Emerging Norms Bump Stationary Traditions for Women in the GCC (1/4)

Women’s participation in leadership positions is an intersection of political, economic, and educational factors put in place by gender-specific traditions that culturally hinder, and usually bar, women’s career development in the Gulf. An accumulation of cited research will portray the status of women in the GCC countries as well as outline some key challenges they face in their battle to achieve top management roles. The research will conclude with recommendations that could be set by companies and regulators to move the social status of women forward, and tools and resources necessary to maintain and grow women’s leadership and management in the labor force.

Background

Improving the economic status for women in the Gulf countries will not be successful without creating favorable factors that catalyze on women’s pursuit of leadership. Key recommendations in the report will improve the developments on labor representation, academic representation, and the overall social status of women.

Labor Representation

The socio-economic situation of women in the Gulf Council Countries (GCC) has enhanced over the past decade according to a report by AlMasah Capital Limited. One factor causing this change is the pursuit of higher education degrees among women in that region. Political representation and economic empowerment play a role to enable the current and future participation in the region (Bachelet, 2012). During the Women’s Foreign Policy Group, UN Women Executive Director, Michelle Bachelet, called for a transformation that ensures equal opportunities to all participants in the region. The percentage of women in in Arab States’ labor force is 26%, half the rate of 52% globally. By the end of 2011, women represented only 10.7% of parliamentarians in the Arab States. This is the only region in the world without parliament representation of women of at least 30%. No country in the world has closed its economic and participation gender gap, but women’s labor force participation in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is trailing behind men, at 27% and 77% respectively, according to the International Labour Organization.

Academic Representation

According to the World Bank, the GCC’s average literacy rate is 93%, up from 84% a decade ago. Female literacy rate is 91%. The male literacy rate is 94%. The school enrollment rate at the primary level for females in the GCC is 93%. At the secondary school enrollment rates, females are 90% compared with males at 88%. Finally, at the higher education enrollment rate, for females it is 40%, higher than the male enrollment rate of 23%. Female enrollment rate is higher than that of males across all levels in the Arab region.

The statistics highlighted in the AlMasah report shows a change in non-traditional educational paths women are beginning to take in STEM – a sign of shifting societal attitudes. However, the report notes that a discrepancy exists between women’s participation in education, which is higher than men, and the rate of women’s labor participation at 29%. Saadia Zahidi, author of Womenomics in the Muslim World, argues the disconnection for women who surpass enrollment rates of men are still stuck in a cultural seclusion of homemaking. Zahidi believes the shift to economics-based argument will trump the cultural ideals surrounding gender and leadership in Muslim communities, thus shifting the dynamics of family units and the labor market practices (Zahidi, 2014).

Status

Low Gender Representation

The statistics shared during the 2016 Global Women’s Forum show the regional landscape for female labor participation in the GCC is made up of 47% in the UAE, 44% in Kuwait, 51% in Qatar, 29% in Oman, and 20% in Saudi Arabia. Lindsay Degouve de Nuncques, head of ACCA Middle East, explains that despite laws that forbid gender pay gaps and promote gender parity in the region, women represent only 5% of CEOs in fortune 500 companies, and represent only 2% of board positions in the GCC (ACCA, 2017). The regional ranking of the countries’ 2016 Gender Gap Index reflective of the labor force’s lack of representation, these ranking are for Qatar (119), United Arab Emirates (123), Kuwait (128), Bahrain (131), Oman (133), Saudi Arabia (141), and Bahrain (131).

Cultural Experiences

Corporate’s culture change is earlier to adapt strategic goals on increasing diversity in the workforce than the conservative norms of the society’s culture (Al-Ghoson, 2015). From the accounts of Huda Al-Ghoson, now Saudi Aramco’s most senior female executive, it was uncommon for companies to hire women, and those that did were circumscribed to administrative roles. Changing the notion of gender neutrality creates an unusual challenge for a company pursuing to provide a diverse workplace, especially for Saudi Arabia’s conservative society.

Ms. Al-Ghoson’s sees the greatest challenge is not only with changing the culture norms within the organization, but also understanding the specific experience that married women with children face.  She explains that Saudi Arabia’s society believes that raising children and running the household is solely a woman’s job, thus the work-life balance adds further pressure to women who want to succeed in the public space. Developing strong and diverse leadership talent requires strategic goals to align with societal factors. According to Ms. Al-Ghoson, there is an immense shortage of qualified professionals in the workforce due to the untapped talent of educated women who are excluded from participation.

One Person, Two Burdens

The absent social support of gender-neutral child care increases women’s burdens to go home but never actually stop working. Surveys obtained by the International Labour Organization showed this division of labor by presenting the most prevalent family model in the region is the “male breadwinner – female caregiver.” The survey also showed that women spend six times more than men on housework and childcare. These perceptions of gender-specific responsibilities translate into attitudes and perceptions that negatively affect women’s capabilities in the corporate world. This form of gender stereotyping forces women to fight against predetermined cultural ideas instead of focusing on their real industry experience that is the relevant factor for the job.

Shortage of Women Leaders as Role Models

Studies show that business and economic growth are accelerated when women are involved. However, barriers that hinder women’s advancement start at the lower managerial level, which is generally referred as the “glass ceiling.” The result of these barriers is that women in the Middle East region represent the lowest number of CEO positions in the world at 13% versus a 21% share in other developing countries’ regions. In the GCC, the share does not exceed 2%. Often times, women who are able to advance their careers still remain in management-support roles with no more room to grow, thus being stuck at the “glass wall.” According to the latest statistics in women as a percentage of all managers in leadership participation in the table below, the region is still the lowest in numbers when compared to the rest of the world. The data, obtained from ILO STAT, is available on legislators, senior official, and managers.

Country	Year	Women Managers (%)
Bahrain	2001	12.3
Kuwait	2005	13.1
Oman	2000	9.3
Qatar	2013	12.2
Saudi Arabia	2013	6.8
United Arab Emirates	2012	10.0

Source: ILO STAT, 2015.

Women as Employers

According to the World Bank, women employers are less compared to men. Almost 70% of men own and manage an established business. That number falls to 40% for women, making the region among the lowest for women’s business ownership in emerging markets.

Independence and Wealth

The changing demographics in women’s marital status point to the rising independent status of women (AlMasah, 2015). The median age of women who marry has risen to their late 20s. More women are choosing to stay single longer. The divorce rate as a percentage of all marriages in the GCC is 37.1%. According to the “World Ultra Wealth Report 2014,” GCC women’s wealth has grown amid the increase of female labor participation. This increase coupled with the changing societal attitudes of women in the workforce will accelerate this wealth according to the study. According to “Barclays Wealth Insight,” nearly 48% of women surveyed invest across diversified asset classes in individual stocks and shares.

The second part of the blog will explore the challenges women in the GCC face when entering the workforce, and how those challenging may shape-or break-their realities.