This paper seeks to highlight the range of human insecurities that Arab Women face and discusses the state and non-state modalities of protection to ensure women’s security. It considers those human insecurities that either target women directly or those that create specific social, economic and political dynamics that affect women’s lives. The paper argues that Arab women face three key human insecurities: i)conflict-related insecurities; ii) insecurities related to personal violence; and iii) insecurities related to women’s social and economic vulnerabilities.

Women’s human insecurity is very much related to the state of their social and economic vulnerability, where the degrees of such vulnerability vary across the different Arab countries. The Arab countries can be categorized within three main classes: (1) resource rich and labor importing, (2) resource rich and labor abundant, and (3) resource poor and labor abundant. Female heads of households, elderly women and unemployed women or those who work in the informal sector are most prone to being vulnerable and falling into poverty.

This paper also sheds light on the state of human security of women in conflict ridden countries, namely Palestine and Iraq as part of the analysis pertaining to conflict-related insecurities. As for the gender-based personal violence, the paper looks at the physical and sexual abuse that is being practiced in many of the Arab counties, as well as honor killings.

The paper suggests a conceptual framework that views protection as a comprehensive approach that includes protection against conflict and violence (including legal protection) as well as social protection that comprises the provision of social security as well as social assistance. Protection, the paper argues, is part and parcel of human security and should be practiced proactively to ensure the respect of women’s human rights. The modes of social protection in all three cases of women’s human insecurities are studied through looking at the roles of the state actors – through the provision of social security systems and safety nets-, non-state actors and civil society – non-governmental organizations and religious institutions- , as well as that of some informal mechanisms such as the family or community bonds. At all these levels, the paper presents the related legislative documents and international treaties that most of the Arab countries have ratified, and presents the degree to which these legal documents are being abided by.
Finally, the paper concludes with a series of recommendations directed towards the governments of the Arab states as well as the active civil societies and NGOs.