DigitALL: Empowering Women in MENA’s Digital Economy
The MENA region faces significant challenges in providing meaningful employment opportunities for its youth population, particularly for young women. Youth unemployment rates average over 30% across the region, with women’s labour force participation at just 25%, far below the global average of 47% for women in developing regions. Despite achieving higher levels of education compared to their male counterparts, women in MENA continue to face structural barriers such as restrictive cultural norms, legal limitations, and limited mobility, which hinder their ability to access and succeed in the workforce.
A promising avenue lies within the digital economy, which has created new opportunities through digital platforms, remote work, online freelancing, e-commerce, and digital services. These digitally enabled jobs offer flexibility in terms of working hours and location, enabling women to balance work with family responsibilities and navigate restrictive social norms. Technology driven solutions also provide access to global markets, allowing women to engage in economic activities beyond their immediate geographic constraints. However, barriers such as legal frameworks, cultural practices, and limited access to digital skills training continue to impede women’s full participation in the digital economy.
Meet Dima – a Young Woman Determined to Build a Career in the Digital Economy
Like many other young women in the MENA region, she faces significant challenges on the road to a career in tech. Despite these barriers, the digital economy holds real promise and exciting opportunities for women in the region. Follow Dima’s journey as she breaks into the world of IT and digitally enabled jobs, proving what is possible with persistence and the right kind of support.
Full Report: Digital Jobs and Women in the MENA Region – Exploring the
Challenges, Opportunities, and Best Practices
This study examines how digitally-enabled jobs can create decent, sustainable employment opportunities for women in Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, and Morocco. The research focuses on two types of digital jobs: Direct Digital Jobs and Digitally Enabled Jobs
The regional findings are structured around five critical pillars that shape women’s participation in digitally enabled jobs in the region. These pillars reflect the key challenges and
opportunities women face at different stages of their education and careers, from early
exposure to digital skills to long-term career progression and leadership. A visual summary of the pillars with specific barriers and opportunities can be downloaded on the right.
The five pillars shaping women’s participation in digitally enabled jobs in the MENA region:
- Education and Career Pathways
- Job Readiness and Digital Skilling
- Workplace Culture and Retention
- Women in Leadership and Entrepreneurship
- Post-Maternity Career Reintegration
