Women rising in the ranks in Middle East job market

Conducted across the GCC, Levant and North Africa, the extensive and exhaustive survey polled women on how they felt they were faring in comparison to their male counterparts, how accommodating the workplace is to women, issues that affect their career prospects and their motivation for joining and staying with companies. Its findings indicate that while many women believe men enjoy an advantage in the workplace, more still refuse to view themselves as helpless victims of the system.

When asked if work prospects have improved in their home countries, the majority of women said yes. In the UAE, 28 per cent of those surveyed said that things had improved substantially, with 34 per cent saying they had improved to some extent. In Saudi Arabia, those figures were 27 and 39 per cent, respectively. Omani women were the most optimistic, with a combined 81 per cent citing an improvement. Lebanon ranked relatively low, with 58 per cent answering yes.

Even more remarkable was the response to a question about high-ranking employees in the workplace. Across the region, a combined 75 per cent of respondents reported that there are women in the senior ranks of their companies. Six per cent, however, stated that "women in our company are not allowed to occupy senior positions." Meanwhile, a significant proportion of women felt that they receive less pay than their male counterparts. While 52 per cent of women in Saudi Arabia and 58 per cent of women in Kuwait expressed such a belief, Bahrain fared better, with only 24 per cent of women claiming a wage imbalance.

"Overall, this survey paints a picture of a region in transition," said Mona Ataya, Vice President, Marketing, Bayt.com. "Women in the Middle East are moving into the workplace in larger numbers, and in more senior positions, but some of the old obstacles still exist. What's refreshing about this survey, and surprising, is the number of women who refuse to accept that these obstacles represent an insurmountable barrier to their own progress. Women in the region clearly feel part of the fabric of the economic apparatus and are approaching their careers very seriously with a long-term outlook."

Indeed, while many women interviewed in the survey said they work longer hours than their male counterparts for less pay, they consistently rated themselves favourably alongside men in terms of ambition. In the UAE, 42 per cent said they were more ambitious than their male colleagues, compared to 10 per cent who said they were less ambitious. In Algeria, a whopping 63 per cent of women claimed to be more ambitious. That number fell to 52 per cent in Lebanon, 45 per cent in Saudi Arabia and 38 per cent in Qatar.

Tellingly, when asked about barriers to career development, 39 per cent of respondents across the region stated that "I am personally responsible for my career, regardless of obstacles." Only 14 per cent answered "Working women in this country or region are not encouraged."

Moreover, when asked if they are being treated fairly relative to their male colleagues the overwhelming response across demographic profiles across the region was that women felt they are being treated fairly and received equal treatment to their male colleagues.

There were some very interesting differences among nationalities and ethnic groups. While only 15 per cent of Westerners stated that their gender has affected their career prospects positively, that figure rose to a surprising 28 per cent among GCC Arabs. And while the majority of Westerners, 76 per cent, cited financial responsibility as a main reason to work, the majority of GCC Arabs, 77 per cent, cited "a sense of achievement" as their main driver to work.

In terms of work benefits, 35 per cent of all respondents said opportunities for career advancement was the most important, benefit followed closely by higher pay, at 33 per cent. Flexible hours were also seen as extremely important as an incentive to remain in the workforce and the lack of the flexible hours option was perceived by women across the region as one of the main impediments to them advancing their careers in the long run.

Of actual benefits on offer, 46 per cent of women said they get paid maternity leave. A mere ten per cent of women said they are provided with separate working areas for men and women—even in Saudi Arabia, which remains especially conservative about the integration of men and women in the workplace, the figure was only 61 per cent. Overwhelmingly women across the region believed they should receive special benefits in the workplace and this they asserted was primarily because of their responsibility for the wellbeing of the children or family unit.

"Given the nature of our business, it is important that we provide job hunters and their prospective employers with a complete picture of the job market," said Mona Ataya, Vice President, Marketing, Bayt.com. "This survey aims to give women an understanding of how they are faring in the regional job market, and to give employers a sense of what women are looking for, so as to attract and retain this increasingly vital segment of the workforce. And there are broader reasons for conducting such a survey. As one observer eloquently put it, the advancement of women is a prerequisite for an Arab renaissance."

Joanna Longworth, Chief Marketing Officer, YouGovSiraj, said her company will continue to conduct surveys in conjunction with Bayt.com. "Surveys like this will help to clarify and therefore resolve some of the issues in the regional employment market," she said. "We believe that more solid data is the key to reform, heightened efficiency and, ultimately, the economic wellbeing of the Middle East region."