Gender inequality, not Islam, is most responsible for holding back economic and social development across the Arab world.

The Arab Human Development Report, issued annually by the UN development agency, warns that gender inequality, not Islam, is most responsible for holding back economic and social development across the Arab world. Citing political inflexibility, male domination, and war, the report reveals deep-seated discrimination against women across the region: half of all women are illiterate, fewer than 80 percent of girls go to secondary school, women hold only 10 percent of high government positions, and women suffer more overall ill health than men.

Karen Ann Gajewski is a freelance editor and an editorial consultant to the Humanist.