Unemployment between genders in the GCC Assignment | Get Paper Help

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Policy Note 4
November 2013
Barriers to women’s participation in the workforce:
Gender equality is key to increasing women’s participation and success in the workforce. Employers in the GCC, and
globally, discriminate against women employees, perceiving them as more costly and less productive than men. 8
Despite laws mandating equal pay regardless of gender, women frequently cite dissimilarities in their pay rate on the
basis on gender. In a study conducted by
TANMIA (2006)9, 37% of women participants
reported receiving a lower pay rate because
of their gender. Baud and Mahgoub
(2001)10 found that 21% of Emirati women
had been overlooked for a work promotion
due to gender discrimination. Differences
in pay can also be attributed to the greater
opportunities for career development
available to local males. Presently, it is likely
that there is a deficit in opportunities for
career development and advancement for
women. Internships and scholarships can provide women with the skills and experience they need to be successful
in the workplace, while changing employers’ attitudes toward women workers. More broadly, policies should address
gender equality in the workforce, and discrepancies in pay rate and advancement based on gender.
Many cite a disconnect between the subject matter taught to women in schools and the demands of the workplace,
particularly in the private sector. Women tend to study certain subjects over others, partly reflecting traditional
gender ideals, while also reflecting their desire to work in the public sector in fields traditionally available to women,
such as teaching and administration. Greater diversity of education programs in local universities, and an increased
awareness of other career prospects will encourage women to pursue careers in fields typically dominated by men,
such as science, technology, and engineering.11 Policies may also address employer perceptions of women workers
in fields typically dominated by men.
Nationalization policies in the GCC have led to marginal increases in women’s participation rates in the private
sector.12 Metcalfe (2008)13 argues that recruitment and human resource practices of private sector organizations
severely limit women’s career opportunities. Emirati women experience difficulty in advancing beyond entry-level
positions, and express feeling that they have been merely hired to fulfill a quota.14 More systemic labour market
reforms are necessary “in order to capitalize on the valuable human resource asset that women represent”. 15
Policies that empower working mothers
are necessary to maintain mothers in the
workforce. In Saudi Arabia, women are
entitled to four weeks of leave prior to the
expected delivery date, followed by six
weeks of leave at half pay, or at full pay if
they have been under contract for more
than three years.16 In Bahrain, women in the
public and private sectors receive 60 days of
fully paid maternity leave; women in Qatar and Oman receive 50 days. Kuwait comes closer to meeting international
standards, and provides women with 70 days of paid maternity leave, with the possibility of four subsequent months
of unpaid leave.
“The institutional barriers that some women
face, especially in male dominated sectors, are
daunting. It can be very difficult to balance work and
life responsibilities. Sometimes work environments
are not supportive.”
Dr. Sylvia Maier “
“
“It makes good economic sense for w omen
to participate in the formal economic sector.”
Dr. Sylvia Maier “ “
8. The World Bank, Opening Doors: Gender Equality and Development in the Middle East and North Africa (Washington, DC: 2013).
9. Cited in J. Al-Ali, “Emiratisation: Drawing UAE nationals into their surging economy,” International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy 28, no.9/10 (2008).
10. Ibid.
11. N. G. Aswad et al., “Creating a Knowledge-based Economy in the United Arab Emirates: Realising the Unfulfilled Potential of Women in the Science, Technology and Engineering Fields,”
European Journal of Engineering Education 36, no.6 (2011).
12. E. Rutledge et al., “Women, Labour Market Nationalization Policies and Human Resource Development in the Arab Gulf States,” Human Resource Development International 14, no.2 (2011).
13. B. D. Metcalfe, “Women, Management and Globalization in the Middle East,” Journal of Business Ethics 83, no.1 (2008).
14. E. Rutledge et al.
15. E. Rutledge et al., p.183.
16. “Mother needs a break; Mercer offers insight on maternity leave in the KSA,” last modified 18 March 2013, Mercer, http://me.mercer.com/press-releases/insight-on-maternity-leave-insaudi-
arabia
In the UAE, mothers in the public sector receive 60 days and mothers in the private sector receive 45 days of paid
maternity leave after a year of continuous employment. While mothers can extend their leave an additional 100 unpaid
days with a medical certificate, this allowance does not meet the recommendation set forth by the International Labour
Organization (ILO), which recommends that employers provide 14 weeks (the equivalent of 98 days) of maternity leave
and cash benefits of no less than two-thirds of the previous wage.17 Furthermore, the three days of paid leave received
by fathers in the UAE public sector is insufficient to relieve parental stresses on new mothers and help facilitate their
return to work. Flexibility at work, access to
reliable childcare, and parental leave that
meets international standards help alleviate
the dual responsibility of work and family
experienced by working mothers.
