Current Issues in Comparative Education - Volume 20 - Issue 1 - Fall 2017 - Educational Attainment and Egalitarian Attitudes Toward Women in the MENA Region: Insights from the Arab Barometer

Oct 15, 2026

The study examines how educational attainment relates to egalitarian attitudes toward women across 12 of 20 MENA countries using Arab Barometer survey data. Despite persistent gender inequality in the region, findings show that higher education predicts stronger support for women’s employment and participation in post-secondary education. Egalitarian attitudes increase over time, and education remains a consistent predictor of these attitudes. The paper argues for greater investment in education that fosters egalitarian views for both genders.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages23

Reading Time58 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Background

Education as a Broad Benefit to Society

Educational Attainment and Support for Women

Current Issues in Comparative Education (CICE) Volume 20, Issue 1, Fall 2017 Educational Attainment and Egalitarian Attitudes Toward Women in the MENA Region: Insights from the Arab Barometer Amy Auletto Michigan State University Taeyeon Kim Michigan State University Rachel Marias Michigan State University Despite increasingly egalitarian attitudes toward women in the Middle East and North Africa, nations in this region continue to rank among the lowest in measures of gender equality. Using survey data, we examine the relationship between educational attainment and support for women. We find that increased educational attainment is predictive of greater support for women’s employment and women’s participation in post-secondary education. We also find that egalitarian attitudes have increased over time and education continues to remain a strong predictor of these attitudes. We argue for increased investment in education that promotes egalitarian attitudes for both genders in the MENA region. Introduction Despite historically large gender gaps in Middle Eastern and North African countries, citizens of these nations have developed increasingly egalitarian views of women in recent years. Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) countries regularly score low on the Global Gender Gap Index, a composite measure of gender gaps in economic, educational, political, and health outcomes. Gender inequity in MENA countries has attracted attention as women become more involved in multiple venues of society: civic engagement, economic contribution, and political involvement. Women’s increased participation in society has prompted research regarding how women are viewed in these countries and how egalitarian attitudes toward women might be strengthened. Given the evolving status of women in the MENA region, the purpose of this study is to offer evidence that increased educational attainment is a promising strategy for bolstering egalitarian attitudes toward women. In this study, we use survey data from the Arab Barometer to examine the relationship between educational attainment and egalitarian views of women in 12 of 20 countries commonly identified as part of the MENA region: Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Sudan, Tunisia, and Yemen. We also consider how this relationship has changed over time. We find that increased educational attainment is associated with more egalitarian views of women in MENA countries, including support for women participating in the workforce and post-secondary education. © 2017, Current Issues in Comparative Education, Teachers College, Columbia University. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Current Issues in Comparative Education 20(1), 45-67. Auletto, Kim, & Marias Based on the results of our analysis, we argue that education is one way to create more equitable environments in the MENA region. While prior research has demonstrated the potential benefits of education across a number of measures, our study is unique in that we identify a statistical relationship between education and views of women in the MENA region. Using human capital and social movement theory lenses to view these findings, we call for further investment in education for both men and women as a means to improving the status of women. We know that when women are educated they see direct benefits through increased income levels, they are healthier, delay marriage, have more economic autonomy, and experience less violence in their lives (Results Educational Fund, 2009) . However, educating women alone will not change views of women in these countries. Rather, increasing education for both men and women in a way that is culturally sensitive while also addressing differences by gender will change attitudes about women’s participation in society as it focuses on all citizens, rather than a single gender. Background We draw on five areas of literature when discussing views of women in MENA cou

FAQs

What is the main purpose of the study?

To test whether increased educational attainment is a promising strategy for strengthening egalitarian attitudes toward women in the MENA region.

Which data source is used to analyze the relationship?

The study uses survey data from the Arab Barometer covering 12 of the 20 commonly identified MENA countries.

How does educational attainment affect attitudes toward women?

Higher educational attainment is associated with more egalitarian views, including support for women participating in the workforce and post-secondary education.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by PakDamar76