It is therefore interesting to compare their
situation in Palestine to that in Jordan and Tunisia, the latter being very
advanced on the issue of female headed household policy design.
17
Poverty Dynamics and Child Wellbeing in Gender-biased Societies of
MENA Region: Comparative Evaluation of the Impact of Poverty on
the Status of Vulnerable and Disadvantaged Children, and the
Concerned Institutions and Programs of Intervention in MENA with
Focus on Sudan, Yemen, and Djibouti
Authors: Yasir Awad Elkarim Elmubarak (Development Institute, Saudi
Arabia), Sitana Bakhit Musa Osman (University of Khartoum)
Expected date of completion: Reported to a future competition
Country of study: Sudan, Yemen and Djibouti
Abstract:
“The study is an assessment of the status of vulnerable children in urban
settlements in MENA region, with focus on the most vulnerable children in
Sudan, Yemen, and Djibouti, particularly those who are vulnerable and
susceptible to the risks, among them the girl child is the most vulnerable,
whereas child well-being is affected by poverty, poverty interventions are
neither properly designed nor implemented, urban planning is not child
friendly and the rights of children are not considered as priority. The study is
a serious attempt to present logical understanding of the poverty
mechanisms by which children in cities affected; household characteristics,
socio-economic status and cultural environment surrounding the children,
influence their well-being and survival. The study will deeply investigate the
determining factors of the discrimination against the girl child.
The study will identify how existing living conditions in addition to social and
family status and behavior operate as determinants of child well-being, with
special focus on the gender differentials and the determining socio-economic
and cultural factors. It will assess the efforts of the governmental and
nongovernmental agencies in MENA cities and the successful programs to
alleviate poverty and improve child well-being and welfare, as well, the study
will propose the ideal indicators that would help the poverty alleviation and
child friendly strategies and lead them to the right track of child protection.
The study will highlight the issues confronting vulnerable and disadvantaged
(V&D) children (the girl child, children with disabilities, orphans, street
children, refugee/displaced children, child abuse, poor children, working
children, illiterate & drop-out of school children, and children affected by
violence). The study will answer questions like: How does the surrounding
environment (socio-economic, demographic and environmental variables)
determine children’s well-being? Is vulnerability to poverty gender-biased?
What are the main sources of the girl child discrimination in each country?
What is the effect of parents’ characteristics; education, and occupation on
18
the improvement of their children’s status? Which factors are the most
discriminatory among the individual, household, and community
determinants? Are V&D children at different levels of living exposed to similar
risk factors? Which factors affect V&D children at each level and which are
the most discriminatory? Is the female child in MENA Region susceptible to
more risks than the male?”
19
SMEs and Entrepreneurship
Female and Male Share Traders on the United Arab Emirates Stock
Exchange: How Do They Manage in a Turbulent Market?
Authors: El Khider Ali Musa (Ajman University of Science and Technology,
Faculty of Business)
Expected date of completion: 31/12/2007
Country of study: UAE
Research question: How do female investors perceive independence of
external auditors’ reliability and relevance of audited financial statements and
quality of earnings of companies listed on DFM and ADSM?
Research objectives: Shed light on the female investors’ perceptions on
external auditors and the quality of earnings and compare it to male’s
perception.
Innovation: Among the first studies to be done on gender differences in
behavior and perceptions on the UAE stock market.
Data source: Survey
Abstract:
“As one of the GERPA-funded projects, this research initially endeavors to
solicit the opinion of female share dealers on Dubai Financial Market (DFM)
and Abu Dhabi Securities Market (ADSM) on a wide range of issues related to
buying and selling shares. However, with the progress of the project it was
clear that many aspects of the research issue are not gender-sensitive.
Therefore, we have included also male share dealers. The issues include
female and male share dealers’ perceptions of quality of earnings (profits),
reliability and relevance of published financial statements, independence of
external auditors, and usefulness and use of financial statements for deciding
which shares to buy/sell. A modest sample of 78 female and male
respondents have managed to complete and return the research
questionnaire.
Our research findings show that the majority of female and male
dealers are individuals who mostly have earned a university degree in
business administration, accounting, or other social sciences. The majority of
the share dealers who participated in this study have come from the
diversified ethnic structure (nationalities) of the UAE. Furthermore, the
majority of these dealers can be labeled as speculators as most of them keep
shares for a maximum period of less than twelve months. Recent statistics,
20
however, suggests that institutional investors are on the increase. Likewise,
the majority of the share dealers trade in common shares.
