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WOMEN'S RIGHTS IN THE
ARAB WORLD - POLL
POLL RESULTS - Scroll down to interactive map +
http://www.trust.org/spotlight/poll-womens-rights-in-the-arab-world/
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POLL METHODOLOGY - 15 Pages
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http://www.trust.org/item/20131111115632-hn9t2
Visit poll2013.trust.org for full coverage
of Reuters Poll on Women’s Rights in the Arab World
12 November
2013 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Egypt is the worst country for women
in the Arab world, closely followed by Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Yemen,
according to gender experts surveyed in a Thomson Reuters Foundation poll
released on Tuesday.
Comoros, Oman, Kuwait,
Jordan and Qatar came top of the survey, which assessed 22 Arab states on
violence against women, reproductive rights, treatment of women within the
family, their integration into society and attitudes towards a woman’s role in
politics and the economy.
The results were drawn from
answers from 336 gender experts invited to participate in an online survey by
the foundation, the philanthropic arm of the news and information company
Thomson Reuters, in August and September.
Questions were based on key
provisions of the U.N. Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination
Against Women (CEDAW), which 19 Arab states have signed or ratified.
The poll assessed violence
against women, reproductive rights, treatment of women within the family, their
integration into society and attitudes towards a woman’s role in politics and
the economy.
Experts were asked to
respond to statements and rate the importance of factors affecting women's
rights across the six categories. Their responses were converted into scores,
which were averaged to create a ranking.
Here are key facts on
women's rights in the 22 states surveyed, listed from worst to best.
22. EGYPT
Sexual violence, harassment
and trafficking combined with a breakdown of security, high rates of female
genital mutilation and a rollback of freedoms since the 2011 revolution put
Egypt at the bottom of the poll.
* 99.3 percent of women and
girls are subjected to sexual harassment.
* 27.2 million women and
girls - or 91 percent of the female population - are victims of female genital
mutilation (FGM).
* 63 percent of adult women
are literate.
(Sources: U.N. Women,
UNICEF, World Bank)
21. IRAQ
Iraq’s second-worst ranking
reflects a dramatic deterioration in conditions for women since the 2003
U.S.-led invasion. Mass displacement has made women vulnerable to trafficking
and sexual violence. The Iraqi penal code allows men who kill their wives to
serve a maximum of three years in prison rather than a life sentence.
* 14.5 percent of women
have jobs.
* 1.6 million women are
widows.
* Thousands of displaced
women have been forced to work as prostitutes in neighbouring countries
including Syria, Jordan and United Arab Emirates.
(Sources: World Bank,
Refugees International, Freedom House)
20. SAUDI ARABIA
Saudi Arabia polled
third-worst overall and ranked last for political representation and
inheritance rights. Despite stirrings of progress, the kingdom's guardianship
system severely limits women's freedoms.
* Women can vote for the
first time in 2015 municipal elections.
* Marital rape is not
recognised and rape victims risk being charged with adultery.
* Women are banned from
driving and need a guardian’s permission to travel, enroll in education, marry
or undergo healthcare procedures.
(Sources: Human Rights
Watch, U.S. State Department, Amnesty International)
19. SYRIA
Massive war displacement,
both inside Syria and across borders, has left millions of women and girls
vulnerable to sexual violence and trafficking, the United Nations says. The
collapse of the economy and healthcare system has disproportionately affected
women.
* Girls as young as 12 have
been married in refugee camps.
* More than 4,000 cases of
rape and sexual mutilation have been reported to the Syrian Network for Human
Rights.
* There are reports of
government forces and armed militias sexually abusing women and girls during
home raids and in detention centres.
(UNICEF, U.S. State
Department, Human Rights Watch)
18. YEMEN
Historically marginalised,
Yemeni women have been fighting for rights since the 2011 Arab Spring. Experts
say child marriage, human trafficking and rape are endemic.
* No law deals effectively
with domestic abuse and marital rape isn't recognised.
* There is no legal minimum
age for marriage.
* 53 percent of girls
finish primary school.
(Sources: UNICEF, U.S.
State Department, World Bank)
17. SUDAN
Sudan hasn't ratified CEDAW
and women face systematic discrimination and inequality. Strict interpretations
of Islam curb women’s freedoms and allow domestic abuse, child marriage and
marital rape. Sexual violence is common and often goes unpunished.
* Girls can legally marry
from the age of 10.
* 12.1 million women and
girls are victims of FGM.
* Victims often don't
report rape, fearing they will be tried for adultery.
(Sources: UNICEF, OECD
Gender Index)
16. LEBANON
Lebanon ranked badly for
not punishing marital rape, for biased inheritance laws and discriminatory
employment laws.
* No law prohibits sexual
harassment in the workplace.
* Lebanese women can't pass
citizenship onto children or foreign-born husbands.
* One in six Lebanese women
are illiterate.
(Sources: Freedom House,
UNICEF, U.S. State Department)
15. PALESTINIAN
TERRITORIES
Israeli restrictions on
movement have severe consequences for Palestinian women, experts said. Women
suffer from poverty, unemployment and a high risk of domestic violence and
honour crimes.
* Only 17 percent of women
are employed despite a literacy rate of 93 percent.
* 51 percent of women in
Gaza City experienced domestic violence in 2011.
* 25 honour killings were
recorded in the first nine months of 2013.
(Sources: UNICEF,
Palestinian Bureau of Statistics, Ma'an News Agency)
14. SOMALIA
Somalia has not signed
CEDAW. It has one of the world's highest maternal mortality rates and sexual
violence is widespread. In regions controlled by al-Shabaab extremists, women
suffer from harsh application of sharia (Islamic) law.
* 1,200 women die in
childbirth for every 100,000 live births.
* 1,700 women were raped in
camps for internally displaced people in 2012.
