Harassment

N umber 2
August 2009

GENdER aNd WoRk IN ThE MENa REGIoN
W o R k I N G Pa P E R S E R I E S

Poverty, Job Quality and Labor market Dynamics

When there is “No Respect” at Work: Job Quality Issues for
Women in Egypt’s Private Sector ghada barsoum, Ali rashed, and Dahlia Hassanien

Ghada Barsoum is Senior Program Manager, Poverty, Gender and Youth Program, Population
Council, Cairo, Egypt. Email address: [e-mail]
Ali Rashed is Data Analyst/Researcher, Data Analysis and Economic Research Unit, Population
Council, Cairo, Egypt. Email address: [e-mail]
Dahlia Hassanien is Research Assistant, Poverty, Gender and Youth Program, Population Council,
Cairo, Egypt. Email address: [e-mail]
The research presented in this publication is the result of a project funded by Canada’s International
Development Research Centre (www.idrc.ca).

The Population Council conducts research worldwide to improve policies, programs, and products in three areas: HIV and AIDS; poverty, gender, and youth; and reproductive health.
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ISSN: 17441/2009

Abstract
Egypt has one of the lowest female labor participation rates in the world.
Based on ethnographic research, this paper argues that women in Egypt, particularly young women, face job quality issues that discourage them from continuing to work or even entering the labor market. The paper highlights

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