Women Utilization in the Workforce; a Comparison of Saudi Arabia and Egypt - Research Paper Example

Name of Student: Institution: Course: Instructor’s Name: Date: Title: Women utilization in the workforce; a comparison of Saudi Arabia and Egypt 1. Abstract The issue of human resource development is a far reaching one that touches all parts of the world. This has been precipitated by globalization which has necessitated concerted efforts in marshalling all possible ways to harness the available resources thus spurring growth. In an overly competitive world, the situation has been exacerbated by this diminishing resource and it has the government’s that were hitherto unwilling to recognize their role in this area have suddenly realized the missed opportunities. Though human resource development is a straight forward issue if developing human capital for capital gains, the issue is complicated by the concomitant factors such as gender equality. For a long time, many societies have considered women’s role in the workforce as peripheral and though this situation is gradually changing, the pace is painfully sow which limits the gains that might have been made in amalgamation of available resources. It is no coincidence then that the contemporary debate as concerns human resource development is not about just developing skills, but introduction of fair practice as regards gender parity. For the human resources development to bear fruits, it is imperative that the issue of women involvement in workforce be addressed. This has been ignored for a long time to the detriment of any policies geared towards economic development. A lot of studies have been done regarding the place of the woman in the workforce more so in the Arabic countries and the Middle East but there are still inherent weaknesses in that they don’t address what needs to be done. Seminal work by eminent scholars have extensively highlighted the genealogy of the developing scenario while juxtaposing the gains against the losses but the impact of these is yet to be realized. In the same breath, the observers and researchers in Middle East countries have at times given contradictory submissions over the utilization of women n the workforce as observed by (Metclafe 4-3). The observation of the utilization capacity of women in Middle East counties is dismal in most international reports as seen in UNDP, (2003), World Economic Forum (2007), among others. This contradiction raises questions over validity of the conclusions. This assertion of this paper is that the Arab world cannot afford to exclude the growing realm of women both in and out of the workforce if at al the development goals such as the MDGs are to be achieved, (Adler, 28). This argument is grounded on the fact that the role of women features prominently in the millennium development goals more specifically women empowerment and gender equality falling under MDG 3, (Metcalfe b). This study is also informed by the desire to move away from the general trend of lumping countries and focusing on female entrepreneurs as most international organizations such as Center for Arab Women for Training and Research (CAWTAR) and various Un bodies such as UNDP, ESCWA and others tend to do, (Adler and Izraeli, 38) The focus will be on mapping the gap between the aspirations of the women and the policies implemented to maximize human capital utilization. With this background, this paper seeks to examine critically hesitation in Saudi Arabia and Egypt two of the most prominent Arab nations in per capita income and international influence. To do so, the study will focus on literature review on human resource development vis a vis women utilization in the two countries. In addition, qualitative and quantitative research will be done in two samples and the results collaborated into the final findings. This will also form part of the methodology due to the limitation of time and resources in the coursework. 2. Introduction The impact of globalization has revolutionalized the human resource practices throughout the world. In addition, the place of human capital has gained a primary role in propelling societies towards developmental goals. The Arab region today forms one of the most important economic strongholds with important resources such as oil. With relative stability in most of the countries, the economic projections are bound to keep rising as the region draws in more numbers in tourists and other services. However, the role of women as a human resource capital has been ignored consistently and the gains that were attributed to the 1979 Iranian revolution seem to have been backtracked. This revolution was hailed not for promoting the pace of the woman economically but politically and this minimalistic view has persisted as policymakers fail to utilize the women in the workforce. According to the European Training Foundation, the Middle East and North African region has the lowest women participation in the labor force, (ETF 3). Despite a constitution that proposes gender equality, Egypt has ranked in the lower quarter in all the World Economic Forum reports on global gender gap most prominently in 2005 when it was at the bottom of the list. Such a situation clearly calls for further review which is the goal of this paper. 