This implies a need for a shared vision and strategy for women’s empowerment and gender equality, w'hich should be supported by an effective institutional framew ork with clear roles and responsibilities and specific mechanisms to embed gender considerations in all policies, programmes and budgets in a systematic and evidence-based manner. Most countries in the MENA region have reported developing a gender equality vision and strategy. Yet, these documents do not uniformly integrate international standards nor they are supported by effective implementation capacities.