Philanthropy and Gender in the Arab World

Despite significant interest in gender and philanthropic activities separately in the Arab world among scholars and policymakers, little research has focused on the interaction of these two spheres. Responding to a gap in the literature, this policy paper examines 23 foundations working on gender in the Arab region, based on the information available on their websites, other online sources, and interviews conducted with a selection of senior foundation leadership. Our findings highlight that while gender is perceived to be a cross-cutting theme across regional philanthropic work, there are still substantive gaps in gender-specific initiatives, such as research, programs specific to boys and men, and a lack of programs to support and advocate for change in legal structures that currently disadvantage women across the region. To address these gaps, we suggest that foundations conduct further research at the sectoral and organizational levels on gender, equally target both genders in programming, and create a philanthropic culture with the necessary infrastructure to share work related to gender. Finally, foundations should consider engaging in advocacy supporting policies that would address current legal frameworks that act as barriers to women’s full participation and emancipation in the region