ESCWA WEEKLY NEWS No. 40

9 September 2019



	Developing a national multidimensional poverty index for households and children in Iraq On 29 and 30 August, ESCWA held a consultation workshop on developing a national multidimensional poverty index (MPI) for households and children in Iraq, in collaboration with UNICEF and OPHI, to inform policies aimed at ending all forms of poverty and achieving Goal 1 of the 2030 Agenda. Participants discussed MPI methodology, analysis and policy tools, and agreed on a road map to develop a national MPI for Iraq, which would be linked to national policies, and planning and budgeting processes. The workshop was attended by members of Parliament, senior officials from the central Ministry of Planning, the Ministry of Planning and Statistical Office of the Kurdistan Region, and experts and academics. Read more

	New portal to assist small and medium enterprises in the Arab region Arab experts and government officials gathered at the UN House in Beirut on 4 September to discuss a web-based platform that ESCWA is designing to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The consultative meeting identified the key functionalities and content of the platform, dubbed SMEs Digital Enablers Portal, which would contain four elements: information about business development and markets; laws and legislation; funding sources; and learning and development. Participants from different Arab SME development programmes and institutions presented their experiences, highlighting challenges and success stories. They all concurred on the high added value of the Portal. Read more


	Estimating the economic cost of domestic violence in the Arab region On 5 and 6 September, ESCWA organized a regional training workshop on estimating the economic cost of violence against women. Representatives of national women’s machineries and gender focal points of national statistical offices in Arab countries reviewed the methodological guidelines prepared jointly with the office for Arab States of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). They pledged to be advocates for “the economic argument” when addressing violence against women with national authorities. “The work of ESCWA on estimating the economic cost of violence against women has created momentum among Arab States, which now see the benefits of understanding the economic aspect of this salient human issue”, said the Director of ESCWA Centre for Women (ECW), Ms. Mehrinaz El Awady. Read more

	Guidelines to estimate the economic cost of domestic violence The economic costs of domestic violence (DV) are direct and indirect, tangible and intangible, and range from health-care and criminal justice service costs to lost productivity. Having an estimation of these costs provides a base to demonstrate the systemic impact of DV on a country’s economic potential. While data on DV in the Arab region is available to a certain extent in some countries, the understanding of its economic impact is limited. Estimating the costs of DV will address this gap in knowledge and provide an important opportunity to influence decision makers in the Arab States in combating DV. The ESCWA/UNFPA guidelines are designed to enable users to understand the purpose of costing studies and the steps required to undertake a costing exercise in a given country. Read more


	Did you know... … that the number of older persons in the Arab region is projected to surpass 100 million by 2050 (15% of the total population? In Arab least developed countries, less than 10% of older persons currently receive a retirement pension. Older persons are over-represented among persons with disabilities. Conservative estimates show that there are at least 11 million persons with disabilities in the Arab region. This number is expected to rise significantly as a result of ageing and conflict. Read more