Poll finds Egypt is worst Arab state for women, Comoros best
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 12 November 2013 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Poll finds Egypt is worst Arab state for women, Comoros best, 12 November 2013, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/528b68f511.html [accessed 22 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
November 12, 2013
Women at a polling station in central Cairo in December 2012
Egypt is the worst country in the Arab world in which to be a woman, according to a new poll of gender experts.
The survey, conducted by the Thomson Reuters Foundation, found that Egypt is plagued by sexual harassment, high rates of female genital cutting, and a surge in violence and Islamist feeling following the Arab Spring uprisings.
A UN report in April said 99.3 percent of women and girls in Egypt are subjected to sexual harassment.
The country also suffers from discriminatory laws and a rise in trafficking, placing it at the bottom of the ranking of 22 Arab states.
Iraq ranked second-worst, followed by Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Yemen.
The island nation of Comoros – where 20 percent of ministerial positions are held by women – was ranked first, followed by Oman, Kuwait, Jordan, and Qatar.
Based on reporting by Reuters
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