The majority of female and male share dealers questioned the quality
of reported profits (earnings) and have indicated a number of tactics they
think management of listed companies use to manipulate profits. They also
indicated the ways they use to make up for this. Nonetheless, the majority of
female and male share dealers are of the view that financial statements of
listed companies are reasonably reliable and relevant to use, inter-alia, to
choose the shares they buy and sell. Likewise, the majority of share dealers
have maintained positive attitudes to independence of external auditors. The
fact that there are no cases of company failures on DFM and ADSM and the
fact that the auditing profession of UAE is well regulated, have contributed to
these positive attitudes.
Moreover, this empirical study investigated how the female share
dealers are managing in a turbulent market. Thus, while the majority share
dealers attached high importance to financial statements and have actually
used them to decide on the shares they trade, they have also supplemented
them with a host of other means. These included consulting financial analysts
and advisers, friends, close relatives, and spouses. It is interesting to note
here, however, that a minority of female and male dealers have neither
attached any importance to financial statements of listed companies nor used
them. The reasons for this behavior included cultural beliefs, lack of
confidence in the reliability and relevance of these financial statements, and
trust in advice of relatives and friends and husbands.
In spite of the fact that both male and female share dealers have
expressed similar perceptions on many issues put to them, it is very
interesting to note that they differed significantly when it comes to their
response to the current share price crisis which started late 2005. Unlike
male share dealers, a significant portion of female dealers have either quit
the stock market altogether or suspended dealings and adopted a wait and
see policy. In fact this finding is the only gender-sensitive aspect identified
by this study. This conclusion is in line with the overall literature findings
which tend to support the belief that female investors are less risk-taker than
their male counterparts.
The conclusions of this research have many policy implications for
improving the efficiency of the stock market. These include the need to
encourage institutional (corporate) investment to protect the dominant
individual investors, the need to tighten market regulation for more
disclosure and transparency, and the need to launch an ambitious and a
continuing education program to enlighten investors on the returns and risks
associated with securities investment and create awareness on how to
maintain a good investment portfolio. It is worth mentioning that Emirates
Securities and Commodities Authority (ESCA) has already started these
initiatives.
Finally, the research results have also indicated new areas for future
research that can also have important policy implications. In particular, the
research agenda are worth investigating in future research:
21
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
The social costs and consequences of the share price collapse for
investors. Financial losses due to share price collapse have resulted
in many social problems such as marriage break-ups, separation,
etc that needs to be investigated further.
The impact of culture on investors’ behavior of buying and selling
shares. Religion is an important variable which affects attitudes of
some share dealers to the use of financial statements for buying
and selling shares. The full extent of this should be explored in
future research.
Finally, replication of this study in UAE is very much recommended.
This is because the research sample of this study is not significant
enough to generalize conclusions. At the same time, replication of
the study in the other Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries is
also encouraged to shed more light on this least-investigated issue
and to tackle some of the problems female share dealers are
facing.”
Female Entrepreneurship and Challenges Posed by its Environment in
Morocco and Tunisia: Opportunities and Constraints Facing Business
Women
Authors: Mohamed Boussetta (Faculty of Juridical, Economic and Social
Sciences, Rabat, Morocco)
Expected date of completion: 30/06/2008
Country of study: Morocco and Tunisia.
Research question: In what sense does the entrepreneurial environment in
Morocco and Tunisia stimulate female entrepreneurship? What are the
incentives offered to female entrepreneurs and what is the impact of these
incentives?
Research objectives: Analyze the institutional, socioeconomic, and cultural
environment of female entrepreneurship, develop a research network on the
issue of women entrepreneurship, and elaborate an operational action plan to
promote female entrepreneurship and improve their environment.
Innovation: No previous studies did a comparative analysis of female
entrepreneurs in the two countries.
Abstract:
“As far as setting up a business is concerned, management sciences instruct
on the fact that to move from the project’s incubating stage to the
investment decision, every entrepreneur must, first of all, assess the
environment within which he/she is required to operate. Similarly, at the
22
business running stage, good management and the chances of durability
thereof are weighed among other things by the relations with this
environment. This environment is made up of a set of variables covering
various fields: economy, politics, social, and cultural issues. It plays a key
role in any entrepreneurial process. And its favorable or hostile nature may
crucially contribute either to promote entrepreneurship and set up business
viability, or to strongly discourage this entrepreneurship and increase
business difficulties and mortality rate of firms. This environment appears to
be more decisive in the case of businesses set up and managed by women
within the very difficult, not to say hostile, context of Morocco and Tunisia.
