Iran Among Countries with the 'Least Job Opportunities' for Women

The United Nations has classified Iran, Saudi Arabia, and several Middle Eastern countries among those providing the least job opportunities for women, resulting in high unemployment rates for women in these nations. A report from the International Labour Organization, affiliated with the UN, indicates that the unemployment rate for women in the Middle East is twice that of men. According to this organization, most women in the Middle East are employed in the lowest-paying jobs and at the most basic professional levels. Emmanuela Pozzan, a UN expert, stated that there is still little incentive for women to be hired for various jobs in the Middle East. She noted that the jobs offered to women are not very appealing due to low pay. Overall, statistics show that globally, half of women are employed; in the Middle East, this figure drops to 19%, and to 28% in South Asia. A new ranking of 144 countries prepared by the UN shows that the countries providing the least job opportunities and economic participation for women include Syria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Iran. In these countries, the wage gap between women and men in the same job is at least 65%, meaning that women's pay and benefits for the same work done by men are at least 65% lower. The UN states that globally, women's pay is lower than men's, but nowhere is this disparity as pronounced as in the Middle East. The UN findings also indicate that the working conditions and pay for women in developed countries are significantly better than in developing countries.