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The latest data from LinkedIn shows that in 2020, the proportion of female entrepreneurs in the UAE has increased by 68% compared to 2019, and the proportion of male entrepreneurs has increased by 46%.
Data from LinkedIn, published in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2022, shows that economic headwinds and unfair workplaces have fueled a surge in female founders during the pandemic, as working women try to take control of their careers.
Women’s careers face many challenges during the pandemic, as they are more likely to work in service sectors such as retail and hospitality that have been most affected by the lockdown. The pandemic has also burdened many women with dual responsibilities for work and care, forcing them to seek greater flexibility than employers offer.
The pandemic has also created new business opportunities as industries are disrupted and adjusted to operate digitally, which has helped reduce some start-up costs — such as brick-and-mortar offices. Together, these drivers have seen women start their own businesses at an unprecedented rate.
Women remain severely underrepresented in leadership and are far less likely to advance to leadership positions internally.
LinkedIn data included in the Global Gender Gap Report 2022 also shows that women remain underrepresented in global leadership positions, with women occupying only one in five (20%) leadership positions in the UAE.
The underrepresentation of women starts at the management level, creating a narrow talent pipeline that narrows with seniority. While women hold nearly a third (31%) of entry-level jobs in the UAE, they hold less than a quarter (22%) of managerial positions and just over one in eight (13%) of executives Position.
In the UAE, the government has made significant strides in encouraging workplace fairness, passing several laws between 2019 and 2021, including equal pay for equal work and 50/50 representation in the Federal National Assembly, and requiring listed companies in the country Have at least one female board member. It also enacted legislation prohibiting all forms of discrimination in the workplace based on sex, race, colour and national origin.
New data from LinkedIn also highlights gender bias in internal promotions, with Emirati men on average almost a quarter (22%) more likely than women to receive internal promotions to leadership roles in 2021. Globally, men are even 33% more likely to receive an internal promotion.
The industries with the largest participation of women in the UAE are education (54%), health and fitness (50%) and healthcare (44%). But even within these industries, the percentage of women in leadership remains below average, at 44%, 38% and 26%, respectively.
Sue Duke, head of global public policy at LinkedIn, said: “As traditional gender roles dominate and female-dominated industries bear the brunt of the lockdown, the pandemic has hit working women harder than men. Women in leadership roles remain severely underrepresented. is a real problem, but the data shows that male colleagues are much more likely to be promoted to leadership positions.”
“Given the economic and workplace turmoil of the past few years, women have tried to take control of their careers and build their own businesses. While some women pursued their passions or sought greater flexibility, many women became ‘essential entrepreneurs’, reasons It’s the need for income or lack of job opportunities. We must recognize that many of these entrepreneurs are driven by unfair work conditions, and we must take urgent steps to make the workplace work for women.
“While the global data is deeply concerning, it points to where progress can be made. It’s clear that taking a hard look at recruiting and promotion practices is a key factor in making flexible working the norm for everyone,” added Duke.
The Global Gender Gap Report and LinkedIn data show that targeted action is needed to make workplaces and societies more equitable. The data highlights the need to focus on inclusive and equitable recruitment practices, as well as internal mobility schemes and flexible working, to make progress. Practical steps include removing bias from job descriptions, representing candidate lists, and including women in interview panels. – arab trade news agency
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