Jarring Learning Losses, the MENA Region’s Patrilineal Trap, and More

Why Biden needs to turn things around, how the Middle East and North Africa became so gender-segregated, and the costs of school closures.

View in browser February 1, 2022 We are losing a generation   "Governments across the globe will spend about $5 trillion on K-12 education this year. But unless they get all children and young people back to school, keep them in class, and recover the central elements of learning, this generation could lose two or three times that amount in wages," write Indermit Gill and Jaime Saavedra.   Read more The Middle East and North Africa's patrilineal trap   The Middle East and North Africa is the most patriarchal region in the world. But it wasn't always this way. Alice Evans explains how a diverse region became more gender-segregated over time and highlights recent feminist campaigns for greater rights, autonomy, and protection in Turkey, Morocco, Tunisia, Iran, and beyond.   Read more Can President Biden and the Democrats get out of the hole?   There is a strong relationship between President Biden's public standing and Democrats' prospects in the forthcoming midterm elections, and unless the president can turn things around, Democrats have virtually no chance of retaining their slim edge in Congress. William Galston discusses how voters view the president's handling of key issues and which voters have changed their minds about Biden the most.   Read more Help support Brookings with a donation   Brookings is committed to making its high-quality, independent policy research free to the public. Please consider making a contribution today to our Annual Fund to support our experts' work. The conclusions and recommendations of any Brookings publication are solely those of its author(s), and do not reflect the views of the Institution, its management, or its other scholars. The Brookings Institution, 1775 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036 Unsubscribe Manage your newsletter preferences | Receive the Brookings Brief less often