Women's Empowerment and Public Policy in the Arab Gulf States: Exploring Challenges and Opportunities

This open-access book examines the various dimensions of women's empowerment in public policy in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, with a particular focus on Qatar, comparing the country to other Gulf states. It unpacks the ways in which women's empowerment materializes in the GCC context through empirical qualitative research, providing insights into public policy perspectives in high-income rentier states more broadly. The book surveys and evaluates the progress made in recent decades, paying close attention to the cultural and policy constraints still limiting women's empowerment in the Gulf. It is relevant to researchers and policy makers focused on women and gender issues in relation to social, cultural, economic, and political empowerment in the Gulf, specifically, but also in the Arab world and beyond.

Format: Hardback
Length: 210 pages
Publication date: 24 December 2023
Publisher: Springer Verlag, Singapore

This open-access book delves into the multifaceted dimensions of women's empowerment in public policy within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, with a specific focus on Qatar. By presenting a comprehensive compilation of empirical qualitative research, the text unravels the diverse ways in which women's empowerment manifests in the GCC context, offering valuable insights into public policy perspectives in high-income rentier states more broadly. The Arab world has long played a significant role in the global discourse on women's economic and political empowerment, and the GCC has, over the past decade, placed women's empowerment among its national priorities and long-term strategies. Consequently, the Gulf has witnessed a gradual implementation of policies aimed at empowering women, particularly in efforts to attract and retain them in the labor market and the public sector.

The collection conducts a survey and evaluates the progress made in recent decades, paying close attention to the cultural and policy constraints that continue to limit women's empowerment in the Gulf. With a strong linkage to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5, this book serves as a timely resource addressing the context and drivers behind policies centered on women in the Arab region. It explores the interplay between international discourse on women's empowerment and regional public policy decisions, providing valuable insights for researchers and policy makers interested in women and gender issues related to social, cultural, economic, and political empowerment in the Gulf, as well as in the Arab world and beyond.

Weight: 506g
Dimension: 235 x 155 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9789819960057
Edition number: 1st ed. 2024