The Existence of Modified Environmental
Kuznets Curve for Gender Inequality in the
MENA Economies: Panel Data Model
Hanan Hamed M. Sileem
Abstract
The usual Modified Environmental Kuznets Curve
(MEKC) examines the environment–development relationship to reflect the impact of development on environment degradation. However, gender inequality recently
appears to have serious impacts on climate mitigation and
adaptation measures that require special consideration.
After all, sustainable development cannot be fulfilled
when the contribution of half the available human
resources in the community is underestimated. To reflect
the gender dimension, my research examines the existence
of MEKC relationship between CO 2 emissions per capita
and female participation in 18 Middle East and North
Africa (MENA) economies for the period 1990–2015
using panel data estimation. Arguing on the existence of
MEKC for gender–climate relationship in the MENA
region, the empirical results show that the contribution of
women is crucial to reverse the vulnerability of the MENA
region to climate change. Thus, gender equality can be an
effective factor in adaptation and mitigation measures. In
this context, gender-responsive climate policy actions can
be an efficient channel to allow sustainable development in
the MENA region.
Keywords
Sustainable development Á Gender Á Climate change
adaptation
1 Introduction
The current climate literature reports limited evidence on
how mainstreaming gender in climate treaties and policy
making can benefit women in mitigation and adaptation
measures; however, there is a group of scholars suggesting
that low participation of women can have a high cost on
economic development (Nabli and Chamlou 2004).
According to the World Commission on Environment and
Development (WCED) definition, sustainable development
is “meeting the needs of the present generation without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their
own needs” (Wikipedia Homepage 2016). This definition
implies that sustainable development is among human rights.
That is to say, the rights to have a sustainable flow of capital
across different generations whether it is a physical
(man-made), or human, or natural capital; this perspective
for sustainable development was originally coined in 1992
by Atkinson and Pearce measurement for sustainability
(Pearce and Atkinson 1993).
Focusing on the proper attention to the social aspect of
sustainable development that reflects the gender equality as
well as recognizing the contribution of half the available
human resources can be a vital source in sustaining development. That is why achieving the three dimensions of
sustainable development, that is, social, environmental, and
economic aspects emphasizes the importance of integrating
woman in climate change adaptation policies. This is due to
several factors. First, the rights to have a healthy environment can be treated as a critical part of social rights. In this
context, environmental rights satisfy part of the sustainable
development perquisites. Second, women are among the
most vulnerable segments to climate change impacts, where
more than 70% of women live below the poverty line
(United Nations Development Program 2010). Moreover,
women already constitute an essential part of the active
formal or informal working force in the developing economies in several critical sectors relevant to climate changes
(Arafa et al. 2007). Thus, women could face true climate
change challenges due to gender inequalities that limit their
access to education, resources, and possible decision-making
opportunities to engage in forming effective adaptation and
mitigation measures (Delivering on the Paris Promises
Homepage 2018).
H. H. M. Sileem (&)
Sadat Academy for Management Sciences, Cairo, Egypt
e-mail: hanan@sadatacademy.edu.eg
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
M. Mateev and J. Nightingale (eds.), Sustainable Development and Social Responsibility—Volume 1,
Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-32922-8_23
239
Kuznets Curve for Gender Inequality in the
MENA Economies: Panel Data Model
Hanan Hamed M. Sileem
Abstract
The usual Modified Environmental Kuznets Curve
(MEKC) examines the environment–development relationship to reflect the impact of development on environment degradation. However, gender inequality recently
appears to have serious impacts on climate mitigation and
adaptation measures that require special consideration.
After all, sustainable development cannot be fulfilled
when the contribution of half the available human
resources in the community is underestimated. To reflect
the gender dimension, my research examines the existence
of MEKC relationship between CO 2 emissions per capita
and female participation in 18 Middle East and North
Africa (MENA) economies for the period 1990–2015
using panel data estimation. Arguing on the existence of
MEKC for gender–climate relationship in the MENA
region, the empirical results show that the contribution of
women is crucial to reverse the vulnerability of the MENA
region to climate change. Thus, gender equality can be an
effective factor in adaptation and mitigation measures. In
this context, gender-responsive climate policy actions can
be an efficient channel to allow sustainable development in
the MENA region.
Keywords
Sustainable development Á Gender Á Climate change
adaptation
1 Introduction
The current climate literature reports limited evidence on
how mainstreaming gender in climate treaties and policy
making can benefit women in mitigation and adaptation
measures; however, there is a group of scholars suggesting
that low participation of women can have a high cost on
economic development (Nabli and Chamlou 2004).
According to the World Commission on Environment and
Development (WCED) definition, sustainable development
is “meeting the needs of the present generation without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their
own needs” (Wikipedia Homepage 2016). This definition
implies that sustainable development is among human rights.
That is to say, the rights to have a sustainable flow of capital
across different generations whether it is a physical
(man-made), or human, or natural capital; this perspective
for sustainable development was originally coined in 1992
by Atkinson and Pearce measurement for sustainability
(Pearce and Atkinson 1993).
Focusing on the proper attention to the social aspect of
sustainable development that reflects the gender equality as
well as recognizing the contribution of half the available
human resources can be a vital source in sustaining development. That is why achieving the three dimensions of
sustainable development, that is, social, environmental, and
economic aspects emphasizes the importance of integrating
woman in climate change adaptation policies. This is due to
several factors. First, the rights to have a healthy environment can be treated as a critical part of social rights. In this
context, environmental rights satisfy part of the sustainable
development perquisites. Second, women are among the
most vulnerable segments to climate change impacts, where
more than 70% of women live below the poverty line
(United Nations Development Program 2010). Moreover,
women already constitute an essential part of the active
formal or informal working force in the developing economies in several critical sectors relevant to climate changes
(Arafa et al. 2007). Thus, women could face true climate
change challenges due to gender inequalities that limit their
access to education, resources, and possible decision-making
opportunities to engage in forming effective adaptation and
mitigation measures (Delivering on the Paris Promises
Homepage 2018).
H. H. M. Sileem (&)
Sadat Academy for Management Sciences, Cairo, Egypt
e-mail: hanan@sadatacademy.edu.eg
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
M. Mateev and J. Nightingale (eds.), Sustainable Development and Social Responsibility—Volume 1,
Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-32922-8_23
239