The Effects of Fiscal Policieson the Economic Development of Women in the Middle East and North Africa

December 1, 2003

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Nicole Laframboise, and Tea Trumbic. The Effects of Fiscal Policieson the Economic Development of Women in the Middle East and North Africa, (USA: International Monetary Fund, 2003) accessed December 22, 2024

Disclaimer: This Working Paper should not be reported as representing the views of the IMF.The views expressed in this Working Paper are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the IMF or IMF policy. Working Papers describe research in progress by the author(s) and are published to elicit comments and to further debate

Summary

Statistics indicate that the economic and social development of women in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) compares unfavorably with most regions in the world. This paper assesses the influence of government expenditure and taxation policies on the economic and social welfare of women in the region. On the expenditure side, we test the explanatory power of public social spending in the determination of key female social indicators. We find that the relatively weak social outcomes for MENA women are not explained by the amount of government social spending, suggesting the answer lies in the efficiency and reach of present spending. With respect to taxation, the main issues in the literature on gender bias in taxation are highlighted and applied in a general manner to the MENA context. Some simple policy recommendations are suggested.

Subject: Education, Expenditure, Gender, Health, Health care spending, Women

Keywords: Asia and Pacific, Country region, Direct tax, East Africa, Gender bias, Government social spending, Government spending, Health care spending, MENA country, MENA region, MENA spending, MENA woman, Middle East, North Africa, Per capita income, Place MENA, Social indicators, South Asia, Tax-expenditure mix, Women, WP

Publication Details

Pages:

32
Volume:

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DOI:

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Issue:

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Series:

Working Paper No. 2003/244
Stock No:

WPIEA2442003
ISBN:

9781451875850
ISSN:

1018-5941

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