Description

Gender equality is smart economics that contributes to poverty reduction, strengthening resilience and boosting shared prosperity. In the Mashreq countries of Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon important gains have been made in women’s access to education and health, but persistent challenges remain in women’s economic opportunities. For example, only around 1 in 5 women are economically active and less than 5% of firms are led by a woman.

The MASHREQ GENDER FACILITY (MGF) provides technical assistance to the Mashreq countries to enhance women’s economic empowerment and opportunities as a catalyst towards more inclusive, sustainable, and peaceful societies, where economic growth benefits all. Through collaboration with the private sector, civil society organizations and development partners, the Facility supports government-led efforts, country-level priorities and strategic regional activities that:

• Strengthen the enabling environment for relevant stakeholders to effectively identify and address constraints to women’s economic participation; 
• Improve women’s access to economic opportunities. 

Activities of the 5-year Facility (2019-2024) are identified under three, interconnected, pillars:

The Facility aims to energize countries in moving the needle on specific needs and priorities, effectively translating these into results for women, their families and the economies at large in the Mashreq.