Women have come a long way in making a mark in society, but a closer look at the workplace indicates that they still deal with inequality.
For a long time, women had very limited access to jobs due to religious, cultural and educational traditions. As times have changed, more and more women have moved beyond their domestic roles attempting to make their own living. In the GCC alone, the number of women joining the workforce has increased significantly over the years, bringing the total female labour force to 3.3 million in 2010, up 83 per cent from 1.8 million almost a decade ago.
Bleak data
But while their numbers in GCC companies are on the increase, women still suffer from a dismal labour participation rate. Data compiled by Al Masah Capital indicate that 73 per cent of employable women in the GCC are without jobs. In contrast, only a small portion of men of employable age — about 17 per cent — are jobless.
There are a total of 12.1 million women who are able to work in the GCC, and since only 3.3 million of them are employed, the female participation rate stands at 27 per cent. Of the 20 million men who are in their working age, 16.7 million have jobs, representing a very high male participation rate of 83 per cent. Overall, women constitute only 16.5 per cent of the total labour force, while men account for 83.5 per cent.
Shailesh Dash, chairman of Al Masah Capital, said that even in modern times, cultural preferences and certain restrictions continue to limit women's entry into the workforce. He said the high unemployment figure is indicative of the traditions and customs still prevalent in the GCC family unit which stops women from participating in some physical activities or working alongside men.
"Some women or their families prefer not to work unless there is an economic need," he said.
Limitations
There is also a strong tendency for women in the GCC to lean towards jobs in primary education and there is currently a limited demand for teachers at these levels.
Toby Simpson, managing director at the Gulf Recruitment Group, said that while companies have not expressed any preference for hiring males only, most of their applicants are men. "Some of the feedback when selecting individuals from a shortlist has shown a leaning towards positive discrimination in favour of women for reasons such as to ‘soften' the workplace up a bit, or to even out the balance," he said.
"A large majority of the applicants we receive for jobs are male. Using this indicator, we may surmise that the proportion of unemployed professionals actually seeking work that are women is at least on parity with or perhaps even less than the proportion of women in the workplace. This would suggest that actual gender proportion inequalities in the workplace are largely cultural rather than systematic".
In his time in the UAE, Andrew McNeilis, Talent2 managing director for Europe, Middle East and Africa, has met women working in male-dominated fields such as aluminium smelters, aviation and oil rigs. He pointed out there is no lack of career opportunities for women. What is lacking is education to dispel any urban myths about the realities of the workplace.
Awareness issues
Their clients also often highlight the excellent academic and work ethos that the female workforce has shown, and that women tend to perform better in certain roles and sectors,
"There is a need by both female potential jobseekers and employers on how to improve awareness. Culturally, women seeking employment must have their father's or husband's permission. For many women, they might be the first woman in their family seeking a job. Under these circumstances, the female job hunter might find it difficult to gain an insight into the what and how of a career. For instance, who can they realistically take advice from?"
Disparity in the salaries earned by men and women still exist but women have made considerable gains over the years. According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), there has been clear improvement on this count since the 1970s.
In the US, for example, women on average earned 81 per cent of what their male counterparts earned in 2010. That's a positive progress since 1979, when women earned only about 62 per cent as much as men.
The recent financial crisis also affected men and women differently. The ILO report, released in November, showed that men lost more jobs than women in the recession but also experienced a steadier recovery. "One in five women are working part-time because they cannot find full-time work, while at the start of the recession, less than one in ten women were doing so," the report said.
Social and economic gains become apparent
Although men continue to dominate the workplace, Al Masah Capital's report highlighted that women in the GCC are now moving beyond the confines of the home and changing the old paradigms where gender is concerned.
"They are making marked progress at work, education, and in socio-economic development while also swiftly assuming leadership positions in the political, social and economic spheres. They are also making their presence felt in senior management roles in the corporate and private sector," the report said.
Last September, Saudi Arabia announced a decree allowing women to participate in polls as both voters and candidates, and to become members of the Shura and municipal councils. This is seen as an important step towards women empowerment, as it gives them the chance to take on high-level posts and greater responsibilities.
The UAE has also launched a plan to develop women's leadership qualities. In Qatar and Kuwait, business forums dedicated to women have been set up. Dr Mona Al Munaijed, a sociologist, author and adviser on social and gender issues, pointed out that women play a vital role as agents of change in the society. "Women are a valuable resource for human development that can be effectively used in the national economy when allowed to join equally with men."
