São Paulo – Mauritania is the Arab country best placed in the UN Women ranking for women in government ministries. UN Women is the United Nations branch that handles gender equality issues. On the list of the survey that includes 188 countries, Mauritania reached the 37th position. According to data by the organization, the country has 7 women among the 22 ministers. The ranking considers the ratio of women to the total, which in the case of Mauritania is 31.8%.
The second best-placed country is the UAE, with women representing 29% of the ministers. There are nine female ministers among 31 positions. The UAE occupy the 48th position in the general ranking. Egypt is the third Arab country with the highest female participation in ministries, at the 73th general position. Egypt has 33 ministers, 24.2%, or eight, being women. At the photo above, Lemina Mint El Ghotob Ould Moma, Mauritanian minister of agriculture.
Jordan is the fourth Arab country on the list, at the 95th general position. Among the 24 ministers, five are women. The percentual is 20.8%. Somalia is the fifth country among the Arabs with the highest female participation in ministries. Four women among 27 people, meaning 14.8%. At the sixth position in the Arab world is Algeria with four female ministers, 13.3% of the 30 ministries.
Both Somalia and Algeria are part of the group of nations with between 10% and 14.9% of female ministers. Also in this group, in order after both these countries are Kuwait, Syria, Djibouti and Tunisia. Among the Arab countries that have between 5% and 9.9% of female ministers are Sudan, Comoro Islands, Qatar, Oman, Yemen,, and Morocco. Brazil is also in this group, at the 149th place in the general ranking, between Sudan and Comoro Islands.
Among those with 2% to 4.9% of women of the total ministries are the Arabs countries Bahrain and Lebanon. Of those who don’t have any female ministers are Iraq and Saudi Arabia. The data from the UN reflects the reality as of 1st January 2019. Among the 22 Arab countries, Libya and Palestine are not in the survey. At the top of the ranking is Spain, followed by Nicaragua and then Sweden.
This survey by the United Nations also presents a ranking of countries with the highest female participation in parliaments. On the general list, Rwanda, Cuba and Bolivia occupy the highest positions. In the Arab world, Tunisia is the first, Sudan second, Djibouti is third, at 29th, 58th and 65th position, respectively. Brazil is well behind, at the 134th place in the ranking.
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
