50838 MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA SEPTEMBER, 2009 GOVERNANCE NEWS & NOTES VOLUME 3, ISSUE 3 IN THIS ISSUE: A NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER A Note from the his edition of Governance News & Notes focuses on the important Publisher........................ 1 and, in some circles, controversial issue of gender and governance. The UNDPs Arab Human Development Report for 2009 recognized Governance Newsmaker gender issues as being the third of its seven building blocks for Arab Interview with Dr. Hala Bsaisu Human Security. The report notes the central importance of redressing Latouf............................2 the abuse and injustice that vulnerable women, children and refugees across the region encounter each day by state and society, and the need Women and the Workforce: for resolve to change their legal, economic, social and personal What the Evidence conditions for the better. Issues of violence against women are singled Suggests...........................4 out for particular opprobrium. But beyond that is the broader challenge of ensuring that half the MENA regions population have a chance to Gender and Governance in experience their full potential, and that governments can take advantage MENA ­ A Perspective......6 of the wealth of talent and capacity provided by women at all levels in their workforce. The Political Participation of Women in the Middle East We are pleased to feature a Governance Newsmaker interview with H.E. and North Africa..............7 Dr. Hala Bsaisu Latouf, who is currently Jordans Minister for Social Development. Dr. Latouf has devoted considerable energy and Upcoming Events and intellectual effort to understanding the role of women in Islam, and she Activities........................10 recently published a fascinating article on the topic in G8 Magazine titled, "Between the Justice of Islam and the Injustice of Traditions" Noteworthy which noted that many forms of discrimination attributed to Islam may Links..................................10 more accurately be attributed to the culture within certain groups or families instead. For those who are interested in reading this article, the relevant link is attached in the "For Further Reading" section. Perhaps more importantly for a newsletter devoted to governance reform, Dr. Latouf has been a prominent figure in the reform of Jordans public sector for the past decade or more. Prior to becoming Minister of Social Development, she has held a variety of important positions within the Ministries of Planning and Administrative Development, as well as within the Deputy Prime Ministers Office. She has headed Queen Ranias Office and also served as president of a large non-governmental organizational as well. Her reflections on how to modernize the public sector, which she has shared with Rami Khouri, will be of interest to reformers of all genders and regions. In addition to Dr. Latoufs interview, several other brief articles will be of interest. Tara Vishwanath, the World Banks new Lead Specialist for Inclusiveness and Gender, shares what we know (and what we dont) GOVERNANCE NEWS & NOTES Page 2 VOL. 3, ISSUE 3 about female participation in labor markets in experience in the ministry. At both levels, she said, MENA. Lida Bteddini provides an interesting change is likely to be resisted by officials or update on the status of women and political employees who prefer the status quo. This hurdle can participation. And Nadereh Chamlou offers some be overcome by a four-step process, comprising: reflections on the challenges confronted by women open, clear communication with the public and the entrepreneurs. civil service; coordination among all government agencies; setting measurable standards and Robert P. Beschel Jr. procedures; and, diligently monitoring progress. Lead Public Sector Specialist MENA Vice Presidency, World Bank She was involved in the initial reform efforts in the early 2000s in her capacity as secretary-general of the Ministry of Administrative Development, and GOVERNANCE NEWSMAKER INTERVIEW then in the Prime Ministry-based task force of young WITH H.E. DR. HALA BSAISU LATOUF, reformers that the newly incumbent King Abdullah MINISTER OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, enlisted to revamp the public sector. JORDAN The initial national reform plan aimed to upgrade and energize the public sector bureaucracy, rather BY RAMI G. KHOURI than circumvent it by establishing new decision- making or service-delivery bodies, she noted. The Serious reform needs leadership, skilled staff, process was personally initiated by the king, but it and clear standards achieved only some of its objectives for several reasons. One was the lack of a "reality check" at the AMMAN: Looking back start, when the reformers did not sufficiently grasp ­ on the past seven years of or tell the king ­ what was doable and what was not on-and-off governance doable. The adverse effects of reform plans and administrative reform materialized in the form of resistance from within the efforts in Jordan, one of government and society at large, including scare the pioneer women in this stories about how reform would trigger instability. field in the Arab World believes today that Another key lesson was the need for national reform sustained reform requires to be anchored firmly in the cabinet and managed by a somewhat elusive the prime minister, who together oversee the combination of assets: government bureaucracy and have the authority to bold vision and leadership modify