First Jobs for Young Women in the Middle East and North Africa [WHITE PAPER]

Studies have shown, time and time again, that young women entering the labor market in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are disadvantaged in comparison to their male peers. Of female youth actively seeking work, 43.9 percent are currently unemployed, twice the male youth unemployment rate at 22.9 percent (ILO, 2014). Although the average woman in the MENA is more educated than the average man, three out of four working-age women remain outside the labor force and constitute the vast majority of the region’s inactive population. Despite the improvements in combating discrimination at work in the Middle East and North African region women are still facing widespread challenges in entering the workforce. At the current rate, it would take 150 years for MENA countries to reach the current world average for the labor force participation of women (World Bank, 2013). The Bayt.com Status of Working Women in the MENA survey, December 2014, has revealed that while 51% of women think recruitment and selection opportunities are made regardless of gender, 60% of them still find it hard to find good job opportunities. The reasons behind why so many educated Arab women are not working are not yet fully understood and require more research. Recent studies point to a complex set of socio-cultural barriers holding Arab women back. Recognizing the need for further investigation to understand the factors that inhibit or discourage young women from securing a first job, Education For Employment (EFE), Bayt.com and YouGov have released a white paper entitled “First Jobs for Young Women in the Middle East & North Africa: Expectations and Reality”. Some highlights from the white paper include: 1. In terms of challenges, only 4% of young women and 8% of employers in the MENA indicated that they believe there are no challenges facing young women entering their field. 2. The GCC tended to have lower proportions of female employees, with 66% of respondents indicating that their offices are made up of at most 25% women. 3. When compared to other regions in MENA, women in the GCC were most likely to face societal pressures when looking to secure a job. 4. Small or medium local private companies hold little appeal to women across the region: only 8% of young women seeking employment in the Levant claim they would like to work in this type of organization. Percentages for young women interested in being employed in a small or medium-sized organization in North Africa and the GCC were 4% and 6%, respectively.