The Arab Spring Five Years Later: Toward Great InclusivenessThe dilemma felt by Arab youth was captured in Tunisia by the selfimmolation in 2010 of Mohamed Bouazizi, who was frustrated by restrictions on his small street-vending business. His death became the catalyst for revolts throughout the Middle East. The frustration had been building for some time: large segments of society were denied economic progress, while the middle class was squeezed, and governments had cut back on services and public employment. Since the series of uprisings began, the debate in Arab countries has focused almost exclusively on politics and questions of national identity. However, economic issues are driving the agenda, and real economic grievances must be addressed in order for the many transitions to succeed. Hafez Ghanem gives a thorough assessment of the Arab Spring, beginning with political developments since the revolutions and changes in the legal and institutional frameworks that affect economies. Arab economies grew at healthy rates before the revolts, but the benefits of economic growth were unfairly distributed. The politically connected reaped great benefits, while educated youth could not find decent jobs, and the poor and middle class struggled to make ends meet. Ghanem advises that Arab countries need to adopt new economic policies and programs that enhance inclusiveness, expand the middle class, and foster growth in undeveloped regions. Key elements include strengthening economic institutions, developing small businesses, reforming the education system to better prepare Arab youth for the modern labor market, promoting gender equality with the objective of raising female labor market participation rates, and setting up programs for rural and regional development to reduce inequality and eliminate extreme poverty. |
Contents
| 1 | |
Spring but No Flowers | 7 |
Roots of the Arab Spring | 39 |
Institutional Reforms for Better Implementation | 65 |
Entrepreneurship for Inclusion | 88 |
Youth Smallholder Farmers and Women | 107 |
Other editions - View all
The Arab Spring Five Years Later: Toward Greater Inclusiveness, Volume 1 Hafez Ghanem No preview available - 2016 |
The Arab Spring Five Years Later Vol. 1: Toward Great Inclusiveness Hafez Ghanem No preview available - 2015 |
Common terms and phrases
achieve inclusive growth agencies agriculture Algeria Amr Moussa Arab Spring Arab world areas argue average Brotherhood Cairo capita civil society organizations Countries in Transition Delhi Metro democracy democratic economic growth Egyptian el-Sissi elections employment Ennahda entrepreneurs example farming female Ghanem groups Hence Houthis implementation important improve increase informal sector institutions Iraq Islamic Islamists JICA Jordan labor force labor market ment micro enterprises middle class million minister Ministry Mohamed Moreover Morocco Morsi MSEs Muslim Muslim Brotherhood participation percent of GDP planning policies political population president private sector producer organizations programs projects public sector reforms region revolutions role rural Selected Arab Countries share Sidi Bouzid small businesses SMEs social justice Source stakeholders strategies subsidies survey TAble tion Transport Tunisia unemployment rate Upper Egypt women World Bank World Values Survey Worldwide Governance Indicators Yemen young