its ways. The reformers learned quickly that at the top, along with sectoral reform (judiciary, finance, human rights, basic A-B-C training and capacity-building at the etc.) would be stunted if the modernization and level of line civil servants. upgrading of the entire public sector was not done as a coherent, integrated whole, will all ministries If a single element is critical for making government working according to common procedures and operations more efficient and equitably delivered ­ objectives. whether in a lone provincial field office delivering welfare payments or at the top level of the cabinet "Once the king initiates such a process, the prime and prime minister ­ it is the human element, minister has to be the key person driving reform, the according to Jordanian Social Development Minister cabinet has to be the focal point of national Dr. Hala Bsaisu Latouf. restructuring, and the prime ministry has to establish the machinery to make it work," she said. "We In an interview in her office in Amman in August, focused a lot on structure, so that the prime ministry she reviewed both the pioneering initial national and the cabinet can set targets and monitor progress. reform efforts of 2002-2004, and her more recent GOVERNANCE NEWS & NOTES Page 3 VOL. 3, ISSUE 3 This is why we developed standards, procedures and factor is human resources development, Dr. Latouf a communication strategy, so everyone knew what believes, from both her national experience as well we aimed to achieve and could gauge progress -- or as from her Social Development Ministry efforts. lack of it." "You must absolutely get the base right if you want From the perspective of society, she said, parliament, to start a serious reform process, and this means civil society and the average citizen must be developing a critical mass of employees who share convinced that reform will benefit them and the your vision of the future, but are also equipped with entire country, especially because people were tired the skills they need to make change happen," she of hearing about reform and modernization over said. "This includes several simultaneous elements, many years, often without results. Public skepticism like basic skills training, communicating goals, was rampant, so the reform plan "was based on establishing coordination mechanisms, developing upgrading government standards and services that standards and procedures and enforcing them, giving matter to the citizen, so he or she could feel the people responsibility and opportunity ­ especially impact of reform." those who prove themselves to be capable ­ and encouraging A vital them to dimension speak up of this, she with adds, is that suggestions citizens or must complaints." perceive Sometimes government the most actions and obvious A- service B-Cs need delivery to to be put in be place, like equitable. job "The link descriptions. between Civil reform and servants citizenship have to is critical. know When you clearly what treat is expected someone as of them as a citizen with equal and full rights and individuals, but also collectively as a public sector, responsibilities, you can expect them to develop a so that they can measure their performance against sense of belonging and loyalty in return. Young specific standards. Incentives should be linked to people, especially, care about a meritocracy, being performance, and accountability must underpin the treated fairly and equitably, and having an equal shot entire system, she believes, but this can only happen in life." after systems are established that allow all employees to feel they have the skills needed to work for a Making radical changes in the public sector can be common goal. initiated from the top, as it usually the case, but it can only happen in practice if it is implemented from the "Service standards are a must, because they provide bottom, by the men and women employees of the that yardstick by which you can assess or judge civil service. The single most important change people or departments," Dr. Latouf said. "A new GOVERNANCE NEWS & NOTES Page 4 VOL. 3, ISSUE 3 system can be initiated and people will go along with region and where women and youth are even more it, if they understand its aims, and if they see that it is disadvantaged, there is much work to be done. The being implemented fairly for all, without favoritism demographic dividend that a young population or discrimination. They will not only perform better; presents in MENA for sustained growth can only be they will also feel more pride and hope." realized through a comprehensive policy package- this involves reforms that bolster job creation along She feels that attracting and promoting more with improving quality of education and skills that qualified women into the public sector would be a cater to the needs of the private sector and are plus, given the advantages she has experienced in her underpinned by a governance structure that assures public sector career. Sometimes women are more efficiency, transparency and reduced corruption. passionate about issues, or speak out more forcefully. Women in senior positions inspire younger women There are some laudable achievements in MENA; to aim and achieve higher, thus raising the standard the MENA region has invested heavily in womens of the entire pool of employees. education and currently, there is near parity4 in primary and secondary school enrollment between The womens movement in the Arab world has males and females, and women are more likely than weakened in recent