Women's rights in the Middle East and North Africa

• Many MENA publics express a preference for greater female political participation, including acceptance of a female head of state and the implementation of women’s quotas for elected office. However, the belief that
men are better political leaders prevails.
• Views toward women in private domain reveal a somewhat different picture: Even though more and more people accept equal rights of women
in making the decision to divorce or voice a preference for equal shares of
inheritance, majorities still say that husbands should be the final decision
maker on family issues in most countries.
• Over the longer term, we may expect women’s rights to improve. Women
are becoming more prominent actors in the political sphere, women’s quotas are already established in some countries, and with the chance to take
on meaningful roles within the state, women are likely to enhance their visibility and competence in dealing with political issues. At the same time,
economic hardship may force more women to work outside the house,
which may lead to changing views about their own position in the family and could also lead to greater acceptance of women’s new social role
among men.