Amnesty International (Amnesty) said that, despite some limited reforms, women in the Arab world continue to face "entrenched and violent discrimination on a daily basis."
In her statement, issued on the occasion of the celebration of International Women's Day, she indicated that this comes in light of the government's severe failure to put an end to arbitrary arrests, kidnappings, assassinations, so-called "honor" killings and other forms of gender-based violence.
The outbreak of the "Covid-19" epidemic has led some countries to report a high number of domestic violence cases, and calls to help lines due to the prolonged isolation at home during the mass closures and curfews.
"Throughout the Middle East and North Africa, many women and girls continue to struggle in their lives from the daily reality of violence at home or on the street," said Heba Morayef, Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International.
According to the organization, in recent years, several countries in the Middle East and North Africa region have made limited progress in the field of women's rights at the legislative and institutional levels, such as guardianship for men in Saudi Arabia, lifting the ban on women driving cars, and establishing a complaints mechanism for victims of domestic violence in Tunisia. And the provision of shelter for those exposed to so-called "honor killings" in Jordan.
Across the Western Maghreb, legal provisions have been introduced to combat violence against women, including a "historic" law of 2017 in Tunisia to protect women from all forms of gender-based violence.
Yet, says Amnesty, these gains have been overshadowed by the continuing violence and unfair discrimination that women face, especially in matters of marriage, inheritance, and child custody.
It was undermined by weak implementation of reforms, and by the continuing denial of women’s role and ability to represent themselves.