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Same work, but less pay: no?way, say working women

DUBAI - Same work, same working hours, but less pay than the men. Not fair, says the fairer sex in a survey of Middle East women professionals by job site Bayt.com and research firm YouGovSiraj.

The survey, results of which were released on Monday, shows four in ten women, or 42 per cent, feel they are not getting their due when it comes to pay packets.
A major chunk of the women surveyed, 90 per cent, say they work more hours than the men, and 43 per cent are disgruntled because they feel they have lesser chance of moving up the ladder. Some are piqued further with 20 per cent saying there are certain limits to their career progress set by their male peers.
“Women make up a large proportion of the region’s workforce and are fundamental players in helping to build and shape the region’s economies. However, these poll results show that women throughout the region are still subject to a certain degree of discrimination in the workplace, particularly when it comes to compensation and opportunities for promotion”, explains Rabea Ataya, Chief Executive Officer, Bayt.com.
Conducted between April 26 and May 23 this year, the Women in the Middle East Workplace survey tries hard to study the attitudes, experiences and satisaction levels of women in various roles vis-a-vis the men. It surveyed women across communities— locals, Arab expats, Western expats and Asian expats residing in the UAE, KSA, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia.
However, 51 per cent of the women say pat on the back in the workplace is based on merit, with only 15 per cent saying men walk away with the honours.
There’s a constant demand to balance work and family pressures, and more frustrations come to the fore on the issue of maternity and leave. A majority of 58 per cent are of the view that benefits are inadequate. Of these, only 35 Arab women are happy with maternity benefits, while 40 per cent of Western expats are dissatisfied.
“Gauging the opinions of these women provides a valuable look at what provisions and services employers are currently making available for their female employees, and point to what employers could be doing to further improve the workplace for women – especially those that balance their work with a family,’’ says Sundip Chahal, Chief Operating Officer, YouGov Siraj.
To save the best for the last,44 per cent of women feel gender is of no consequence to their moving up in their jobs, while a third, or 32 per cent of Arab women say gender has in fact helped them make a mark as professionals. A huge 75 per cent also feel women occupy senior positions in companies, with Kuwait topping the list at 83 per cent.
allan@khaleejtimes.com

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