Teachers’ Rights in the MENA Region - A long history of protests, violations and harassment

Opinion Policy Analysis by Maria Wehbe, Featured Writer

More than anywhere else, teachers are crucial and essential in the MENA region given the current circumstances: the political turmoil, the economic hardship, the devastating COVID-19 Pandemic, the ongoing wars and conflicts, etc. Students have been through a lot, and the only glimpse of hope they have left is their education: it has somewhat remained untouched, and students rely on their education to overcome all of these difficulties. Without teachers, they wouldn’t be able to do so: they pave the way for their success and achievements. Unfortunately, teachers’ rights in the MENA region are not respected. This problem has been prevailing for quite some time, and teachers no longer want to succumb to this mistreatment and unfairness; protests, violations, harassment – they’ve seen it all.