2. Research problem The position of Egypt and Saudi Arabia as the focal points in the Arab world and their economic muscle makes them open to a lot of scrutiny. They are countries of strategic importance that shapes much of the opinion in the Middle East and beyond due to their economic stability, (Sidani and Gardner, 597-607). However, there are discrepancies in these two countries’ attempts to utilize their human resources in a globalized world in the larger context of gender. The Arab Human development report of 2003 succinctly argued that for the region to develop there is need for the empowerment of the Arab woman by recognizing their right to equal participation in politics, society and the economy, (World Bank). However this has not yet happened and the minimal gains cannot be used to justify the current situation. The studies in the region such as Egypt (Kattara), and the gulf, (Metclafe a) among others fail to address the issues clearly. Though the whole region shares a language and culture, generalizations that are found in these studies miss the nuances that each country brings to the table in terms of women in the workforce. This study thus focuses on individual countries to deduce a constructive argument from the intricate cultural, social spectrum that encompasses religion, workforce and government policy. 3. Research objectives This paper seeks to identify the place of women in the workforce both in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. However, this is not simple as it is an issue that is closely tied to the socio-cultural construction more so religion and the role it plays as seen in Sidani Ibid, Barakat, Mernissi among other multiple scholars. The focus on Saud Arabia and Egypt is crucial especially at a time when the later is undergoing political change after popular revolt. The paper also seeks to explore the government policy regarding human resource development and from this deduce the approach given towards women. The paper also seeks to understand the social hindrances that curtail women’s participation in the workforce and how they can be eliminated through the recommendations herewith. 4. Literature review Egypt is a very diverse country. Over the years, the clamor for democracy has always incorporated the young generation without distinction on gender. However, when the economic surveys are one, the results always show a glaring gap between the economic situation of men and women. According to (Abou), the traditional gender paradigm in the Egyptian society limits women participation in societal affairs though this varies between the rural and urban communities. Due to the unemployment problems that have been plaguing Egypt and indeed the whole world, the unemployment problem has continues to spiral. From 2003 to 2006 the unemployment rate has fallen to 6% but this is till high for a country that had experienced relative peace and economic stability (Jawd 88-133). In the back ground of these constraints, the traditional understanding within the workforce is that women must cede the few jobs to men and stay at home, (ETF). The education sector over the years has made big strides but still the transition from school to work is inhibited by traditions. According to the UNESCO institute for statistics, the gender gap in tertiary institution is always in favor of women hitting a high of 49%, (UNESCO, 2008). However, there is an argument that the low enrolment of men in college is due to the easy access of jobs for men, (CAPMAS). The ILO school-to-work transition survey argues that over 60% of women are in active when it comes to the workforce. In 2007, the statistics were even grimmer with 24% women active but still 18.65 unemployed, (ILO). In contrast, the men only had 5.65 unemployed which shows the disparity. However, there are many underlying factors within these statistics. Due to the cultural requirements, most women even those who are unemployed might get education but still end up married and when this happens, their obligation becomes the family and not the workforce. In addition, the liberalization of 1970s pushed most women out of formal jobs and the recovering economy never quite gave them a place anymore, (El-Mahdi). The situation is similar in Saudi Arabia where economic development is at its peak but the women utilization is almost negligible. The women issues in Saudi Arabia especially the gender inequalities that are portrayed in its education system are institutionalized and can’t be dislodged through individual action. The inequality is traditionally structured in the society and the rationale for a need to focus on women’s achievements in higher education is considered a key social development indicator measuring women’s statues and conditions in the country, (Rashti) and (Shukri 33). Women schooling in Saudi Arabia is under the department of religion to ensure the purpose is primarily to make good wives and mothers while the boys prosper in career oriented schooling, (Hamdan 44). Despite the efforts to empower them recently, the budget for women education is only 18% of the total budget meaning their place in the workforce will remain at the bottom due to sexual segregation, (Doumato 582). The issue of