Qataris divided over mixing the sexes at work

Manama: Around 80 per cent of Qatari women refuse to mix with men in the work place, a survey has concluded.

But, while only 20 per cent of the women said that they did not mind working alongside men, 55 per cent of Qatari men said they had no problem working in a mixed environment, according to the survey conducted by Qatari daily Al Arab.

Three quarters of the women surveyed who rejected the concept of men and women together attributed their attitude to concerns about harassment.

Around 65 per cent of the men in the survey said that women should not take up jobs, arguing that it was a breach of Gulf traditions.

The remaining 35 per cent said that modern developments and the progress of women's rights in the country warranted the possibility of women taking up jobs.

Jawaher, one of the women surveyed, said refusing to work in a mixed environment would mean the end of her dreams and the waste of her studies.

"I graduated from the university after so many years of studies, and the only employment I could find involved working alongside men," she was quoted as saying.

"Turning down the opportunity meant that I had wasted so many years of education and confining myself to the house. It is extremely difficult today to find good jobs exclusively for women," she said.

According to the Qatari woman, working with men could be a source of self-fulfilment or a curse, depending on the circumstances.

"Some men are invariably ready to assist and behave like true brothers. They constantly encourage and support the women working with them. However, some men do embarrass women and this often depends on the character of the men who may not accept to see women at the work place," she said.

However, one man surveyed, Hassan, said women should give the priority to looking after their families, not to working.

"Our women should uphold our deep-rooted traditions in the Gulf. They should appreciate that they represent the Gulf women, with their long heritage, in everything they say or do," he said.

"Work is not an essential part of women's lives. Women should devote themselves to giving their children an excellent education and to instilling in them the values, morals and traditions of the Gulf society," he said.