What do people feel about gender diversity at the workplace in the UAE? A recent Monster.com survey on ‘Understanding The Workplace Concerns and Challenges of Working Women in the UAE’ which analysed responses from nearly 2,000 men and women across sectors such as IT, engineering, education, banking, telecom, oil and gas, production, and others reveals interesting insights into the condition of women professionals and the challenges they face at the workplace.
In recent years, the UAE has taken big strides in promoting gender diversity. In September 2017, it launched the Gender Balance Guide with a view to increasing women’s participation in the workforce. Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed Al Maktoum, President of the Gender Balance Council, has pledged to ensure that the UAE ranks among the top 25 countries in the world for gender balance by 2021.
The Monster survey reflects these initiatives of the government while also drawing attention to the fact that more needs to be done. While 60% of the respondents felt that their organizations were putting considerable efforts towards achieving gender diversity in the workplace, 54% also said that they were employed at male-dominated companies. An overwhelming 70% affirmed that they were part of organizations which employed an uneven ratio of men and women.
The results highlighted the distance that needs to be covered when it comes to changing prevalent mindsets with 41% agreeing that women employees were not considered for senior leadership roles. Thirty-nine per cent singled out the attitude of clients, distributors, vendors and colleagues as the biggest impediment for women at the workplace.
On a positive note, 42% agreed that their organizations were willing to ease the burden on new mothers by offering them flexible work arrangements. The gender pay gap also remained a concern, with 22% concurring that women were paid less than men for doing the same amount of work.
Take a look at the infographic below to know more about the survey findings.
