Women returning to work ‘could add $385bn to nine Mena economies’
Women returning to the workforce after a career break have the potential to contribute about $385 billion to the aggregate gross domestic product of nine countries in the Mena region, PwC Middle East said.
This indicates a “significant” economic potential if organisations can adopt “supportive” measures to ensure a smooth transition for women back into the workforce, the consultancy said in its latest report.
The survey of 1,200 women across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon and Oman found that about half of women in the Mena region had taken career breaks, typically due to family and caregiving responsibilities.
More than two thirds of those women have experience in jobs other than entry-level posts, and more than 82 per cent of those who re-entered the workforce said they aimed to advance their careers.
In recent years, countries in the broader Mena region have experienced a rise in women’s participation in the workforce. The World Bank said last November that the GCC countries, in particular, had witnessed “a remarkable increase” in female labour force participation as the region seeks to rapidly empower its non-oil sectors.
According to the International Monetary Fund, the GCC has increased its average female labour force participation by more than 10 per cent over the past two decades.
However, the role of women in economic activities still falls short when compared with countries with a similar GDP per capita.
About half of those surveyed said they had job applications rejected due to gaps in their resumes, said PwC.
Returning to the workforce poses challenges such as employer stigma, inflexible working arrangements and the risk of slower career progression or reduced earnings, the report said.
Findings indicated that longer periods of unemployment made re-entry more difficult.
“Women returning to work face obstacles to career advancement as employers do not view career breaks favourably, which results in negative impact on earnings and career progression,” said Norma Taki, a Middle East inclusion and diversity leader, transaction services partner and consumer markets leader at PwC.
“However, career breaks can offer profound personal growth opportunities.”
PwC said that providing alternative work models such as flexible or remote working could help women to balance their work and home responsibilities in a way that suits them.
Allowing women to work additional hours by granting them flexibility could also lead to GDP gains of up to $4.3 billion, the report said.
“To encourage women to return to the workforce, it’s important to have more equitable parental leave policies, along with well-designed returnship programmes,” PwC said.
“Businesses must also address the risk of unconscious bias by implementing inclusive workplace policies and training for teams, leaders and talent acquisition,” the report added.