Prevailing cultural and social norms largely
determine socially acceptable working
roles for women. Cultural stigmas act as
barriers to women’s participation in certain
industries within the private sector. Women
may be discouraged from adopting mixed-gender occupations outside of professions traditionally dominated by
women such as teaching and nursing.18 Some GCC national women may fear that working in a mixed-gender work
environment will impact their reputation. While in the public sector there may be separate working areas for women
and men, this can be more challenging to accommodate within the private sector. Women may prefer to work within
the public sector where “social conventions are better acknowledged and accommodated”.19 Restrictions on mobility
and choice also continue to limit women’s job prospects. All GCC countries, to varying degrees, restrict women from
working at night, thereby reducing their employment opportunities.
While entrepreneurship can address some of the challenges relative to the private sector, women entrepreneurs
face significant barriers relative to men. Barriers specific to Emirati women include a lack of support at the startup
of a venture, society and traditions, and personal and family reasons. 20 In the UAE, training programs such as those
provided by the Abu Dhabi Businesswomen’s Group (ADBW) and Dubai Business Women’s Council (DBWC) can help
women entrepreneurs overcome these obstacles.
Conclusion:
Increasing GCC national women’s employment opportunities requires a multi-pronged approach that addresses
attitudinal, institutional and socio-cultural barriers. Dr. Maier stresses the importance of government buy-in through
the implementation of a national action plan that addresses barriers to women’s employment while reflecting local
contexts and needs. Furthermore, greater access to national statistical data is required for more rigorous program
evaluation and to facilitate the implementation of evidence-based programs and initiatives.
Recommendations and Next Steps:
• Challenge norms that constrain women’s participation in the labour force.
• More accommodating and flexible work environments for working mothers. Flexible hours, access to reliable childcare,
and parental leave that meets international standards.
• Provide women with training and internship opportunities to increase their competitiveness in the labour market.
• Increase women’s economic opportunities by removing constraints to participation in the workforce and nurturing
entrepreneurship.
• Create a national action plan that addresses barriers to women’s employment.
• Increase access to national statistical data to facilitate rigorous program evaluation and evidence-based policymaking.
“Both men and women must commit to
gender equality, inclusivity and equity. I think
that lies at the foundation of everything.”
Dr. Sylvia Maier “
“
17. International Labour Organization, C183 – Maternity Protection Convention, 2000 (No. 183)
18. Frances Hasso, Consuming Desires: Family Crisis and the State in the Middle East (Palo Alto: Stanford University Press, 2010).
19. M. Gallant & J. S. Pounder, “The Employment of Female Nationals in the United Arab Emirates (UAE): An Analysis of Opportunities and Barriers,” Education, Business and Society:
Contemporary Middle Eastern Issues 1, no.1 (2008): 30.
20. H. Itani et al. “United Arab Emirates Female Entrepreneurs: Motivations and Frustrations,” Equality Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal 30, no.5 (2011).
Emily Cordeaux interned at the
Mohammed Bin Rashid School
of Government in the summer of
2013. She is currently completing
a Master’s in Public Policy at Simon
Fraser University in Vancouver,
Canada. Emily’s research interests
include gender, labor, migration and
public health.
Edited by: Ghalia Gargani
This policy note is based on “From
the Classroom to the Boardroom:
Breaking Down Barriers, Realizing
Potential,” a lecture presented by
Dr. Silvia Maier at the Mohammed
Bin Rashid School of Government
on May 1, 2013. The lecture was
organized and supported by the
Gender and Public Policy Program at
the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of
Government.
The Gender and Public Policy Program
at MBRSG supports theoretically and
methodologically rigorous research
that conceptualizes, problematizes,
and analyzes gender gaps while, at
the same time, linking the research
to agendas and instruments for
informed policy action.
The Mohammed Bin Rashid School of
Government (MBRSG) is a research and
teaching institution focusing on public
policy in the Arab world. Established
in 2005 under the patronage of HH
Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al
Maktoum, Vice President and Prime
Minister of the United Arab Emirates
and Ruler of Dubai, MBRSG aims to
promote good governance through
enhancing the region’s capacity for
effective public policy.
13th Floor, Convention Tower, Dubai World Trade Centre
P.O. Box 72229, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Tel: +971 4 329-3290, Fax: +971 4 329-3291
E-mail: info@mbrsg.ac.ae, Web: www.mbrsg.ae