Although female economic activity has steadily increased in the ESCWA region in recent decades, women still face a number of gender-based barriers that prevent them from gaining full control over economic resources and access to financial resources.  This study, which is the thirty-sixth issue in the Arab Women and Development Series, addresses a broad selection of topics related to the economic empowerment of Arab women.

Drawing on a wide range of examples and best practices from countries in the region, the study provides an in-depth analysis of both the public and private sectors as employers, and the role that vulnerable and informal employment play for women. It provides a comprehensive overview of the gender-based barriers that women face in trying to access economic and financial resources, and offers recommendations to policymakers on the ways to overcome such barriers in order to further integrate women into the economic and financial life of the region.