The aim of this research is to analyze female entrepreneurship in view of the
assets and constraints of the institutional, socio-economic, and cultural
environment in both countries. Although their environments are quite similar
and, at the same time, quite different, there certainly exist universal features
to female entrepreneurship just about everywhere as well, which is
conveyed, at least, by a common conceptual framework without necessarily
denying the environmental contingent nature particular to both countries.
The entrepreneurial environment in Morocco and Tunisia provides, indeed,
some advantages to this kind of entrepreneurship: tax incentives,
appropriate financing. How are these assets perceived by female
entrepreneurs? What is the impact of this incentive policy? Our research will
try to answer these questions. These assets should nevertheless conceal the
numerous general and/or specific constraints that are linked to the female
entrepreneurial environment in both countries, including personal
shortcomings linked to qualification, lack of the entrepreneurial profile, sociocultural factors, financing difficulties, and real estate constraints. Similarly,
female entrepreneurs in both countries have to deal with general and
particular constraints that are inherent in the environment in general:
information-assistance, inadequate incentive framework, bureaucratic
cumbersomeness, and unfavorable cultural factors. Identifying and analyzing
these constraints while making a comparative approach between both
countries and devising concrete suggestions to overcome them are the main
objectives of this survey. From these reflections, our project will try to
answer the following main research questions, adopting a comparative
approach at the same time: (1) What is the quantitative and qualitative
importance of female entrepreneurship in Morocco and Tunisia? (2) What are
the main constraints that female entrepreneurs encounter in both countries?
(3) What are the possibilities and opportunities given to women in this field?
(5) Are there any profiles of female entrepreneurs in these countries? (4) Are
there any specific features for this kind of entrepreneurship? (6) What are
the ways and means to promote this kind of entrepreneurship in both
countries?”
Women Entrepreneurs in the MENA Region: Obstacles, Potential, and
Prospects
23
Authors: Alia El Mehdi (Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Cairo
University), Bashir Hamdouch (Universite Mohamed V, Rabat), Kamal
Hamdan (Consultation and Research Institute, Lebanon), Lara Batlouni
(Consultation and Research Institute, Lebanon), Semsa Ozar (Bogazici
University)
Expected date of completion: 30/06/2008
Country of study: Lebanon, Egypt, Morocco, Turkey
Research question: What explains the difference in performance between
male and female enterprises and how can these differences be alleviated?
Are there any specific difficulties that women entrepreneurs face relative to
their male counterparts?
Research objectives: The study seeks to analyze the economic, social, and
cultural environment in which female entrepreneurs operate in the four Arab
countries and what can be done to improve it.
Data source: Small and Micro Enterprises Surveys
Abstract
“Previous research on female entrepreneurs in the MENA region indicates
that they operate in disadvantaged circumstances and face relatively hard
obstacles. Some obstacles are due to their lacking sufficient skills and
experience, and some are of societal nature. Based on the four rich data sets
on small entrepreneurs in Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, and Turkey, the
research project intends to analyze why female entrepreneurs seem to be
operating in discouraging circumstances. The research will identify the main
constraints (social, cultural, and economic) that they have to deal with and
the determinants of their success or failure. The research will also identify
the extent to which the available business support services (financial and
non-financial) play a significant role in strengthening their capacities and
female entrepreneurs' suggestions for improving the surrounding business
climate and reducing the impact of community intervention and negative
perceptions. Several hypotheses were set at the beginning of the study,
namely that the social, educational background, business climate, and
experience matter in the determination of female entrepreneurs' success.
The study intends to investigate these hypotheses using the t-test analysis
for comparing between female and male owned enterprises' performance.
The study will also use logistic regression for understanding the factors
affecting success/failure of male/female owned enterprises.”
24
Health
Labor Supply, Childbearing, and Women’s Welfare in Old Age: The
Consequences of Reproductive and Work History for Mid- and LaterLife Health among Women in Egypt, Lebanon, and Iran
Authors: David Bishai (John Hopkins University), Oumaima El Jibali (Assiut
University), Kathryn Yount (Emory University), Abla Sibai (American
University of Beirut), Mohamed Jalal Abbasi Shavazi (University of Tehran).
Expected date of completion: 31/12/2009
Country of study: Lebanon, Iran and Egypt.
