Investing in care policies can create millions of jobs in MENA, new ILO report finds

BEIRUT and AMMAN (ILO News) – Almost 13 million jobs can be created in 12 countries across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region by 2035 through investments in care policies on childcare-related leave, breastfeeding breaks for working mothers, and the expansion of early childhood care and education (ECCE) and long-term care services, a new ILO report has found.

The report calls for investments in care policy packages across the region to significantly boost economic and social returns, including narrowing the gender employment gap, and to help achieve gender equality in the workplace.

The new report, titled Care at Work: Investing in Care Leave and Services for a More Gender Equal World of Work – Companion Regional Report for the Middle East and North Africa, provides a regional lens on issues outlined in the ILO’s global Care at Work report.

Investing in care policy

To close care policy gaps, a sustainable annual investment of over $204 billion by 2035 is required, equalling an average of 5.8 per cent of GDP per country, the report notes. This investment is projected to reduce the gender gap in employment rates by 7 percentage points and the gender gap in monthly earnings from 15 per cent in 2019 to 1.8 per cent in 2035.

Every dollar spent on care packages is expected to result in around three dollars of GDP increase, emphasizing the positive economic impact of care investments, according to the report.

The projections were generated using the ILO Care Policy Investment Simulator for the 12 MENA countries with available relevant data: Egypt, Morocco, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, Jordan, Tunisia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and UAE.

“There will be no full, gender-equal, sustainable and inclusive future in the MENA region without serious investments in transformative care policy packages,” said ILO Regional Director for Arab States Ruba Jaradat and ILO Chief of the Gender, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Branch Chidi King in a joint statement in the report. “This is the main message of this report, which we hope will resonate among governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations as well as the multiple global, regional and national partners working together to build a more caring world of work,” the joint statement added.

It brings together insights from across the MENA region on how care policies – including policies on Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) services, maternity protection, paternity leave, parental leave and long-term care services – play an important role in fostering child development, supporting women’s employment and creating jobs.

It outlines the gaps in current policies, the economic and social benefits of investing in care, and the way forward for transforming care policy packages.

A right yet to be fully realised

Despite the universal acknowledgment of maternity protection as a fundamental human and labour right, its implementation across the MENA region remains inconsistent.

The report underscores that, as of April 2022, Morocco is the only country in MENA to have ratified the ILO Maternity Protection Convention (No. 183), which mandates a minimum of 14 weeks of maternity leave.

The average duration of maternity leave across the region stands at 17 weeks, with three countries since 2011, namely Iran, Iraq and Kuwait, aligning with or surpassing this standard.

Yet, 12 countries still fall short of the ILO’s minimum standard, and the current pace of legal reforms suggests a lengthy journey ahead to universal compliance.

Paternity leave, essential for achieving gender equality and shared caregiving responsibilities, is recognized in seven MENA countries. The average leave duration is approximately seven days, with four countries having introduced or extended paternity leave since 2011. The report calls for broader inclusion and protection to enhance uptake rates, noting the absence of statutory provisions for adoptive parents and a general lack of employment protection related to paternity leave.

The provision of parental leave and other special care leaves emerges as crucial for supporting parents throughout their life course. Six countries in the region offer statutory parental leave, with an average duration of almost 77 weeks. The report highlights a significant care policy gap, particularly for children aged 0-2 years, underscoring the need for substantial policy enhancements to support child development and women’s employment.

Workplace safety and health

Addressing workplace safety and health, the report reveals that all countries, except Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, have laws protecting pregnant or breastfeeding workers from hazardous work. However, comprehensive protection and provisions for prenatal care are largely lacking, pointing to an urgent need for legislative improvements.

The right to paid nursing breaks is recognized in 15 MENA countries, though the duration and provision vary. The report advocates for enhanced support for nursing mothers, including the establishment of workplace nursing facilities, to promote positive health outcomes.

A foundation for the future

Highlighting the absence of statutory ECCE programmes for the youngest children, the report stresses the importance of ECCE services in child development and supporting female employment. The existing childcare policy gap of nearly six years underscores the vital need for investment in quality ECCE services.

With the demand for long-term care services rising, the report identifies a pressing need for comprehensive public systems to support older persons and persons with disabilities, emphasizing the role of state responsibility in funding and providing these services.

In May 2023, the ILO convened a regional conference in Amman to deliberate on the findings of its report, emphasising the critical need for urgent investments in ECCE to foster a more gender-equitable work environment, create numerous job opportunities, enhance employment prospects for women, and contribute to the professionalisation of the sector.

The conference highlighted the importance of exchanging insights and best practices in the advancement of inclusive, equitable, and high-quality ECCE services.

It also aimed to identify shared recommendations and actionable strategies for achieving universal access to quality ECCE through transformative care policies and the promotion of decent work conditions.

For more details, please contact:
carepolicy@ilo.org
aslan@ilo.org
ajarmeh@ilo.org