Gulf | Bahrain

Steady rise in Bahraini women's private sector presence, study says

The number of Bahraini women working in the private sector now accounts for 28 per cent of the total local workforce, a new study shows.

  • By Habib Toumi, Bureau Chief
  • Published: 23:54 November 13, 2008
  • Gulf News

Manama: The number of Bahraini women working in the private sector now accounts for 28 per cent of the total local workforce, a new study shows.

The findings by the General Organisation for Social Insurance (GOSI) confirm a steady increase over the last five years, in women's contributions to the workforce in a sector hitherto shunned by Gulf nationals owing to its demanding nature and heavy workload.

"The number of Bahraini women in the private sector reached 21,135 in the second quarter of this year, while the number of Bahraini men was 54,544, representing 28 per cent and 72 per cent of the total workforce, respectively," the GOSI said in remarks published in the local media.

The women's percentage marks an increase over the 2007 figure of 27.4 per cent, the 2005 figure of 26.6 per cent and the 2003 figure of 25.4 per cent. According to GOSI, 75,679 Bahraini men and women work in the private sector, representing 19.8 per cent of a total workforce of 382,259 that includes 306,580 non-Bahrainis (80.2 per cent).

Female employees, both Bahrainis and non-Bahrainis, make up nine per cent of the total private sector workforce. According to the study, women represent 5 per cent of the total expatriate workforce, which has increased by a mammoth 186 per cent between 2000 and 2007, moving from 107,246 to 306,580.

Experts attribute the increase in the expatriate labour force to the multitude of large construction projects in several areas.

A report prepared last year by the now-defunct Bahrain Centre for Human Rights said more than 162,000 Bahrainis and non-Bahrainis in the private sector earned less than BD99 (Dh964.8) a month.

The report also said discrimination against women in employment and wages existed both in the public and private sectors.

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