decades, as pioneer women men to attend universities in MENA.5 However, this leaders are not being replaced by younger progress has not translated into improvements in the generations, perhaps because they are more attracted economic sphere- female labor force participation in to the private sector. She feels that advances in MENA remains the lowest in the developing world. womens rights and opportunities continue to rely As figure 1 reveals, only 28% of women in MENA mainly on government initiatives. A conscious effort are employed or are looking for work. Furthermore, to promote more women in government would pay among those participating in the labor force, women dividends, she believes, for the entire country. face greater challenges than men in accessing employment opportunities. The unemployment WOMEN AND THE WORKFORCE: WHAT gender gap is much wider in MENA than in any THE EVIDENCE SUGGESTS other region (17 versus 10% in 2006).6 And young women are especially vulnerable: 20% of young men BY TARA VISHWANATH and 30% of young women in MENA are unemployed (2006/7).7 Also, womens With a population of entrepreneurship remains very low when compared nearly 315 million1, to other middle-income regions. of which two-thirds are below the age of Womens participation in the labor force is believed 242, the MENA to provide a tremendous impetus to their enhanced region has a participation in public affairs. That is perhaps why demographic the low levels of female labor force participation and structure that can help employment in the MENA region raise some accelerate economic concern. A mixture of arguments ­ economic, growth. However, institutional and cultural in nature ­ have been put with unemployment rates in the region 4 Female to male ratio in school enrollment at the primary and looming large at secondary school levels are 0.96 and 0.92, respectively, World approximately 12%3, Bank Edstats. 5 the highest of any World Bank Edstats (August 2009). Data for primary and tertiary education are from 2007 and secondary data is from 2005. 1 6 World Bank, GDF and WDI Central Database (August 2009) ILO, Global Employment Trends for Women (March 2007). 2 World Bank, Youth- An Undervalued Asset: Toward a New ILOs definition of MENA includes Sudan but excludes Agenda in the Middle East and North Africa, 2008 Djibouti. 3 7 World Bank, GDF and WDI Central Database (August 2009) Ibid GOVERNANCE NEWS & NOTES Page 5 VOL. 3, ISSUE 3 forth to unpack the reasons behind this phenomenon. employment. In the MENA region, both men and To the extent that gender gaps in labor force women have traditionally preferred government jobs participation and work revolve around social and due to the relative security and benefits it provides cultural norms that restrict mobility, international over the private sector. The preference for evidence suggests that they limit access to key government jobs appears even stronger among services and life opportunities for women including women due to social norms that deem government opportunities for paid work, voting and other forms jobs as more ,,appropriate for them, and due to the of community and political participation. greater flexibility and benefits (e.g., paid maternity leave) they offer. So, are the young population and Why is there a low participation rate among women women in general just waiting for the prized public and low employment? At the outset, let us recognize sector job? that low levels of participation could reflect voluntary choice among women to not work. But among those not participating there might also be discouraged workers who choose not to participate. Furthermore, among those who do participate, various explanations can be presented -the jury is still out on this question and so is evidence based understanding of this puzzle. First, among women who work, they tend to work in a much narrower set of occupations than men hinting at mobility restrictions that keep them closer to home. Second, legal or institutional factors, also related to social norms, can influence the work prospects of women. Examples are regulations such as the restrictions on the type and hours of work women can engage in, or in the extreme, whether women While decisive reforms to create job opportunities need explicit permission from their husbands or through an improved policy environment especially fathers to be able to work. Third, lack of labor to propel private sector led employment would make legislation for maternity and child care benefits can a big difference, social and cultural factors remain lead to women dropping out of the labor force pertinent to understand female participation in the especially after marriage. Paradoxically, on the latter, labor force. And, while cultural barriers are slow to sometimes legislations that could "ex-ante" be change, deep analytic work and policy envisaged to help women in the workplace can also experimentation is needed to identify the scope for have the unintended consequence of reducing policy reforms that would contribute positively to womens hiring prospects. Mandatory benefit such shifts. requirements such as provision of maternity leave or strict childcare requirements potentially reduce The World Bank program on gender and inclusion especially "private sector" employer incentives to hence focuses on building evidence on such complex hire women. questions to make more informed and effective policy recommendations to enhance womens labor A skills mismatch whereby women dont graduate in force participation. For example, gender