Hymen ‘repair’: Views from feminists, medical professionals and the women involved in the middle east, North Africa and Europe

In Europe, hymen ‘repair’ is controversial because it is often seen as a concession to immigrant groups that do not respect women’s sexual autonomy. But how is hymen ‘repair’ viewed in societies in which the norm is that women should not have premarital sex? And why do women want hymen ‘repair’? Hymen ‘repair’ is also controversial in Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) countries because it is seen as undermining social mores about women and premarital sex. However, some Islamic leaders have defended the procedure. Women request hymen ‘repairs’ for a variety of reasons. Some have been sexually abused and may desire the surgery to overcome trauma. Some have had consensual sex and may fear sanctions, while others may see the surgery as a covert act of rebellion against the virginity rule. Still others may choose it to please their future husband. Hymen ‘repair’ is extensively discussed in MENA countries and in Europe. Feminists in MENA countries are divided over whether the surgery promotes sexual autonomy while, in the European debate, an important issue is whether the choice itself is an autonomous one that doctors should respect. Inspired by a relational approach to autonomy, I see the women involved as individuals with culturally informed identities and interests who may feel pressure to get the surgery yet are still capable of autonomy. I argue for a policy to stimulate debate in communities about the virginity norm and to make hymen ‘repair’ available to women. However, it should be combined with an attitude of sympathetic distrust, recognising that hymen ‘repair’ harms women’s dignity and authenticity.

MENA Countries Face the Challenge of the Knowledge-Based Economy

The growing interest in the knowledge economy raises many questions about its effect on economic growth. The study aims to position a set of MENA countries in the context of the knowledge economy compared to developed countries. It also detects theoretically and empirically the knowledge effect on economic growth. To do this, the authors have estimated an endogenous growth model, using the dynamic panel data technique, for a sample of 16 MENA countries over 1995-2014. The results show that, despite the significant improvements that have registered in the knowledge economy pillars, the selected countries are still lagging compared to developed countries. Far from international comparisons, the internal effects of these knowledge pillars (education, innovation, ICT, institutional regime) on growth are positive and highly significant.

North African Management of the Post COVID-19 Crisis

Tourism is vulnerable and sensitive to natural, socio-political, and economic hazards. The bulk of destinations are threatened by natural, terrorist, cyclical, epidemiological, political, and social perils. Tourism is a salient industry and represents 14% of the GDP of certain MENA countries, including Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, and Egypt. The latter's GDP has shrunk sharply and affected other vital economic sectors that inductively and deductively rely on tourism. Generally, the industry's recovery depends, to a large extent, on these governments' decision-makers alongside the encouragement and satisfaction of the tourist.

A review on waste management and compost production in the Middle East–North Africa region

Over the last two decades, solid waste management in the Middle East–North Africa (MENA) region has been one of the major challenges due to increasing solid waste quantities and poor waste management practices. With the tremendously increasing amounts of organic waste, MENA countries are under great pressure and are facing the threats of acute air pollution, contamination of water bodies and climate change. As a result, these countries are adopting different methods to cope with this rising challenge of waste management, including composting. This review reports on the different MENA countries’ organic waste quantities, disposal methods, organic waste management practices and challenges, along with the potential use and demand of compost, where information is available. The reported data are from 2009 to 2021, with the bulk of the papers being from 2014 and onwards. The total amount of municipal waste collected in the 21 countries ranged from 0.56 million tons in Mauritania to 90 million tons in Egypt, with an average of 16.42 million tons, equivalent to 1.08 kg per capita waste generation per day. Around 55% of this material is biogenous. Many treatments and repurposing methods of this material are adopted in the MENA region, mainly through composting, as it presents one of the most sustainable solutions that lead to immediate climate change mitigation. This article also presents the biotic and abiotic stressors faced by this region, which in turn affect the successful implementation of composting solutions, and proposes some solutions based on different studies conducted.

IMPACT OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGIES ON WOMEN'S ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT IN MENA REGION

The focus on ICT as means of empowering women has gained momentum. Their potential is paralleled by their rapid development that extends into all aspects of life. Conducting our analysis on aggregate macroeconomic data taken from the World Bank database, we deploy an econometric panel data approach to capture the impact of ICT on women's economic empowerment in 18 MENA countries between 2000 and 2019, using ARDL panel estimates. The results reveal the existence of a long-term cointegrating relationship between the variables. In addition, the impact of all the variables is significant in the long run, while in the short run their impact is not significant. Mobile phone subscriptions and internet users have a positive impact in the long run; however, fixed telephone subscriptions and fixed broadband subscriptions have a negative impact‎.