Public Disclosure Authorized W men Economic Public Disclosure Authorized Empowerment Study Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Women Economic Empowerment Study May, 2018 Women Economic Empowerment Study Women Economic Empowerment Study © 2018 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank 1818 H Street NW Washington DC 20433 Telephone: 202-473-1000 Internet: www.worldbank.org This work is a product of the staff of The World Bank with external contributions. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this work do not necessarily reflect the views of The World Bank, its Board of Executive Directors, or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. 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Women Economic Empowerment Study Women Economic Empowerment Study Acknowledgments The views expressed in this report are those of the authors, and should not be attributed to the World Bank Group, its Board of Executive Directors, or the governments they represent. We would like to extend our appreciation to H.E. Dr. Sahar Nasr, Minister of Investment and International Cooperation; and H.E. Dr. Maya Morsy, President of the National Council for Women. The focus of this paper was developed at their direct request, and we greatly value their continuous support, valuable input, and leadership. The report was developed by a team lead by Nahla Zeitoun, Senior Social Protection Specialist, and was based on inputs from: Magued Osman, CEO and Managing Director of Baseera; Ragui Assad, Professor of Planning and Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota; Nemat Guenena, Gender Expert; and Dina El Sherif, Co-founder of Ahead of the Curve (ATC). The team would like to thank Nehad Aboul Komsan, Chairwoman of the Egyptian Centre for Women’s Rights; Hanan Girgis, Executive Vice President of Baseera; and Heba Abu Shneif, City University of New York, who generously contributed their expertise. The following ATC staff members have led and contributed to data collections, analysis, and report content: Mohamed El Kalla, Co-founder; Nihal Sharara, Managing Director; Salma El Sayeh, Deputy Managing Director; Karen Fanous, Associate. A warm “thanks” goes to Nemat Guenena, and Nihal Sharara for doing a meticulous editing job in a very expedited timeframe. The report would not have been possible without the invaluable advice, comments, and suggestions from the peer reviewers, Benedicte Leroy De La Briere, Lead Economist; Samira Ahmed Hillis, Program Leader; and Tobias Lechtenfeld, Social Development Specialist. In addition, Carine Clert Lead Social Protect Specialist; Gustavo Demarco, Program Leader, Nistha Sinha, Senior Economist, and Carole Abi Nahed Chartouni, Economist have graciously provided their review and feedback through multiple engagements. Special thanks to Souraya El Assiouty who has provided research support, in addition to her candid views, valuable arguments and expert inputs, which helped to strengthen the format, content, and the recommendations of the report. Mariam Ghaly, Team Assistant, provided the team with timely and efficient administrative support. We are grateful for the leadership, guidance, and encouragement provided by Asad Alam, Chief of Staff, and former Country Director for Egypt, Yemen and Djibouti, and Hana Brixi, MENA Practice Manager, Social Protection and Jobs. We would also like to thank all the companies and individuals who participated in the focus groups, surveys, and interviews. The information received from participants was indispensable to the findings of the research. This study was partially funded by the UK government through the UK Trust Fund, which finances activities in support of the World Bank’s analytical and strategic program in Egypt. The team would like to express their gratitude for this important and timely contribution. 