assessment fields where most employment opportunities exist, work in Egypt aims at deepening policy insights especially in the private sector, is also frequently through addressing gender within the context of offered as a likely explanation of low female other vulnerable populations in relation to labor GOVERNANCE NEWS & NOTES Page 6 VOL. 3, ISSUE 3 market policies. This approach has a strategic the gender of the main/sole owner of the firm was advantage as it helps outline broad policy options to identified and made it possible to separate the governments regarding vulnerable groups, while responses of male and female owned firms. highlighting benefits and costs for the various policy options in terms of improving gender outcomes. In About one out of every 7 or 8 of the 4,832 firms Jordan an exciting pilot that is being designed will surveyed across 8 MNA countries is owned by a attempt to help young community college graduates woman (13-15%). In Morocco and Syria, where data who are first time job seekers to find jobs. The pilot are available, 65% of the female owned firms are will experiment with ideas that might work, e.g., by managed by the woman owner. In Syria and Yemen, designing interventions to help alleviate the ,,skill- most women own their firms individually; in mismatch predicament. And a household and youth Morocco it at par with men, and in other countries, survey is underway in Morocco that is geared to the share of sole women owners is lower, though the provide important insights into employment women are the principle owners. Surprisingly in challenges facing disadvantaged groups like females comparison to other regions, the female owned firms and youth. The broad thrust of all this emerging in MNA were very similar to male owned firms. work is to provide solid evidence that can help (See Figure 2). They were in the same sectors, of MENA countries to debate and discuss policy form- roughly the same age, size and locations. In some why or whether particular policies will help them aspects, female owned firms did better, for instance reap the demographic dividend and what additional they exported slightly more and attracted slightly policies are needed to improve employment more FDI than their male counterparts. They used prospects for women who wish to work. slightly more websites and emails in their daily operations. They hired slightly more women than GENDER AND GOVERNANCE IN MENA ­ male firms, including more women in professional A PERSPECTIVE and managerial positions. BY NADEREH CHAMLOU Yet, female-owned firms rated various aspects of the economic policy and institutions in ways that were The investment climate, which is often assumed to different than male counterparts and statistically be equal for all, may in fact treat women- Figure 2 ­ Size characteristics of male and female owned firms. owned firms quite differently than male owned firms. Rather than taking solely the views of women entrepreneurs and the difficulties they face as ,,gender based differences, it is more accurate to analyze the differences between male and female owned firms first, after controlling for various firm specific characteristics such as size, age, sector, and location. To do this analysis, we can rely on the investment climate firms surveys (ICAs for short) that the World Bank conducts across regions. The surveys follow similar methodologies to the extent possible, and the firms were randomly selected. The firms, rather than the entrepreneurs, responded to categories of policy and institutional factors that affected the performance of the firm. In some countries, GOVERNANCE NEWS & NOTES Page 7 VOL. 3, ISSUE 3 significant after controlling for all other THE POLITICAL PARTICIPATION OF characteristics. While countries vary, we can take the WOMEN IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH examples of Lebanon, a country with the highest per AFRICA (MENA) capita GDP in MNA, an open and multi-faith society with a strong tradition of entrepreneurship; and BY LIDA BTEDDINI Yemen, the poorest MNA country with a conservative society. In May 2009, only four Other countries in the years after gaining survey fall in between. suffrage, Kuwaiti women Yet the evidence made international shows that female headlines by securing four headed firms perceive seats in the countrys 50- the investment climate member parliament for the differently than seem first time in the nations to struggle to receive history.8 Despite the comparable rates of expectation that most service. women would vote conservatively in the For instance, the ICA elections, their data show that female- participation in the owned firms in Egypt political process was met needed 86 weeks, on with resistance by average, to resolve a Islamists and conservative conflict through the legal system, compared to 54 tribal MPs who argue that their inclusion is anti- weeks for male-owned firms, and that they faced an Islamic.9 This years elections have marked a turning average of 14 days/year of electricity outage, point for Kuwaiti women who, only two years compared to only 10 days/year for male-owned earlier, faced defeat in their first attempt at firms. The power outages reduced the female-owned exercising their right to vote. firms profits by 7 percent, compared with 5 percent in male-owned firms. In areas such as corruption, As is often the case, reform efforts have gradually crime, anti-competitive behavior, customs and trade, transformed into concrete and tangible results over and legal systems, the difference between