clearer visions and strategies for de facto gender equality as defined by international standards would facilitate improvements for gender equality objectives including the cedaw mena countries can build on the existing strategies to expand them to include the civic political and economic rights of women more prominently indeed the institutional history of social rights within oecd countries demonstrates that while rights associated w ith women initially were upheld in relation to maternal functions and reproductive roles these protections later expanded to include protections for equality in public life and economic opportunities effective implementation is critical to ensure that gender strategies go beyond declarative statements and are translated into concrete actions