From former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto to student activist Malala Yousufzai, Pakistani women from all backgrounds and age groups have been transforming the discourse of gender roles in Pakistani society.

And they are making a difference: in the midst of a changing political, social, and economic environment, political victories for women have been few but significant, including an Anti-Sexual Harassment Act, the creation of the National Commission on Status of Women, and a bill protecting women against domestic violence.

Shahira Emara, GDNet Knowledge Services Manager in the Global Development Network’s Cairo office, shared her thoughts on the new Arab Spatial tool.

How is Arab Spatial beneficial for the Middle East and North Africa region?

The great hope that rose from the Arab awakening is being continually tested—not only by ongoing political unrest, but also by lesser known forces: volatile food prices and supplies, and grinding poverty. Translating hope to better lives rests on effective policy—and effective policy rests on access to adequate and accurate information, also in scarce supply in the region. For instance, only around half of the region’s countries make poverty figures publicly available, and the frequency and accuracy of those figures varies widely.

The Applied Microeconomics & Development (AMD) Seminar Series will continue on February 21 at 12pm EST with a presentation by Petra Todd of the University of Pennsylvania. Todd will speak about the impact of three different performance incentives schemes using data from a social experiment conducted in Mexican high schools.