Women in work: there’s good news, but the UAE has more to do

The facts are startling. The UAE has a highly competitive economy, ranked 37th out of 131 countries in the 2007 World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Competitiveness Index. It has the most competitive economy in the Arab world, according to the 2007 Arab World Competitiveness Report. Yet at the same time it has a strikingly poor gender equality ranking: 105th out of 128 countries in the WEF’s 2007 Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI).

Among Arab countries, the UAE ranks relatively well in terms of gender equality and is only surpassed by Kuwait, Tunisia, Jordan and Syria. But it ranks poorly compared to the 10 most competitive economies in the world, such as Sweden, Switzerland and the US.

The GGGI is not perfect. Some of the data used to compile the UAE’s ranking is misleading as they aggregate figures for expatriates (80 per cent of the population) and nationals. This makes it difficult to work out where Emirati women stand, as opposed to women overall. Also, there are no up-to-date labour force figures: the WEF relied on 1995 census data because the UAE had not released 2005 census figures. Furthermore, data were provided by several different government agencies, without coordination between them. This failure to collect proper statistics harms the UAE’s reputation and sometimes leads to it having a lower ranking than it merits.

Yet despite these limitations the GGGI is still a useful tool for comparing the “gender gap” (the inequality between women and men in their access to resources). It works by assessing how fairly countries distribute resources between women and men in four areas: education, economic opportunity, health and political participation.

According to the GGGI, the UAE has closed only 61 per cent of its gender gap, but this weak overall position is largely caused by its exceptionally low ranking for women’s economic participation (119th out of 128). The UAE ranks better for the other indices: it came 65th in political participation; 68th in education; while 96 per cent of the gender gap has been closed in health, similar to the world average.

Although women are highly educated in the UAE , this does not translate into large numbers in the workforce. Only 39 per cent of women work, compared to 92 per cent of men. Most women are in administrative jobs: only 25 per cent are in jobs considered professional or technical, and a mere eight per cent of top managers are women. Perhaps most strikingly of all, the average woman earns less than a quarter of the average man: $32,000 a year for men, but only $7,600 for women.

These figures are troubling, as study after study has shown that no country can sustain long-term development unless it improves women’s economic and political status. If the Government wants to maintain or improve its competitive position, it therefore needs to start using the potential of its entire human capital.

There have been some positive developments, however. The UAE’s position has improved since 2006, when it had closed only 59 per cent of the gender gap, and its rankings in political empowerment and economic participation have also improved. In addition, each of the four GGGI indices has at least one positive tale to tell. For example, women constitute 70 per cent of graduates of domestic public higher education institutions. Nearly, 39 per cent of women receive university degrees, against only 12 per cent of men, mainly due to the availability of viable alternatives in the workplace and the military for the latter. The UAE Government and many local families are highly committed to educating young women.

As for economic participation, the aggregated data conceal the fact that one-third of female Emirati nationals are in middle-ranking and senior positions. The UAE Government strongly encourages women to take up management positions. Furthermore, life expectancy between women and men is identical and quite high by international standards. And finally, following the 2006 elections, female representation in parliament constitutes 22.5 per cent of the total and there are four female ministers; these figures compare well to the world average.

So what can be done about the problems that remain, particularly the low level of female participation in the workforce? Some barriers run deep and are not easily resolved: for example, certain jobs are considered culturally inappropriate for women. Many women do not favour the private sector as it tends to have longer working hours, pays less and provides fewer maternity and child-care benefits. Also, many families discourage women from working in the private sector. Yet there are few jobs available in the public sector.

Official policies could make employment more attractive to women in both the public and private sectors, for example by encouraging flexi-time, internships, and benefits to help women balance their multiple roles. Longer maternity leave is needed in both sectors, and government-subsidised child-care facilities are essential.

Improved data collection – including gender sensitive questions in labour force surveys – is sorely needed, and the information gathered should be publicly available. The more accurate the information, the more likely that effective policies will result. Given the worryingly high gender gap in the UAE, accurate figures and effective policies are now a matter of urgency.

The Dubai School of Government is holding a conference in November on the production and dissemination of gender research in the Arab region.