Measuring Women's Workplace Inclusion in MENA
We know that across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, women still face persistent barriers to access dignified opportunities for economic participation. We also know that across the MENA there have been extensive efforts to support women´s workforce participation. Until recently however, we did not know enough about discrepancies persist across countries and sectors. We always had data on national averages but not on the policy landscape and on employer efforts to improve women´s economic participation.
What is the KIP index?
It is a multi-country and multi-sector index measuring employer policies and tracking progress over time and place across the MENA.
Understanding the current landscape and pinpointing areas for improvement are vital steps. The Knowledge is Power (KIP) Index provides a roadmap for stakeholders to implement targeted interventions, fostering women's full participation in the workforce and bolstering sustainable economic development in the region. Periodic data collection and analysis through the KIP Index enable organizations and policymakers to track progress over time in women's inclusion goals.
Why should employers care?
For four years, SAWI has collected data from regional employers and conducted structured interviews with working women. The resulting KIP Index offer sector-based insights into women-inclusive policies and practices in local organizations.
Sector-Based Data
The KIP Index examines women's inclusion across Education, Healthcare, Financial Services, Professional Services, STEM, and Other Services sectors. By tracking employer perspectives on recruitment, retention, and promotion, the index sheds light on women dynamics within organizations.
Regional Comparisons
The index compares countries across three groupings: resource-rich, labor-abundant countries (G1), resource-poor, labor-abundant countries (G2), and resource-rich, labor-importing countries (G3).
Driving Pioneering Progress
Creating women-inclusive workplaces demands tailored interventions to tackle sector-specific challenges. By leveraging KIP Index findings, organizations and policymakers can craft targeted strategies, driving meaningful progress towards women's inclusion in the MENA workplaces. The KIP index is pioneering progress at the organizational level by providing unprecedented access to data from vital economic sectors that can be compared across the region.
Get Informed, and Stay Updated
Access KIP Index reports:
- KIP Index summary report (2021): English - Arabic
- KIP Index summary presentation (2023): English
- KIP Index (third wave) – coming soon.