Research question: How is a woman’s multi-dimensional wellbeing in older
age affected by her earlier fertility and labor force participation?
Research objectives: The study will address the following research
objectives: understanding the extent to which fertility and labor force
participation of women can be predicted by community factors, estimating
the effects of fertility and labor force participation of women on their
wellbeing at older age, and collecting more comprehensive data on the
determinants of wellbeing of women.
Data source: Existing household survey data and own survey.
Period covered: 2000-2004
Methodology: The methodology consists in a survey, data collection, and
econometric analysis. The econometric techniques consist in simple and
multivariate regressions, two-stage least square models, and structural
equation models.
Innovation:
The project fills a current gap in the literature in the sense that it relates
women’s old age health and wellbeing to her fertility and the professional
hazards that she had to face during her professional life. As such, it is one of
the first studies of its kind in the Middle Eastern countries.
Abstract
“This proposal is premised on asking how a woman’s life choices regarding
formal labor force participation affect her wellbeing later in life. Our project
carries four innovations. First, we will conceptualize “wellbeing” from an
25
individualized perspective as something that can be measured in terms of
health, functional status, chronic diseases, social contacts, and financial
resources. Second, we will begin to measure wellbeing at age 50. Third, we
will assemble a multi-country, interdisciplinary consortium of researchers
from the MENA region (Egypt, Lebanon, and Iran) as well as the United
States. Fourth, we will answer the question using an initial phase of
comparative secondary data analysis in regions of Iran, Lebanon, and Egypt,
the lessons of which will inform a second phase of primary data collection in
Assiut, Egypt. The research question is: How is a woman’s multi-dimensional
well-being at ages 50 and older affected by her earlier labor force
participation? Secondary data that have already been collected from older
women in Ismailia, Egypt, Tehran, Iran, and Beirut, Lebanon will be used to
form preliminary answers to this question and to identify gaps that will be
filled during primary data collection in years 2 and 3 in Assiut, Egypt. The
overwhelming statistical obstacle to success with this research program is the
endogeneity of life choices. Without care, we risk attributing causality to
fertility or labor force participation, when in fact, unobservable factors like
poverty may have been responsible for both the earlier life decisions and a
woman’s well-being at older ages. Our identification strategy will rely
primarily on the use of community-level instruments reflecting the work
opportunities in local labor markets and the local availability of family
planning technology from 1940 to 1970. In the proposed project we will
provide, for the first time in this region, comparable cross-national analyses
of the relationship between formal labor force participation, and well-being in
later life for middle age and older women and men. We also will conduct pilot
efforts that will lead to the collection of detailed information on health, health
care use, and economic and social well-being, as well as detailed
reproductive and work histories for these cohorts in an area of Upper Egypt.”
Family Planning and Rural Fertility in Iran: a Study in Program
Evaluation
Authors: Djavad Salehi-Isfahani (Department of Economics, Virginia Tech)
Expected date of completion: 31/12/2008
Country of study: Iran.
Research question: In what way and to what extent do family planning
programs in Iran affect fertility in small towns?
Research objectives: The study evaluates the causal link between provision
of family planning services (the establishment of health houses in 1989) and
their use.
26
Innovation: The fertility of each woman is determined at the date at which
she receives the services rather than the date of the initiation of the program
as usually done in other studies.
Data source: Demographic and Health Survey 2000.
Period covered: 1990s
Methodology: Econometric techniques: duration models
Abstract
“The spectacular decline of fertility in Iran during the 1990s is often credited
to the country’s innovative and ambitious rural Health and Family Planning
(HFP) program launched in 1989 (Aghajanian 1995, Abbasi-Shavazi et al
2001). The program’s impact, measured both in adoption of modern methods
of contraception and fertility reduction, was more pronounced in rural than
urban areas. Rural fertility fell from an average of 8.4 births in 1985 to 2.4 in
2000. What makes Iran’s rapid transition particularly interesting is that it
occurred in a country known for its strong adherence to Islamic ideology and
culture, which have long been considered as obstacles for fertility reduction
(Obermeyer 1995). The lessons from Iran’s program are valuable but we do
not know what they are because the program’s impact has so far not been
evaluated. There are a number of issues that must be taken into account
before such lessons can be drawn. Iran’s rural program was built on an
extensive rural health network that existed prior to the government’s
decision to offer family planning services. In addition, basic services such as
electricity, safe water, and schools arrived in many villages after the
Revolution of 1979 thanks to the government’s focus on rural development.
