2022.12.06 Prof. Fariba Solati (St. Thomas University in Canada):

The book Women, Work, and Patriarchy in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)  database
investigates why MENA has the lowest rate of Female Labour Force Participation (FLFP) in the world. It concludes that the consistent low rate of FLFP in the MENA region is primarily due to the deep-rooted patriarchal culture, which defines females primarily as homemakers and caregivers. By quantifying patriarchy using ten indicators of gender inequality, and creating a three-dimension index for patriarchy, the book shows that MENA, which is located on the geographical area called the Patriarchal Belt, is the most patriarchal region in the world particularly with regards to women’s participation in public spheres. Building on the finding of the book, our current study investigates FLFP rates of all immigrants in Canada. Using the Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada (LSIC) and the linked LSIC-Longitudinal (IMDB) Immigration Database which cover fifteen years post migration, the study finds that of all immigrant women in Canada, those from the MENA region have the lowest FLFP rate even years after migration. In line with the finding of the book, the second group with the lowest rate of FLFP in Canada are immigrants who are from other countries of the Patriarchal Belt. Although women from the MENA region increase their labour force participation after migration, they still have the lowest FLFP rate compared with all other immigrant groups. After controlling for various socioeconomic factors and employing logistic regressions on multiple rounds of the LSIC and LSIC-IMDB datasets, this study shows that patriarchal gender roles survive even after years of living in Canada resulting in low rates of FLFP.