Women’s labour force participation rate in the Arab region does not exceed 20%, the lowest globally. Access to formal financial services also remains among the lowest worldwide, with 75% of men holding accounts at financial institutions compared to only 42% of women.
In this context, ESCWA has released a policy brief that identifies the main barriers to women’s financial inclusion in the Arab region. It shows that legal frameworks continue to restrict women’s access to finance, while limited access to both traditional and digital financial services remain a key obstacle.
Drawing on the best global and regional practices, the brief presents successful policy measures and concrete examples, and outlines policy options for Governments to address these barriers, enhance women’s financial inclusion, and improve performance on international development and gender equality indicators.