Each of these services can influence a family’s demand for children and
hence its demand for family planning services. This project relies on
retrospective birth histories of about 100,000 women recorded in Iran’s 2000
DHS to isolate the impact of the rural FP program from other changes taking
place in rural Iran in the 1980s and 1990s. To do so, we match the data from
DHS with data on rural network establishments in villages where the women
surveyed in DHS reside. Using hazard models of timing of births we estimate
the effect of the presence of various services on the timing of births of
different parities.”
Health Sector Reform and Women’s Equitable Access to Reproductive
Health Services
Authors: Hind Khattab and Moustafa El Houssinie Moustafa (The Egyptian
Society for Population Studies and Reproductive Health (ESPSRH))
Expected date of completion: 30/06/2008
27
Country of study: Egypt
Abstract:
“Recently reported health indicators for Egypt in the year 2001 show a
continuous effort to improve health service delivery for curative and
preventive care. In this regard, the Government of Egypt has set as its longterm goal the achievement of universal coverage of the population with a
basic package of health services offered at the primary and secondary health
care levels (MOHP, 1997). Hence, the Health Sector Reform Program (HSRP)
has introduced measures intended to continue these positive trends in
improved health indicators, as well as improving the quality of care at the
primary and secondary health levels, while targeting greater value for
money, or “cost-effectiveness”. In this regard, HSR was introduced in
phases, whereby the program is being piloted in a number of governorates,
then expanded gradually to all other governorates. However, recent studies
have shown quality of reproductive health services (especially family
planning) to suffer as a result of HSR cost recovery measures (ESPSRH,
2004, 2006). Additionally, introducing health insurance (cost sharing) at the
primary health care level, together with the increase in the total out-ofpocket cost paid by clients (including transport to referral site for cases
requiring specialized treatment) has increased the total cost born by families
for health care, which may pose a barrier to service accessibility and use.
Women, especially younger women, may suffer most as they usually lack the
social and economic resources needed for them to take care of their own
health. The ESPSRH was awarded a grant from GERPA to carry out a study of
Health Sector Reform and Women’s Equitable Access to Reproductive Health
Services which may shed light on the impact of HSR measures on women's
health. A multi-disciplinary approach will be employed in the study which will
span a period of 8-12 months. Methods used include a household survey and
desk review of statistics on maternal mortality and reproductive morbidity in
the past five years. The survey part will assess women's perceptions of
services
currently
available
at
upgraded
HSR
units,
their
satisfaction/dissatisfaction with these services due to actual unmet RH needs,
and the impact of recent changes in the delivery of RH services at the
primary health care level on service accessibility and on their RH health and
well-being. Assessment of the burden of RH disease will determine whether
an increase in reproductive mortality and morbidity has occurred since the
introduction of HSR measures, followed by a cost analysis of the economic
burden it poses both to families and the health delivery system.”
28
Socio-economic Analysis of Gender Empowerment
Intra-household Resource Allocation in Egypt: Effect of Power
Distribution within the Household on Child Work and Schooling
Authors: Rania Rochdi (Population Council, Cairo) and Soiliou Daw Namoro
(University of Pittsburgh)
Expected date of completion: 30/06/2008
Country of study: Egypt
Innovation: Among the first studies analyzing the impact on children’s
wellbeing of the share of resources that men and women bring into marriage.
Data: The 2006 Egypt Labor Market Panel Survey (ELMPS 06)
Methodology: Econometric techniques, tests of the unitary model.
Abstract
“This paper is the second in a project of studies devoted to understanding
better the interplay between households’ internal dynamics in the domain of
decision-making and its incidence on child welfare, in the social and
economic contexts of Egypt. The first paper in this series presented a
detailed discussion on the historical and cultural landmarks for the analysis of
household decision-making power in Egypt. It reviewed the existing
literature, and highlighted the methodological problems raised when
modeling the linkage between intra-household allocation of resources,
women’s share in decision-making power, and child development.
This second paper focuses on the empirical modeling of the effect of women’s
bargaining power within the household, measured by their educational level
and their relative share of marriage costs at the time of marriage, on child’s
education, and child’s hours of work. Our underlying theoretical approach is
inspired from Chiappori’s sharing rule approach and its development by
Thomas, Contreras, and Frankenberg. The analysis shows a parental boypreference in schooling. We find that that the higher a woman’s contribution
is to marriage costs, the better is her children’s schooling attainment and the
shorter is the total time devoted by her children to work. We also find that
the educational attainment of a woman does not induce sufficient decisionmaking power to influence child welfare. Regarding husbands, we find that
both education and contribution to marriage costs do impact child welfare.