3 Women Economic Empowerment Study Women Economic Empowerment Study Contents Acronyms & Abbreviations 10 Executive Summary and Report Context 12 Introduction 12 Scope and Methodology 14 The Economic Participation of Women 15 Key Messages to Policy Makers 20 Chapter 1: The Condition of Egyptian Women 22 Education 22 Health 27 Economic Opportunity 31 Agency 34 Conclusion and Key Policy Recommendations 41 References 43 Chapter 2: The Female Labor Market 45 Women’s Labor Force Participation 45 Youth Employment 51 Wages 51 Decent Work 51 Women in Senior Positions 52 Work-Life Balance 54 Female Unemployment 55 Unemployment and Education 58 Youth Unemployment 59 Entrepreneurship 60 Masculine Norms and Values 62 Conclusion and Key Policy Recommendations 64 References 67 Chapter 3: Women’s Financial Inclusion 69 Introduction 69 National Commitment to International Financial Inclusion Efforts 69 Constraints to Financial Inclusion 72 Intersection between Financial Inclusion and Entrepreneurship 74 National Initiatives to Promote Financial Inclusion and Entrepreneurship 77 The Role of NGOs and Microfinance Institutions 82 4 Women Economic Empowerment Study Women Economic Empowerment Study Conclusion and Key Policy Recommendations 86 Chapter 4: Female Labor Participation:Insights into Perceptions and Practices 90 Introduction 90 Trends in Female Labor Force Participation 90 Gender Discrimination in the Workplace 94 Gender of Employer/ Manager 95 The Impact of Marriage on Women’s Employment 95 Reconciling Between Work and Household Responsibilities 98 Female Work and Decision Making in the Household 98 Conclusion and Key Policy Recommendations 99 References 101 Chapter 5: Exploring Unconscious Gender Bias in the Private Sector 102 Introduction 102 Secondary Research Findings 103 Primary Research Findings 104 Sector-Specific Manifestations of Bias, Counter Strategies, and Recommendations 109 Supply vs. Demand Side Contributors to (UN) Conscious Bias 114 Conclusion and Key Policy Recommendations 116 Chapter 6: Promising Industries for Female Employment in the Egyptian Economy 122 Introduction 122 The Top 12 Industries for Female Employment in the Egyptian Economy 122 Conclusion and Key Policy Recommendations 128 References 133 Chapter 7: Conclusion and Recommendations 135 ANNEX 0A: Measuring and benchmarking equality in Egypt 142 ANNEX 4A: The Configuration of Focus Group Discussion Participants 144 ANNEX 5A: Forms of Unconscious Bias 145 ANNEX 6A: Methodological Annex 147 ANNEX 6B: Statistical Data Annex 149 5 Women Economic Empowerment Study Women Economic Empowerment Study Tables Gross and Net Enrollment Rates by Educational Level and Gender, Table 1.1 23 2016/2017 Demographics of Women’s Media Use (≥ once per week) by Type of Media Table 1.2 27 2014 (%) Distribution of Domestic Tasks by Gender and Average Daily Time Table 1.3 33 Consumed (%), 2015 Table 2.1 Labor Force and Employment Status by Gender, 2010 and 2016 % 47 Table 2.2 Employment Status by Location and Gender, Egypt 2016 (%) 50 Table 2.3 Indicators of Decent Work by Sector and Gender, (%) 2016 52 Indicators for Women Empowerment in Private Sector Firms, Egypt Table 2.4 53 2017 (%) Table 2.5 Female Unemployment Rate, Egypt 2016 56 Table 2.6 Youth Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEET) 60 Table 2.7 Egypt Women’s Entrepreneurship Development (WED) Assessment, 2016 61 Table 2.8 Acceptance of Women’s Paid Employment Outside the Home, 2016 62 Table 2.9 Preference for Women to Work in Paid Job, 2016 63 Growth of Employment in the Top-12 Industries According to the Table 6.1 124 Establishment and Economic Censuses, 1996-2013 Table 7.1 Summary of Key Recommendations 137 Table 0A.4 Gender Gap indices, last available year 143 Industries with Above-Average Female Employment Share in Egyptian Table 6.B.1 149 Public Enterprises from Economic Census 2012/13 Trend in the Growth of Employment in the Top-12 Industries for Female Table 6.B.2 Employment in the Private Sector According to the Labor Force Survey, 150 2000-2014 6 Women Economic Empowerment Study Women Economic Empowerment Study Figures Figure 1.1 Use of Computers, by Residence and Gender, 2011/12 and 2015/16 (%) 25 Figure 1.2 Computer Use Among Youth by Gender, 2011/12 and 2015/16 (%) 26 Private Sector Computer and Internet Use by Gender 2011/12 and Figure 1.3 26 2015/16, (%) Hours Spent on Market and Domestic Work Per Week, by Women’s Figure 1.4 33 Marital andEmployment Status, 2012 Labor Force by Sex, Residence and Employment Status, Egypt 2016 Figure 2.1 46 (millions) Figure 2.2 Distribution of Labor Force by Gender and Age, Egypt 2016 46 Distribution of Labour Force by Gender and Education Level, Egypt Figure 2.3 47 2016. Employment by Gender and Residence (in millions) and Sector (%), Figure 2.4 49 Egypt 2016 Figure 2.5 Employment Status by Gender and Residence, 2016 49 Unemployed Population, by Gender and Residence (millions), and Figure 2.6 56 Previous Employment