The popularity of neoliberal economic policies is based, in part, on the argument that the liberalization of markets promotes growth and increases employment opportunities for women. Although the latest research bears this out, it also presents a grim portrait of the state of women’s employment. Approximately 70 percent of those living on less than a dollar a day are women or girls. In Veiled Employment, the contributors examine these stark disparities, focusing on the evolving role of women’s employment in Iran. Based on empirical field research in Iran, their essays document the accelerating trend in the size and diversity of women’s employment since the 1990s and explore the impact of various governmental policies on women. The volume analyzes such issues as the effect of global trade on female employment, women’s contributions to the informal work sector, and Iranian female migrant workers in the United States. Rejecting the commonly held view that centers on Islam as the primary cause of women’s status in the Muslim world, the authors emphasize the role of national and international political economies. Drawing on postcolonial feminist theory, they reveal the ways in which women in Iran have resisted and challenged Islamism, revealing them as agents of social transformation rather than as victims of religious fundamentalism.

Political and Socio-Economic Change in the Middle East and North Africa examines the shortcomings of the economic development policies in the region before and after the Arab uprisings. Many MENA countries tried to pursue neoliberal policies to boost economic growth. However, the outcome was associated with rising and disproportionate unemployment among the youth and women. The focal point of the book is the role of gender and the ways in which policies translate into economic outcomes. Particular attention is paid to women''s entrepreneurship, especially as owners of small and medium enterprises, which, as the authors argue, can potentially reduce unemployment and poverty for the population as a whole. The book offers perspectives on wholesome policies that take account of issues concerning gender and youth and, thus, contribute to lower unemployment and reduced poverty and inequity.

The popularity of neoliberal economic policies is based, in part, on the argument that the liberalization of markets promotes growth and increases employment opportunities for women. Although the latest research bears this out, it also presents a grim portrait of the state of women’s employment. Approximately 70 percent of those living on less than a dollar a day are women or girls. In Veiled Employment, the contributors examine these stark disparities, focusing on the evolving role of women’s employment in Iran. Based on empirical field research in Iran, their essays document the accelerating trend in the size and diversity of women’s employment since the 1990s and explore the impact of various governmental policies on women. The volume analyzes such issues as the effect of global trade on female employment, women’s contributions to the informal work sector, and Iranian female migrant workers in the United States. Rejecting the commonly held view that centers on Islam as the primary cause of women’s status in the Muslim world, the authors emphasize the role of national and international political economies. Drawing on postcolonial feminist theory, they reveal the ways in which women in Iran have resisted and challenged Islamism, revealing them as agents of social transformation rather than as victims of religious fundamentalism.

Political and Socio-Economic Change in the Middle East and North Africa examines the shortcomings of the economic development policies in the region before and after the Arab uprisings. Many MENA countries tried to pursue neoliberal policies to boost economic growth. However, the outcome was associated with rising and disproportionate unemployment among the youth and women. The focal point of the book is the role of gender and the ways in which policies translate into economic outcomes. Particular attention is paid to women''s entrepreneurship, especially as owners of small and medium enterprises, which, as the authors argue, can potentially reduce unemployment and poverty for the population as a whole. The book offers perspectives on wholesome policies that take account of issues concerning gender and youth and, thus, contribute to lower unemployment and reduced poverty and inequity.