* Girls as young as 13 have
been stoned to death for adultery and 98 percent of women and girls undergo
FGM.
(Sources: UNICEF, Amnesty
International, Women Living Under Muslim Laws)
13. DJIBOUTI
Djibouti polled as one of
the best countries for abolishing laws that discriminate against women but it
struggles to curb child marriage and has one of the world's highest FGM rates.
* The Supreme Court has a
female president.
* A law was enacted in 2009
to improve the living conditions of low-income women.
* 93 percent of women have
been subjected to FGM.
(Sources: U.S. State
Department, UNICEF)
12. BAHRAIN
Judges in Islamic courts
make decisions on women’s rights in divorce, marriage, inheritance and child
custody cases, based on interpretation of Islamic law. Bahraini law doesn't
recognise or punish marital rape or domestic abuse.
* A woman’s testimony is
worth half that of a man’s in an Islamic court.
* Women could first vote or
run for election in 2002.
* The Penal Code says a
rapist can avoid punishment if he marries his victim.
(Sources: Freedom House,
UNICEF)
11. MAURITANIA
Mauritania is one of the
few Arab states with laws prohibiting domestic abuse and marital rape, but
women face high rates of sexual violence and FGM. The practice of forced
feeding to make daughters more attractive to potential partners is widespread.
* 69 percent of women are
victims of FGM.
* More than 1,800 domestic
violence victims sought help from the Mauritanian Association for the Health of
Mothers and Children in 2012.
* 412 rapes were recorded
in 2012.
(UNICEF, U.S. State Department,
Association for the Female Heads of Households)
10. UNITED ARAB
EMIRATES
Women have access to
education and health services but traditional gender roles are ingrained. Many
foreign female domestic workers are trafficked and abused and women run the
risk of being imprisoned for adultery when reporting sexual violence.
* Marital rape is not
recognised and the law permits men to discipline their wives physically.
* Four women sit on the
22-member cabinet of the Federal National Council.
* Women represent 14
percent of the total workforce.
(Sources: Human Rights
Watch, U.S. State Department, World Bank)
9. LIBYA
Libya ranked as one of the
best countries for political representation but experts said insecurity,
poverty and lack of education were some of the greatest concerns for women.
* 33 women were elected to
the 200-member General National Congress in 2012.
* 20 is the legal minimum
age for women to marry unless they get special permission from a court.
* Intimidation and
harassment of women by militias and extremists has been widely reported.
(Sources: U.S. State
department, UNICEF)
8. MOROCCO
Women in Morocco have a
degree of independence and autonomy but domestic abuse is common. Experts say
equality laws are not implemented and there are no laws against domestic
violence or marital rape.
* 17,000 incidents of
violence against women were reported in the first 3 months of 2008.
* 44 percent of women
between the ages of 15 and 49 are literate.
* The Penal Code
criminalises anyone who harbours a woman who has left her husband.
(Sources: Freedom House,
World Bank, Human Rights Watch)
7. ALGERIA
Algeria ranked badly for
gender discrimination in the workplace and political participation by women.
* Algerian law doesn't
recognise spousal rape.
* 16 percent of Algerian
women have jobs.
* In October 2012, Algeria
made its first-ever conviction for sexual harassment.
(Sources: UNICEF, World
Bank, U.S. State Department)
6. TUNISIA
Long known as one of the
Arab world's most progressive states, Tunisia has offered abortion on demand
since 1965 and women can pass citizenship onto their husbands. Conservative
elements are now calling for Islamic values to be enforced.
* In 2011, 61 women were
elected to the 217-member Constituent Assembly.
* Women are entitled to 30
days maternity leave at 67 percent of full wages.
* Domestic abuse and
marital rape laws are rarely enforced.
(Sources: U.S. State
Department, World Bank, Freedom House)
5. QATAR
Qatari women are active in
business and higher education but face pressure to conform to traditional
gender roles. Sex outside marriage is illegal and many domestic workers are
trafficked and abused.
* About 100 expatriate
women are jailed annually for having children out of wedlock.
* 51.8 percent of women
have jobs.
* An anti-trafficking law
was passed in October 2011.
(Sources: Doha News, U.N.
Data, U.S. State Department)
4. JORDAN
Despite its reputation as a
progressive state, Jordan ranked second-worst in the category of honour
killings.
* 681 cases of rape and
sexual assault were reported to the Family Protection Department in 2012.
* 10 honour crimes were
brought before judges in 2012 and 24 women went into protective custody to
avoid honour killings.
* In 2003, the law was
changed so women could get passports without the consent of husbands
(Sources: U.S. State
Department, UNICEF)
3. KUWAIT
Kuwait scored well on
education and inheritance rights, though social protections are rarely extended
to the country's large female foreign worker population.
* Kuwait has no laws
against domestic abuse and marital rape.
* There are no shelters or
hotlines for victims of domestic abuse.
* 15 is the minimum legal
age for girls to marry.
(Sources: UNICEF, U.S.
State Department)
2. OMAN
Omani women benefit from
better social protection than in other Arab countries, but FGM is still
practiced in some regions and women face discrimination in the workplace and
pressure to conform to traditional roles.
* In 2010, 227 men were
charged with rape or attempted rape.
* In December 2011, four
women were elected to provisional councils out of 192 seats.
* Women can't transfer
citizenship to foreign-born spouses or children.
(Sources: U.S. State
Department, UNICEF)
1. COMOROS
The Indian Ocean archipelago
nation polled well across all categories except political representation.
Comorian women have a good deal of social freedom while sexual abuse is
recognised and punished.
* Women hold only 3 percent
of seats in the national parliament.
* 35 percent of adult women
have jobs.
* Half the inmates of
Moroni prison were jailed for sexual aggression.
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