But husband’s contribution to marriage costs positively influences child work
and negatively influences child schooling. These findings all together lead to
29
the conclusion that the unitary model of the household does not appear to
adequately characterize the Egyptian family. Since the conclusion is based on
a maintained assumption that the allocations in any household are Paretoefficient, that is no reallocation can make a household member better off
without making another member worse off, we also test and do not reject
this crucial assumption.”
Our findings are in line with previous papers, which also tested and rejected
the unitary model for diverse populations. We conjecture that a further
confirmation of our results could be obtained by investigating the effect of
women’s status within the household, using collective models of household
labor supply. This is left for a future paper in this series.”
Role of Religion in Gender Entrepreneurship Development in the
MENA Region
Authors: Nada Kobeissi (Long Island University)
Expected date of completion: Reported to a future competition
Country of study: MENA
Abstract
“The majority of the research studies analyzing gender entrepreneurship in
the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region have tended to focus on
financial resources, economic conditions, governmental rules and regulations,
and their roles in promoting or hindering gender entrepreneurial activities.
One factor that has long been identified as an important determinant of
economic behavior but has traditionally been missing from these studies is
religion.
In the first half of the 20th century, both Max Weber and R. H. Tawney
elaborated at some length on the relationship between religion and the
development of capitalist civilization. They perceived Protestantism in
particular as providing a favorable climate for entrepreneurial activities.
Similarly McClelland saw a relationship between religious background and
followers’ need for achievement. He suggested that Protestants and Jews
tended to have a higher need for achievement than Catholics, and declared a
high need for achievement as the engine that drives entrepreneurial
activities. Finally Gary Becker, the 1992 Nobel laureate in economics, stated
that it is incorrect to think that a person is entirely motivated by selfishness
and material gain. He called on economists to investigate the role of other
matters such as religion, and examine its influence on people’s values,
preferences, and motivations. Based these earlier research, and considering
a trend towards stronger religious conservatism and commitment in many
countries with predominantly Muslim populations, this proposal aims to
30
examine the role of Islam on the potential for gender entrepreneurship
development in the MENA region.”
Socio-demographic and Economic Characteristics, and the Problems
of Jordanian Female-headed Households
Authors: Hussein Mohammad Abu Farash (National Council for Family Affairs,
Jordan)
Expected date of completion: Reported to a future competition
Country of study: Jordan
Abstract
“The aim of this study is to investigate low-income families headed by
females. The study will focus primarily on the socio-demographic,
economic, and social characteristics of these families. Achieving this
goal will be maintained through qualitative and quantitative
methodology. A questionnaire will be prepared specially for this study to
explore characteristics of the study sample (1200 Families). In addition,
face to face structured interviews will be used in exploring the problems
that these family members are facing.”
Migration, Gender, and Attitudes: A Comparative Study of Turkish
Migrants in Germany
Authors: Mehmet Serkan Tosun (University of Nevada, Reno), Sami Zouari
(Institut Superieur de Gestion Industrielle de Sfax, University of Sfax)
Expected date of completion: Reported to a future competition
Country of study: Turkey, Tunisia
Abstract:
“Migration flows in the Euro-Mediterranean region have been quite
remarkable since the 1950s. These movements have slowed down recently
due to efforts to stop illegal flows and to control visitors from the developing
countries. In this project, we will examine the various socioeconomic and
demographic factors behind these migration flows with a particular focus on
the role of gender. Our research will highlight the evolution of migration
flows during the past three decades using mainly macroeconomic data.
Countries of origin (CO) will be Morocco, Tunisia, and Turkey. Countries of
destination (CD) will be the European Union. The variables of interest include
GDP per capita, unemployment rate, inflation rate, demographic growth rate,
schooling rate, HDI, and Gini index of inequality. Data will be collected from
31
national and international organizations (INS in Tunisia, HCP in Morocco,
OECD, IOM, IOL, WB, etc.). We will also make use of a micro-unit dataset on
foreign workers in Germany to examine Turkish immigrant workers. We will
do our estimations based on these variables with consideration of various
econometric issues. The gender dimension will be put into our model by
dividing our sample into male and female groups so that we will be able to
examine the importance of each group within migration flows and the extent
to which males and females are differently affected by the macroeconomic
environment when deciding to migrate.”
32