men and time and, today, Kuwaiti women are finally able to women in evaluating the quality of services provided celebrate the fruition of their achievements. While is also significant. successes such as that of women in Kuwait provide a glimpse of hope for greater female empowerment in This evidence suggests that women entrepreneurs MENA, womens engagement in politics remains tend to face different and more difficult economic extremely low and gender disparity continues to be a challenges than male owned firms. In most aspects critical issue that cuts across economic, social, and women-owned firms rate the business environment political divides. to be more difficult, although in some cases they also experienced less or the same problems as male Compared with other regions of the world, women in owned firms. But as a general rule, women MENA have the smallest share of seats in national entrepreneurs are likely to find it more difficult to parliament, though notable progress has been made receive the caliber of services that their male over the past decade; the number of MENA countries counterparts enjoy. 8 Kuwaiti women win parliament seats for first time, The Financial Times, May 17, 2009 9 Kuwaiti women get the vote, The Times Online, May 16, 2005. GOVERNANCE NEWS & NOTES Page 8 VOL. 3, ISSUE 3 with women parliamentarians has risen from 6 in laws, but these laws do not always translate to 1990 to 15 as of 2007 (See Figure 3). Among Arab increased participation of women in politics and countries, Iraq, Morocco, Egypt, governance.12 Sudan, Syria, and Tunisia have parliamentary quotas for women*. Further emphasizing limited Egypt recently amended its 1972 political representation of women law regarding the lower house of * A significant number of in MENA, the newly released parliament (the People's Assembly), Millennium Development Goals countries have introduced raising the number of parliamentary Report 2009 (MDGR) states that, seats from 454 to 518, by which all quotas for women in local today, women hold only 9 percent 64 of the extra places were reserved government elections. In of parliamentary seats in the for women. 10 Syrias 2007 India, 33 percent of seats in Western Asia region, the lowest in parliamentary elections secured 31 the local government the world. In Qatar, no women out of 250 parliamentary seats to were appointed to the 35-member women and, after more than a year elections are reserved for Qatari Advisory Council in 2008 of intensive effort, female activists women. A 2004 survey and, in Saudi Arabia, women do in the Kurdish region of Iraq conducted by Chattopadhyay not have suffrage nor has a succeeded in securing the and Duflo assessing the woman ever been a member of constitutionally-mandated right to impact of quotas finds that parliament.13 In Lebanon, one of travel, greatly minimizing the most liberal countries in the roadblocks to increased political women politicians tend to be Middle East, only four out of 12 participation.11 more gender sensitive in women candidates secured seats in policy-making. (See For Lebanons Parliament in the Painting a more somber picture, the Further Reading) countrys election this past June, recent release of the UNDPs Arab for the available 128 seats. Human Development Report 2009: Challenges to Human Security in For example, in the states of More alarmingly is the fact that the Arab Countries (AHDR) focuses West Bengal and Rajasthan, since gaining suffrage in 1952, on highlighting the vulnerability of there are significantly more only 17 women have served in women in the region and the many investments in drinking Lebanons Parliament and, when social and legal barriers that restrict water in the local they do enter, they often do so their participation both politically "wearing black", filling a position and economically. government that had made available by a deceased reserved seats for women. male relative who has no other The report states that the laws of This is not surprising as it is male heir.14 most of the Arab states contain often women in developing some sort of discrimination against countries who do the heavy The involvement of women in women in matters regarding politics has been advocated by personal status, criminal sanctions, lifting when it comes to many as an effective force for employment, and the nationality of fetching water! good governance and business children born to foreign husbands, trust. The World Bank report, pointing to many institutionalized disadvantages women face in the Engendering Development, makes the case that having more women region on many levels. At the same time, many in politics and in the labor force is an important countries do accord women equal rights as citizens development strategy, while keeping women outside and voters through their national constitutions and 12 Millennium Development Goals Report 2009, United Nations, 10 A Whiff of Testosterone, Al-Ahram Weekly, June 15, 2009. 2009. 