Middle East crisis could cost Arab States $194bn, threaten women's jobs: UN agencies
BEIRUT: Women across the Arab States face mounting risks to their employment as the ongoing Middle East crisis deepens labour market inequalities, with the economic fallout projected to cost the region up to $194 billion in economic output, according to a policy brief released on Tuesday by UN Women and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA).
The brief estimated that the crisis could put 3.6 million jobs at risk and push 4 million more people into poverty across the Arab States, with women expected to be disproportionately affected due to structural inequalities in labour markets, high levels of informal employment, and their concentration in vulnerable sectors.
It's estimated that between 34,000 and 56,000 women's jobs in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria could be lost in the short term, with the figure rising to nearly 80,000 under a high-impact scenario. The report noted that tighter fiscal conditions could further worsen women's employment in education, health, and public administration through hiring freezes, wage cuts, and salary arrears.
"The economic consequences of the crisis are never experienced equally," said Moez Doraid, UN Women's Regional Director for the Arab States, warning that without targeted measures to protect women's livelihoods, the crisis could deepen inequalities and reverse progress in women's economic empowerment.
The brief called for expanding income protection for women in informal and private-sector employment, safeguarding education and health spending, supporting women-led businesses, and strengthening gender-disaggregated labor market monitoring.
