New figures suggest that 22 percent of the Middle East’s assets under management (AUM)—or $700 billion—were held by women in 2010. And that figure is growing. In a region whose news coverage more often highlights the plight of women than their triumphs and progress, this statistic is heartening. The details are even more encouraging.
Women in the Middle East are not only controlling more wealth, but tend to invest in more sustainable ventures, says consultancy Carousel Solutions. It’s not that women are wooed by simply “doing good” and “giving back.” Rather, they recognize these projects as solid, lower-risk investments that have the added benefit of being socially responsible. Financial empowerment is in strong hands with these women, who, the consulting firm suggests, are more confident about their wealth today. Read the rest of this entry »
Observers around the world are tuning into Egyptian politics this week, ahead of the country’s November 28 parliamentary elections. Amid the necessary yet saturated discussion on election monitoring, candidate registration, and local media coverage, a refreshing point of view focusing on Egypt’s shifting economy aired yesterday on NPR.
As the radio piece explains, President Hosni Mubarak has come to champion market-oriented reforms and has led efforts to privatize an estimated 85% of the Egyptian economy. This ideological change and ensuing policy reforms are reaping higher rates of foreign investment and engendering growth in key sectors, such as construction and tourism. Read the rest of this entry »
How bad is Yemen’s culture of corruption compared to that witnessed in neighboring states? How can aid agencies support projects in Yemen while news broadcasts claim that dollars are not reaching citizens? At the highest levels of Yemeni government, is there even the political will to combat corruption? In a dynamic dialogue following last week’s screening of Destructive Beast, a CIPE documentary on corruption in Yemen, individuals representing the Washington-based Yemeni community, the Embassy of Yemen, National Endowment for Democracy organizations, and development groups were bubbling with questions like these. Read the rest of this entry »
Loading ...
