Between work and family, a new generation of Arab women redefine their role
Under the patronage of HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Al Nahyan, an event, entitled “Working Women in the Arab World: Careers, Choices and Constraints”, was organized by INSEAD Centre in Abu Dhabi and the General Women’s Union. The event showcased some of the latest research findings from INSEAD on working women in the Middle East and implications for leadership development in the region.
Dr. Katty Marmenout, Research Fellow, Women and Leadership Initiative in the Middle East, at INSEAD in Abu Dhabi led the team of researchers through their studies, which included interviewing women in the UAE. She commented: “While educational attainment, particularly in the GCC, is high and even surpassing countries such as the US and Switzerland, Middle Eastern countries consistently lag behind with respect to economic participation and opportunity for women. This means that high educational achievements are not reflected in the work-sphere. Although 75% of all UAE local university students are women, only 14.7 percent of Emirati women were reported to be in full-time employment.”
Research by INSEAD attempts to decipher some of the factors leading to this inconsistency. According to Dr. Marmenout: “There may be many reasons why women are less represented in the workplace in this region but gender stereotyping is not one of them.” INSEAD's research shows that a male bias against having or employing a female manager is present but is not extremely strong (indeed, it is significantly lower than China, Turkey and Germany). Moreover, women themselves appear to perceive men as being more suited to managerial positions, rather than their own gender (significantly, more so than women in Japan or Germany).
Findings indicate that Middle Eastern women working in the UAE have challenges that are largely similar to their counterparts elsewhere in the world. Nevertheless, they also seem to face challenges that are particular to the region, such as the pressure to raise a large family, and the need to contribute financially to the household while not 'overshadowing' the husband’s contribution to the household. The data collected also showed some interesting patterns of coping mechanisms, such as further education, public sector employment and contemplating the option of self-employment.
Dr. Marmenout concludes: “It is particularly clear that women in the Middle East are strongly committed to their careers and personal development, but even more so to their families. We would like to take this opportunity to also acknowledge the great support that the UAE government has provided to working women to help them achieve this delicate balance, and in particular we would like to thank the General Women’s Union and H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Al Nahyan, wife of the late Sheikh Zaid bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the chairperson of the General Women's Union, for her continuous and resilient support to the advancement and empowerment of women at the national, regional and international levels.”
Noura Al Suwaidi, Director General of GWU added: “Little research has been done on Arab women in the workspace, so we hope these findings from INSEAD will further advance women’s efforts at meeting challenges as they progress in their careers. At the Union, through our various programmes and seminars, we have an obligation to help women achieve their full potential and ensure gender issues are highlighted in the country's policies and strategies.”
About the General Women’s Union
The General Women's Union was founded in 1975 under the presidency of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Al Nahyan to support and advocate the organization of women's movement in the United Arab Emirates.