culture is even more critical in Saudi Arabia considering it is the birthplace of Islam which encompasses all aspects of society in Arabic countries. There have been recent entry of women into the labor force but the numbers are still below 20%. While these statistics point to a growing trend where women are losing in utilization of human resources, both the governments have made strides in education of women and empowering them, (Saudi Ministry of Planning). However, most of the focus especially in the western media focuses on the cultural aspect of the job disparity thus losing the larger picture. The factors affecting women’s chances in these two countries are affected by domestic, regional and global changes in the work scene and not just a singular failure of government’s policies as commonly portrayed. 5. Research methodology The lack of substantive data on the two countries as regards women in the workforce is a worrying trend. There is a lot of contradictory information depending on every scholar’s perspective which makes data collection crucial for this study. The use of the two broad approaches of data collection qualitative and quantitative is utilized here to ensure the accuracy of data and delivery of useful result as posited by (Creswell and Clark). The using statistical methods in survey research permits “quantitative or numeric description of trends, attitudes or opinions” in a population. Quantitative research in this case helps to get the number of women working within the sample population as compared to the men. This will also help get the data regarding the qualified women in the field that will be targeted to show whether the policy makers both in the private and public sector utilize the women workforce in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. This will involve the use of different types of questionnaires to give holistic and objective data and get more responses from the sample. Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill (2009) and advice that in order to give high credibility to the questionnaire and to search for design error, the questionnaire should be “pilot tested” and this will be done beforehand. The qualitative analysis will involve review of literature regarding the government policy to come up with a general perspective on the same. The samples will consist of a government and private company in the same field and in a similar neighborhood within the two countries to ensure the results found are valid and can be compared. The sample must have women and men so as to show the discrepancies that might arise. 6. Research questions 1. Do you have the required training for your job? 2. How long have you worked here? 3. Are the conditions conducive for you? 4. Have you had a promotion over your employment period? Works cited: Abou, Z. G, Women's access to the decision-making process across the Arab nation’, in Dahlerp, D. (ed). Women, quotas and politics. Stockholm University. Routledge. 2006 Adler, N. J, Izraeli, D. N. (eds) Competitive frontiers: Women managers in a global economy Oxford: Blackwell Business, 1994. Alquézar, J, Panzica, F & Popova, N. Women and work in Egypt: A case study of tourism, & ICT sectors, European Training Foundation working paper, (ETF). 2009. Barakat, H. The Arab world: Society, culture, and state. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. 1993. CAPMAS, Final results of 2006 census, retrieved on September 29th 2011 from www.capmas.gov.eg Creswell, P. L and Clark, W. J. Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research, Sage Productions; Los Angeles. 2006 Doumato E. Women and Work in Saudi Arabia: How flexible are Islamic margins? Middle East Journal, 52. II, 582. 2002 Hamdan, A. Women and Education in Saudi Arabia; Challenges and achievements. International Education Journal, 2005, 6(1), 42-64. 2005 Jawad, H.The Rights of Women in Islam: An Authentic Approach. London: Macmillan Press. 1998 Kattara, H. Career challenges for female managers in Egyptian hotels. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 17(3): 238-251. 2005 Mernissi, F, Women and Islam: An historical and theological enquiry, Oxford; Basil Blackwell Ltd. 1991 Metcalfe, B. D. Gender and human resource management in the Middle East, International Journal of Human Resource Management, 1(18): 54-74, 2007 Metcalfe, B. D. Women, Management and Globalization in the Middle East, Journal of Business Ethics Volume 83, Number 1, 4-3, 2008. Rashti, G.R. Women and education in post revolutionary Iran. A paper presented for the International Political Science Association Congress. Canada, 2003 Saudi Ministry of Planning. Seventh Development Plan: 2000-2004. Riyadh: SaudiArabia. 2005 Saunders M, Lewis, P & Thornhill, A.. Research Methods for business students. Pearson Education: New York. 2009. Shukri, S. Social Change and Women in the Middle East: State Policy, Education. Economic and Development.Washington: Ashgate.1999 Sidani, Y, Gardner, W. L. Work values among Lebanese workers. The Journal Of Social Psychology, 140(5): 597-607. 2000 UNESCO, EFA global monitoring report. 2008. World Economic Forum, (WEF) Global Gender Gap, Retrieved September 29 2011, from, http://www.weforum.org/en/initiatives/gcp/Gender%20Gap Read More