This article was written by Nada al-Nashif, Assistant Director General and Regional Director for the Arab States at the International Labour Organization; and Zafiris Tzannatos, author of the joint International Labour Organization/United Nations Development Programme report “Rethinking Economic Growth: Towards Productive and Inclusive Arab Societies". It was published in the IMF Magazine "Finance & Development", March 2013, Vol. 50, No. 1.