The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) has announced the winners of the 2025 Munasara Award for Advancing Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The accolade was presented to the Modeling and Forecasting Team at ESCWA, comprising Asiya Maskaeva, Ahmed Moummi, and Souraya Zein. This award recognizes exceptional initiatives that foster transformative change towards gender equality within the Arab region.
The Munasara Award reflects ESCWA’s commitment to promoting gender equality and empowering women. It emphasizes the organization’s dedication to integrating gender perspectives across all operational areas while supporting member states in achieving inclusive and equitable development. The award was presented by Mourad Wahba, Acting Executive Secretary of ESCWA, who acknowledged the team’s significant contributions through their initiative focused on Gender-Responsive Macroeconomic Frameworks for Women’s Economic Empowerment in Algeria.
Innovative Approaches to Gender-Responsive Policies
The awarded project marked a notable advancement in incorporating gender considerations into macroeconomic modeling, a field that has often overlooked gender disparities. The team successfully developed Algeria’s first gender-disaggregated Social Accounting Matrix and a dynamic computable general equilibrium (CGE) model. These innovative tools allow policymakers to evaluate how economic reforms affect women and men differently, facilitating the development of inclusive growth strategies aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.
In his remarks, Wahba encouraged the winning team to continue their valuable contributions towards improving gender equality and women’s empowerment in the Arab region. He highlighted the importance of their rigorous analysis and collaboration with national institutions, which has produced actionable evidence for designing policies that create better employment opportunities for women and enhance the leadership of ESCWA in gender-responsive economic planning.
This achievement serves as a replicable model for other member states and represents a significant milestone in integrating gender into economic decision-making processes. By prioritizing gender equality in macroeconomic frameworks, the initiative lays the groundwork for sustainable growth that benefits all members of society.
The recognition of the Modeling and Forecasting Team underscores the critical need for gender-responsive policies in economic planning and development, paving the way for a more equitable future in the Arab region.
