Celebrated on 8 March, International Women's Day (IWD) is an occasion marked by women's groups around the world. This date is also commemorated by the United Nations and is designated in many countries as a national holiday. When women on all continents, often divided by national boundaries and by ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic and political differences, come together to celebrate their Day, they can look back to a tradition that represents at least nine decades of struggle for equality, justice, peace and development.

The idea of an International Women's Day first arose at the turn of the century, which in the industrialized world was a period of expansion and turbulence, booming population growth and radical ideologies. International Women's Day is the story of ordinary women as history makers; it is rooted in the centuries-old struggle of women to participate in society on an equal footing with men.*

According to 2007 World Bank Report titled ‘The Environment for Women’s Entrepreneurship
in the Middle East and North Africa Region’, overall economic openness and reform of the business environment will reduce barriers and create opportunities for all investors, particularly women. 
 
The report is based on a survey of over 5,100 male and female-owned firms in eight MENA countries. Male and female-owned firms perform similar on the basis of sales and value added per worker. In recent years, female-owned firms have increased their work force faster in Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and West Bank and Gaza than male-owned firms.

In Egypt, unemployment for women, though declining, is four times that for men—the largest gap in the region. There are some gender-related differences in Egypt’s investment climate. Egyptian female-owned firms are more likely than male-owned firms to perceive access to land and electricity as problems. As for female-owned firms, 19% of workers in female-owned firms have professional competencies, compared with just 16% in male-owned firms.

According to the report, female-owned firms are more likely than male-owned firms to perceive access to land and electricity as constraints—factors that are statistically significant. Female-owned firms in Egypt report a yearly average of 40 percent more power interruptions and losses of sales due to power outages or surges from the public grid. They also report higher legal constraints than do male-owned firms—an average of eight months longer to resolve disputes over overdue payments.

*Source:  UN website - Department of Public Information

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