Women, labour market nationalization policies and human resource development in the Arab Gulf states

Conformers, fighters and rebels: the unfolding of the careers of women in the United Arab Emirates

“…Economically, the UAE has one of the most developed economies in West Asia and ranks among the world's wealthiest nations with per capita GDP of US $48,597 (International Monetary Fund 2012). Its successive governments have historically showed unprecedented commitment to improve the role of women in the society in terms of education and participation in the workforce and in political life (Metcalfe 2011;Rutledge et al 2011). Hence, females in the UAE comprise nearly half the students registered in over 1250 schools across the UAE (UAE Women in the UAE: A Portrait of Progress 2009) and account for over 70% of university graduates (Office of Higher Education, Policy and Planning, and Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research 2007).…”

“…As women try to advance their employment careers, especially in management, they encounter several organizational structural and attitudinal barriers (Rutledge et al 2011;Tlaiss 2013). According to Powell (1999), having women managers 'violates the social norm of men's higher status and superiority' (334).…”

“…Moreover, wasta or connections continue to play an important role in the selection and promotion (Tlaiss and Kauser 2011) of employees in the Arab world. Interestingly, although research is readily available regarding the gender discrimination that Arab women face socially (Al-Ahmadi 2011; Al-Kazi 2011) and during their pursuit of careers and management (Metcalfe 2011;Rutledge et al 2011), rare are the studies that explore the careers of women and how the careers of women unfold amidst the discrimination that occurs at the macro and meso levels.…”

The UAE, the “Arab Spring” and Different Types of Dissent

“…Upon graduation, almost all sections of the labor market are open to both genders, and on the books, gender-based pay discrimination is illegal. 31 Yet, it is the substantial infrastructural developments, especially in tourism and transport, and overseas investments, such as the acquisition of P&O and Manchester City FC, that have, on the one hand, integrated the UAE more deeply into the global economy and, on the other, raised its international profile and thus scrutiny of its actions.…”

Female labour participation and pay equity in Arab countries: commonalities and differences

“…Recently, there has been a plethora of studies relating to women's work and participation that indirectly challenge the homogeneity premise and highlight the varying experiences and contexts within which Arab women operate. Examples include Arab Gulf States (Dechant and Al-Lamky 2005;Al-Lamky 2007;Omair 2010;Metcalfe 2011;Rutledge et al 2011;Aksaif 2013;Sidani and Al-Ariss 2014) and other countries (Hutchings, Metcalfe, and Cooper 2010) such as Morocco (Addouni 2013), Tunisia (Charrad 2007;El Harbi, Anderson and Mansour 2009), Lebanon (Tlaiss and Kauser 2011), Jordan (Latoum 2013), and Egypt (Amin and Al-Bassusi 2004). Scholars explain the unique attributes and challenges of the various environments within which women work.…”