Академический Документы
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Культура Документы
Mona AlMunajjed
Women’s Employment
in Saudi Arabia
A Major Challenge
Contact Information
Abu Dhabi
Richard Shediac
Partner
+971-2-699-2400
richard.shediac@booz.com
Dubai
Karim Sabbagh
Partner
+971-4-390-0260
karim.sabbagh@booz.com
Riyadh
Ghassan Barrage
Partner
+966-1-211-0300
ghassan.barrage@booz.com
Exhibit 1
The Unemployment Rate for Saudi Women Is Significantly Higher Than for Saudi Men
8.4 8.3
6.8 6.8
Source: Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA), Forty-Fourth Annual Report, August 2008, p. 242; P.K. Abdul Ghafour, “Job Seekers in Private Sector Urged Patience,” Arab News,
March 30, 2009 (for 2008 figures only)
Exhibit 2
Educated Women Are Employed in the Labor Force
NUMBER OF EMPLOYED SAUDI MEN AND WOMEN (15 YEARS AND OLDER) BY EDUCATION STATUS AND SEX (2007)
900,000
800,000
700,000
600,000
500,000
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
0
Males Females
Source: Saudi Ministry of Economy and Planning, Statistical Yearbook, 43rd edition, 2007
Exhibit 3
Working Women Are Concentrated in Education
120,000
Primary
100,000
Intermediate
Secondary
80,000
60,000
40,000
20,000
1996 2005
Exhibit 4
Most Women Working in the Private Sector Are in Urban Areas
2%
25%
40%
3%
2%
Riyadh
Al Madinah al Munawarah
5% Eastern Region
24%
Al Qassim
Others
Makkah al Mukarramah
Asir
LABOR of progress for women in the labor At the policy level, the ministry should
market, helping to bring the Kingdom create, promote, and implement a
to a more dynamic place within the system of infrastructural support for
global economy. The bureau would working women. Family-friendly poli-
be a natural catalyst for the national cies—including flexible hours, parental
task force discussed above. leave, and child-care facilities—are
As the entity that is most directly essential to ensuring that women do
responsible for setting employment Fundamentally, the Ministry of Labor not avoid the labor market out of con-
policy, the Ministry of Labor has the will have to focus on legislation. cern for their children’s well-being, as
opportunity to assume a vital role in Without a strong legal foundation, well as making certain that they flour-
improving the position of women in policies crumble. Going forward, the ish once they are there. The ministry
the Saudi labor market. ministry should vigorously ensure that should also promote the establishment
both national and international labor of nurseries in workplaces, collaborat-
A critical first step in achieving this laws are implemented and enforced— ing with local communities to match
goal is the establishment of a special including United Nations conventions child-care providers with workplaces
bureau for women’s affairs within the on gender equality in the workplace. in need of their services.
ministry. This bureau would stand
at the helm of the Kingdom’s efforts Specifically, the ministry should lead As a family-oriented society, Saudi
to incorporate women into the labor efforts to ratify and enforce Saudi Arabia has a strong incentive to
market, creating a framework for legislation and conventions that ensure implement these policies, which
policy and establishing the direction gender equity in recruitment, employ- help children as well as their work-
of future research on the needs and ment, and compensation, as well as ing mothers, all while laying the
status of working women. As a per social security coverage and family- foundation for a new generation of
manent entity within the ministry, friendly policies. It should establish Saudi citizens who have the skills
Tunisia: Tunisia passed a law in 2008 allowing women to balance family and
professional life, and allowing some female employees in the public sector to
work part time while still receiving two-thirds of their salary.
In addition, the ministry should facili
tate channels for funding, in order to United Arab Emirates: The UAE has actively promoted the presence of
provide women at all stages of busi- women in the workplace. As a result, 41 percent of public-sector workers are
ness development with the capital nec- women.
essary to increase the efficiency of their
economic activities. In coordination Yemen: In 2003, the government adopted a national strategy for gender
with the Ministry of Social Affairs, the equality; the Ministry of Labor developed a women’s employment strategy
Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Finance Ministry created channels for gender-responsive budgeting.
should also support women’s traditio Source: International Labour Office, “Institutions and Policies for Equitable and
nal income-generating activities such Efficient Labor Market Governance in the Arab Region,” 2008, p. 8
as food processing and marketing and
the production of handicrafts. This can
be accomplished through the estab-
lishment of cooperatives as well as by
facilitating the distribution of goods.
Glass Ceiling: Women in Management,” (update) 2004, p. 1. * Quote on page 8 is from Arab News, November 12, 2008; quote
17 Ministry of Civil Service; SAMA, Forty-Fourth Annual Report, 2008.
on page 10 is from Arab News, March 30, 2009; all other quotes
18 The Eighth Five-Year Development Plan, 2005–09, p. 334.
are from personal interviews with the author.