ERF 32nd Annual Conference – Parallel Sessions on Poverty and Inequality
FromJun 14, 2026 To Jun 16, 2026
Hybrid Event
Featured at the ERF 32nd Annual Conference, this collection of Poverty and Inequality papers provides a rigorous, data-driven examination of the structural drivers of poverty and inequality across the MENA region.
Key Themes and Insights
- Optimizing Social Protection & Institutional Governance: A significant focus lies on strengthening the rules, controls, and formalization of welfare systems. Evidence from Egypt’s health reforms and Algeria’s social security initiatives demonstrates that formalizing safety nets and refining cash transfer mechanisms (like those analyzed in Tunisia) are critical to reducing out-of-pocket vulnerabilities and boosting long-term human capital.
- Vulnerability to Macro Shocks and Environmental Pressures: The research highlights how external and environmental crises disproportionately burden the poor. Studies on Iran reveal the compounding effects of historical poverty and international sanctions, while regional data connects rising temperatures to a widening income gap, proving that climate change is actively exacerbating economic inequality in the MENA region.
- Human Capital, Health, and Social Disparities: The collection shines a light on intersectional welfare challenges, linking economic inequality to broader societal outcomes. Key insights explore how income disparities and weak governance impair regional mental health, how school segregation perpetuates systemic cycles of disadvantage, and how shifting demographics—such as refugee integration and maternal education trends in Türkiye—directly reshape public health and healthcare utilization.
Agenda
Parallel Session 5: Poverty Measurement, Dynamics, and Crises
Date
14/06/2026
Time
From 2:00 pm To 3:30 pm
Speakers
Authors
Shakiba Kheirkhahan
University of Tehran
Authors
Atiyeh Vahidmanesh
Assistant Professor of Economics, University of Tehran
Authors
Hoda El Enbaby
Independent Researcher and PhD student, Health Economics...
Papers
When Sanctions Hit Home: Measuring Poverty Dynamics in Iran Using a Synthetic Panel Approach
Economic sanctions have become a routine instrument of foreign policy, yet their distributional consequences for... Read More
Micro-Level Estimation of Poverty in Iran: Evidence from 2016 Census Data
Effective poverty alleviation requires identifying deprived populations at a geographic scale that is small enough... Read More
Health Insurance and Financial Protection: Evidence from Egypt
The paper exploits a natural experiment, through the phased roll-out of Egypt’s Universal Health Insurance... Read More
Agenda
Parallel Session 13: Inequality of Opportunity and Educational Outcomes
Date
15/06/2026
Time
From 11:00 am To 12:30 pm
Speakers
Authors
Abbas El Akari
PhD Candidate in Economics, Cadi Ayyad University
Authors
Aomar Ibourk
Professor of Quantitative Methods and Social Economics,...
Authors
Mohamed Dewahi
Teaching Assistant, Faculty of Economic Sciences and...
Research Fellows
Mohamed Amara
Full professor in Economics and Quantitative Methods,...
Authors
Imen Mouaddeb
Researcher, Center for Research and Social Studies...
Research Fellows
H. Deniz Karaoglan Yurtseven
Associate Professor of Economics, Department of Economics,...
Research Fellows
Meltem Dayioglu Tayfur
Professor, Department of Economics, TED University
Authors
Abdullah Tirgil
Associate Professor, Department of Economics, Ankara Yıldırım...
Authors
Abdullah Selim Öztek
Assistant Professor of Economics, Ankara University
Authors
Ümit Acar
Faculty Member, Department of Public Finance, Faculty...
Authors
Ali Recai Direkçi
Ph.D. Candidate in Economics, Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt...
Papers
Quantifying School Segregation in MENA Countries: A Comparative Analysis
While most MENA countries have undergone structural transformation to improve their educational system, little is... Read More
Unconditional Cash Transfers and Children’s Schooling in Tunisia: A Fuzzy Regression Discontinuity Approach
We examine the impact of the unconditional cash transfer AMEN Social program on children's schooling,... Read More
Maternal Education and Childhood Obesity in Türkiye: Is There A Causal Link?
This paper examines the causal impact of maternal education on child’s probability of being overweight/obese... Read More
Syrian Refugees and Native Health in Türkiye: An Analysis of Healthcare Utilization, Access, and Health Conditions
This study examines the impact of Syrian refugees on the health outcomes of Turkish nationals,... Read More
Parallel Session 14: Labor Markets, Climate Shocks, and Social Protection
Date
14/06/2026
Time
From 2:00 pm To 3:30 pm
Speakers
Authors
Walid Merouani
Researcher, Center for Research in Applied Economic...
Authors
Maya Gheroufella
Senior Researcher, Research Centre in Applied Economics...
Research Fellows
Moundir Lassassi
Research Director, Research Centre in Applied Economics...
Authors
Nada Kassem
Labour Market Policies Manager, Emirati Talent Competitiveness...
Papers
Does Formalization Improve Welfare? Evidence from Social Insurance in Algeria
This paper examines the impact of social security affiliation on workers’ welfare in Algeria, focusing... Read More
Roles, Rules, and Controls: An Analytical Review of the Governance of Social Protection in Egypt
Egypt’s social protection system has undergone substantial reform over the past decade, yet governance constraints... Read More
Agenda
Parallel Session 26: Inequality, Vulnerability and Governance
Date
16/06/2026
Time
From 4:00 pm To 5:30 pm
Speakers
Authors
Wasseem Rizkallah
Associate Professor of Economics, Thebes Higher Institute...
Authors
Marwa Sweilam
Economics Assistant Professor, Thebes Academy for Computer...
Authors
Laila Elgindy
Senior Research and Project Associate, Center for...
Research Fellows
Yasmine Abdelfattah
Assistant Professor of Statistics and Economics, University...
Research Fellows
Djavad Salehi-Isfahani
Professor, Virginia Tech University
Papers
Mental Health and Income Inequality in the MENA Region: Understanding the Role of Good Governance and Economic Growth
The study aims to investigate the relationship between income inequality and mental health by understanding... Read More
Rising Temperatures, Widening Gap: A Study of Income Inequality Amidst Climate Change in the MENA Region
There is extensive literature examining the effect of climate change on income inequality globally. However,... Read More
Poverty and Inequality in Iran: From Land Reform to the Present
This paper traces the evolution of poverty and inequality in Iran, emphasizing the enduring impact... Read More