Two-thirds of the world's illiterate adults are women. Only half of the world's women are employed, compared to three-quarters of the world's men. In most developing countries, female employment is even lower, at around 25 percent. Yet, women spend two and a half times more time and effort than men on unpaid care work and household responsibilities.
The total value of the global employment participation gap and the wage gap between women and men is $17 trillion; in other words, women only have a 36 percent share of global income, measured in purchasing power parity terms. This generates massive inequalities in overall incomes, health and education. [...]
These challenges are particularly pronounced in the Muslim world, where approximately 65 percent of women are illiterate, compared to 40 percent of men. The UN's Arab Human Development Report points out that in Arab countries, the high rates of gender inequality coincide with a lack of economic opportunities among women. Female labour force participation is slightly less than 24 percent, and among young women, less than 18 percent - the lowest rate among all regions. The share of women in GDP in the Arab region is only about 29 percent, against 50 percent in all developing countries. And the poverty rate is 31.6 percent among women, but 19 percent among men. [...]
The challenges women face in the Muslim world are often enshrined in archaic laws and practices on ownership, early marriage, female genital mutilation, education, healthcare, job opportunities and wages. Yet the irony is that these laws and practices are in violation of the letter and spirit of Islamic teachings on women's rights.
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