How does one improve the status of women in Islam?
A. Gender inequality is a global problem. I don’t believe the status of women has been negatively affected by Islam, per se. Islam provides them with their rights. It is more about changing mindsets of people. That’s a more difficult thing to do. According to the World Bank, the Middle East and North African regions are among the biggest spenders on health and education for women. So we are doing a lot to close the gender gap in these two fields. The question is, what happens after these women graduate. You find that their participation in the workforce is very, very low. So, although we are making huge investments in education, we are depriving ourselves of the returns of that investment. Q. Much of the region expects women to be veiled. Have you faced criticism over the way you dress? A. Whenever you are in a public position you will face criticism. You receive negative comments, but you also receive positive ones. You always find that people have different opinions about such issues
