Empowering Women Through Public Sector Employment in Qatar: Challenges and Opportunities

Rabia Naguib; Ahmed Aref

doi:10.1007/978-981-99-6006-4_4

Empowering Women Through Public Sector Employment in Qatar: Challenges and Opportunities

Rabia Naguib, Ahmed Aref

Doha Institute for Graduate Studies

Research output: Chapter or section in a book/report/conference proceeding › Book chapter

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Abstract

Integrating women into the workforce is considered as part of the economic progress formula and modernization process leading to women’s empowerment. While this process has been internally driven in Western societies, it is globally imposed through policy diffusion, raising challenges for policy-makers to adapt the prevailing models to local cultures. Given the dearth of empirical studies in the context of Arab Gulf countries, this chapter offers compelling insights and qualitative evidence of women’s employment in Qatar. It focuses on the public sector as it represents the main employer of women providing many benefits and opportunities while presenting some constraints and challenges. Using an integrative multi-level lens and a culturally sensitive approach results from 50 in-depth semi-structured interviews with civil servants are analyzed to identify factors affecting women’s economic empowerment. The findings highlight the complexity of determining specific factors and provide policy recommendations based on women’s opinions and conveyed voices.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Women's Empowerment and Public Policy in the Arab Gulf States
Editors	R. Naguib
Place of Publication	Singapore
Publisher	Springer Singapore
Pages	75-106
Number of pages	32
Volume	11
ISBN (Electronic)	9789819960064
ISBN (Print)	9789819960057
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-6006-4_4
Publication status	Published - 23 Dec 2023

Publication series

Name	Gulf Studies
Volume	11
ISSN (Print)	2662-4494
ISSN (Electronic)	2662-4508

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024, The Author(s).

Funding

Acknowledgements This paper is based on a research funded by Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) National Priorities Research Program (NPRP), Research Grant: NPRP10-0219-170478. The field study was undertaken under the IRB Protocol Number: DI-IRB-2017-F03. Sincere thanks and appreciation to Yasmin Bashir and Sarah Zahran for their contributions to the data collection process, particularly through conducting interviews and providing translation assistance. The first National Development Strategy in Qatar aimed to increase women’s empowerment through the recognition of their capabilities and qualifications for political and leadership positions. The “Women in Leadership” program was established to build women’s skills, increase their representation in decision-making roles, and create a supportive environment. The second National Strategy continued to monitor progress made in women’s empowerment and included the “Empowering and Educating Women” project under the violence prevention program, which was implemented by the Protection and Social Rehabilitation Center with support from the Qatar Foundation for Social Work and the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labor and Social Affairs. Despite higher average educational attainment by women, the strategy acknowledged the existence of a “glass ceiling” in employment and promotion opportunities for women. The strategy aimed to address this challenge and change traditional views toward women through various initiatives.

Funders	Funder number
Ministry of Administrative Development, Labor and Social Affairs
National Priorities Research Program	NPRP10-0219-170478
Qatar National Research Fund

Keywords

Public sector
Women empowerment
Economic empowerment
Female employment
Labor policies
Opportunities
Challenges
Multi-level perspective
Qatar

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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Cite this

Empowering Women Through Public Sector Employment in Qatar: Challenges and Opportunities. / Naguib, Rabia; Aref, Ahmed.
Women's Empowerment and Public Policy in the Arab Gulf States. ed. / R. Naguib. Vol. 11 Singapore: Springer Singapore, 2023. p. 75-106 (Gulf Studies; Vol. 11).

Research output: Chapter or section in a book/report/conference proceeding › Book chapter

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Empowering Women Through Public Sector Employment in Qatar: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

Publication series

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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