11 13 Arab Reform Bulletin, Carnegie Endowment for International Ibid. 14 Peace Lebanon's Crawl to Equality, The Daily Star, June 15, 2009. GOVERNANCE NEWS & NOTES Page 9 VOL. 3, ISSUE 3 government at any level limits the Figure 3. Women's Political Participation in MENA effectiveness of a state and its policies. The influence of women in public life is also argued to decrease the prevalence of corruption, even when comparing countries with the same income, civil liberties, education, and legal institutions.15 While gender equality may be ,,smart economics16, societal norms and customs prevail as the biggest hindrance to Female empowerment cannot be fully measured overcoming gender disparity, especially in MENA. through statistics alone, as the case of Lebanon Though discrimination between males and females shows us. A woman empowered based on her may not be explicit, societal customs and implicit qualifications versus by mere luck as the sole living gender roles may restrict the opportunities offered to heir in a patriarchal society indicate two very females.17 different environments for women. As the ADHR and MDG reports illustrate, womens level of It should also be noted that most of the Arab states economic and political participation is greatly have expressed reservations against certain limited by detriments to their personal security. provisions regarding gender equality in the Nonetheless, promoting economic development and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; good governance in the MENA region may depend the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and on increasing investments in women and involving Cultural Rights; and the 1979 Convention on the them in the political process. In recognizing women Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against as an untapped reservoir of human potential, gender Women (CEDAW), basing these reservations on equality becomes a critical issue to be championed as inconsistency with Islamic law. a catalyst for economic progress and will be the key to achieving positive change. 15 Engendering Development, The World Bank, 2001. 16 Gender Equality as Smart Economics: A World Bank Group Gender Action Plan, The World Bank, 2006. 17 Gender and Development in the Middle East and North Africa: Women in the Public Sphere, The World Bank, 2004. GOVERNANCE NEWS & NOTES Page 10 VOL. 3, ISSUE 3 UPCOMING EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES November 23, 2009: Company Secretary Workshop ­ Essential Company Secretarial Practices in September 9-October 2, 2009: Women and Politics in Corporate Governance, Dubai, UAE. The aim of the Asia: A Springboard for Democracy? University of workshop is to develop the essential knowledge and Hildesheim, Germany. This conference aims to reflect skills required to ensure that the Board practices are upon the links between gender and power politics, effective and are benchmarked against best gendered forms of political participation and agency international practice. www.hawkamah.org within Greater Asia. wpa_2009@yahoo.com and www.uni-hildesheim.de October 3-5, 2009: Corporate Governance and Economic Reporting. Sana'a Yemen. Organizers are NOTEWORTHY LINKS CIPE and the Media Women Forum in Yemen. This event provides training for Yemeni journalists on World Bank MENA Governance Website: corporate governance and investigative reporting. http://www.worldbank.org/mena/governance lwafi@cipe.org and www.cipe.org World Bank General Governance Website: October 13-14, 2009: Dubai Summit on Anti- http://www.worldbank.org/governance Corruption Enforcement & Compliance, Dubai, UAE. Will provide a comprehensive update on the anti- World Banks Gender in MENA Website: bribery landscape in the GCC countries, the application http://go.worldbank.org/FNNK519C60 and reach of the FCPA and how to implement robust anti-corruption compliance policies in the UNDPs Arab Human Development Report 2009 environment. Sponsored by C5 Group and American http://www.arab-hdr.org/ Conference Institute. j.christopoulos@americanconference.com and United Nations Millennium Development Goals 2009 www.americanconference.com/anticorruptiondubai http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/ October 17-22, 2009: CG Training for Iraqi Ministry of Industry, Beirut, Lebanon. This includes 6 days of training covering Corporate Governance in the private sector, and reform and good governance in the public sector. lwafi@cipe.org and www.cipe.org To subscribe or to change your subscription status, please contact: November 2-3, 2009: Corporate Governance and Responsibility Forum: Dead Sea, Jordan. Schema, Ms. Lida Bteddini cosponsored by CIPE, IFC, UAB and other international Social & Economic Development organizations. A regional forum to evaluate the status Middle East & North Africa and achievements in corporate governance and The World Bank corporate social responsibility in the MENA region, 1818 H St. NW Washington, D.C 20433 present successful case studies, and explore the role of +1 (202) 458-4937 international institutions and government initiatives. + (202) 477-0432 (fax) lwafi@cipe.org and www.cipe.org lbteddini@worldbank.org GOVERNANCE NEWS AND NOTES Page 11 VOL. 3, ISSUE 3 FOR FURTHER READING Arab Human Development Report: Challenges to Human Security in the Arab Countries, UNDP, 2009 Beaman, L., Chattopadhyay R., Duflo, E., Pande, R., and Petia Topalova, Powerful Women: Does Exposure Reduce Prejudice? The International Monetary Fund, 2008. Engendering Development, The World Bank, 2001. Gender and Development in the Middle East and North Africa: Women in the Public Sphere, The World Bank, 2004. Latouf, Hala, Between the Justice of Islam and the Injustice of Traditions, G8 Magazine, 2009. < http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/907494eb?page=70> Millennium Development Goals Report 2009, United Nations, 2009. The Environment for Women's Entrepreneurship in MENA, The World Bank, 2008. Disclaimer: views expressed in this publication reflect those of their authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the World Bank Group, its Board or its management.