The Ethical Implications of the Socio-political Conditions in the Arab Countries on the Research Involving Arab Women

Ghaiath Hussein, MBBS, MHSc (Bioethics)

Doctoral Researcher (University of Birmingham, UK)Email: ghaiathme@gmail.com

Disclosure • I have no conflicts of interests

Outline • Overview on some development indicators related to the

women in Arab countries• The range of ethical issues related to the participation of

women in research• How do the socio-economical conditions ethically impact

the Arab women’s participation in research

How many women in the Arab region?

Source: Arab Human Development Reports (http://www.arab-hdr.org/data/map/)

Gender Inequality Index (GII)• The Gender Inequality Index (GII) is a new index for

measurement of gender disparity • GII is a composite measure which captures the loss of

achievement, within a country, due to gender inequality, and

• uses three dimensions to do so: reproductive health, empowerment, and labor market participation.

(Wikipedia; UNDP 2010)

GII in Arab Countries

More specific indicators

Education• female illiteracy (50%, cf. to 33% among males)

Health• MMR averages 270 deaths (up to 1000) per 100,000 live births

Economy• Arab women’s economic participation less than 33.3% (globally 55.6%)

Legally• Personal status and labour legislations restrict women’s freedom (e.g. requiring

a father’s or a husband’s permission to work or borrow from financial institutions)

How do these affect research ethics?

• 'uninformed' consent

• Vulnerability• Proxy-consent

• over-targeted• coercion

• over-inclusion (easy access)

• Coercion• Proxy-consents• injustice - inequality Poverty &

financial independe

nce

Poor health

IlleteracyLack of

legal protection

How shall we act?

• More detailed protocols (e.g. recruitment)

• More simplified consents (pilot)As researchers

• Require more details in protocols• Monitoring & follow-up• Involve and Train community members

As ethics committees

• To advocate & raise community awareness

• Act as “whistle blowers”

At community level (Local NGOs

and CBOs)

Reference & Contact information • The Arab Human Development Report 2005 “Towards the Rise of Women in

the Arab World”, United nations development programme (UNDP), Arab Fund For economic and social development, and Arab gulf programme For United nations development organizations (http://www.arab-hdr.org/publications/other/ahdr/ahdr2005e.pdf)

• To contact me:

Ghaiath Hussein, Doctoral Researcher (University of Birmingham, UK)

Address:

Room 122, Public Health Building (Y17)

University of Birmingham 

Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK

Mobile: +447907731427

 E-mail: ghaiathme@gmail.com