CAIRO, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Women still face many challenges as females fall victims to the negative effects of financial crisis, such as gender discrimination and lack of empowerment, said a report issued by "Beijing +15" conference held in Cairo on Sunday.

The conference, held at a time of the 15th anniversary of the Beijing Platform of Action 1995, a UN agenda for women's empowerment, aims to follow up, monitor and evaluate what achievements have been done by countries in the region to empower women and to identify the difficulties and challenges they face.

According to the report, the financial and economic crisis constitute a great burden on women, especially the poor and the migrant, as they get fired from their jobs as a result of the perception that men are the provider for family.

"Women are still facing great financial challenges," said Dr. Hoda Badran, chairperson of the Alliance for Arab Women.

Women are the first group that comes in lay-offs, considering that males are the major breadwinners. Moreover, cutting down on the national budget for services adds to the women's family responsibilities.

In addition, job opportunities decline in the informal labor sector, which is congested with females usually. Limited availability of funds correspondingly limits women's chances in receiving loans for small and micro enterprises, according to the report.

Nevertheless, the report shows that, generally speaking, the Arab states have made progress in regards to the status of women since the Beijing conference in 1995. However, this progress is not parallel in all areas and not equal among different countries.

"There is no such law that criminate violence inside family... it requires witnesses... How can the wife provide such witnesses?" Badran said.

Many countries modified their family law, in different degrees. However, gaps which violate gender equality still exist. As in Egypt, the law allows divorce without consulting the wife, and without a court approval.

Some Arab countries have approved laws allowing mothers married to foreigners to pass their citizenship to their children as in Tunisia, Yemen, Morocco, Egypt and Mauritania. However, in some other countries, the foreign husband cannot obtain his wife's nationality.