More balanced year for women at work

What was 2016 like for working women in the Middle East?

There were many improvements and signs of women’s empowerment and satisfaction at the workplace in 2016. Sarah Dea / The National

Women constitute half, and in many cases more than half, of the available workforce in every country. As essential team members, workers and leaders, women add value and have an influence on their jobs no less than that of their male counterparts. But as the year gets under way it is worth asking, what did 2016 look like for working women in the Middle East?

The Bayt.com Working Women in the Middle East and North Africa survey measured perceptions of women in the region on equality at work, motivations for employment, challenges faced on the job, as well as career and life goals and ambitions. The data offers a view of the provisions and services employers in the Middle East are offering – while also considering gender balance as a whole. Here are the most important findings:

1. Mixed-gender workplace

The work environment can have a huge effect on employees’ performance no matter the gender. With almost three quarters of women working in mixed workplaces, the finding was that three quarters of those women report being comfortable with this and almost half, extremely comfortable. Although 80 per cent of respondents working in a mixed-gender environments report having a male manager, two thirds have no gender-based preference for a manager. Responses suggest that earning a management role should rely on performance and achievements and should have nothing to do with gender.

2. Fairness of law

The labour laws differ in each country and are often subject to debate when it comes to fairness and effectiveness. The first step is getting acquainted with the law. According to the study, nine in 10 female respondents stated that they have some familiarity with the labour laws of the country they reside in with nearly half claiming to be very familiar. The findings were positive, showing that 75 per cent of those knowledgable on the laws believe that they are fair to women.

3. Discrimination at work

From sourcing and hiring, to training and development, promotions and salary raises, all of these can have room for gender discrimination. When it comes to discrimination, the opinions are more mixed. Almost half of respondents feel that job offers are based on experience and qualifications and gender plays no role in the decision and 47 per cent have never been asked questions that made them feel discriminated against as women during a job interview. While nearly half report that they are not treated less favourably or discriminated against in the workplace, the opposite applies to the other half.

4. Men versus women

Overall, the majority believed that women and men are treated equally at work when it comes to working hours, training and development, advice and support, recruitment and selection benefits. Yet despite nearly two thirds of women agreeing that they work the same number of hours as male colleagues, less than half believe that their chance of promotion depends entirely on job performance and that gender plays no role. In addition, half of the women surveyed still feel that they are paid less than their male counterparts.

5. Challenges at work

According to the study, the top three challenges women face at work are fewer opportunities for promotions (51 per cent), stressful and demanding work environment (39 per cent) and a lack of job training and coaching (35 per cent). When it comes to raising families, nearly three quarters of those polled with children believe that their decision to have a family has affected their careers. But a third of respondents believe that their marital life has been affected positively by their career choices.

There were many improvements and signs of women’s empowerment and satisfaction at the workplace in 2016. When it comes to labour laws, working hours, as well as recruitment and selection, women seem to have secured a balanced position with their male counterparts. There are still some shortcomings and areas to work on this year to ensure higher productivity and workplace satisfaction for all employees across our region.

Suha Mardelli Haroun is the regional director of the Middle East jobs site Bayt.com

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