QATARI FEMALE MANAGERS IN A WORLD OF PATRIARCHY

Purpose: The State of Qatar has widely sought to include women in public life and has implemented several policies in order to improve gender equality in the workforce and fair distribution of development benefits. This study establishes how far the State of Qatar has achieved the equality of women in the workplace, since the initiation of new reform policies and agendas of modernisation in 1995. Qatari women in leadership positions still face major challenges in relation to cultural limitations and organisational constraints; these areas need to be further developed to improve the degree of gender equality and close the wide gap between the two genders in terms of economic rights and equal opportunities in the labour force. Methodology: This paper uses semi-structured interviews which were conducted with twenty-five women aged all of whom held senior management positions in a range of civil society and public sector organisations in Qatar at the time of the interview. The twenty-five participants who participated in the study ranged in age from 34 to 61 years. Main Findings: The findings suggest that Qatari women are helped by two forces: the support they are getting from the ruling family and the impact of reforms and social change in surrounding regions. Indeed, the slow pace of social reform is one of the common complaints of progressives. Implications/Applications: Therefore, focused, procedural steps should be taken to enforce adherence to frameworks by governmental institutions and to amend existing legislation to tackle the challenges faced by women. These steps include implementing some social policy recommendations in terms of establishing and funding women’s civil society organisations, integrating an evaluation and monitoring system in governmental organisations, promoting work/family policies, and initiating a feminisation policy in government organisations

GENDER AND EQUALITY IN THE WORKPLACE – A STUDY OF QATARI WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP POSITIONS

The major aim of this study is to establish: how far the State of Qatar has achieved the equality of women in the workplace, since the initiation of new reform policies and agendas of modernisation in 1995. It is based on an examination, through the use of a qualitative method, of the real experiences among twenty-five Qatari women in leadership positions. This approach facilitates a critical analysis of the way in which public policy, formulated at the macro-level of society, interacts with participants’ ‘lived experience’ of such changes at the micro-level. Based on a comprehensive examination of the literature, a theoretical framework of a feminist sociological theory of ‘Theorizing Patriarchy’ of Sylvia Walby (e.g. 1990) has been adopted to explore its relevance to the changes in Qatari women’s positions pre- and post-1995, especially with regards to their employment and education. Through the testimony of participants, this study sheds new light on an evaluation of the lived experiences of Qatari women in senior management positions as means to explain whether their families, their society and government helped or hindered their progress. The main findings have indicated that: The State of Qatar has widely sought to include women in public life, particularly in the process of decision-making, has implemented several policies in order to improve gender equality in the workforce and fair distribution of development benefits. The number of women participating in senior management roles, however, is still low in several career fields. Qatari women in leadership positions still face major challenges in relation to cultural limitations and organisational constraints; these areas need to be further developed to improve the degree of gender equality and close the wide gap between the two genders in terms of economic rights and equal opportunities. The study provides insights to policymakers about the importance of introducing the necessary amendments to government policies, with respect to gender equality, in order to bring about the societal transformations required to remove constraints on working women

Toward marriage sustainability: Impacts of delayed marriages in Qatar

Qatar society demonstrates an interesting opportunity to examine the impacts of recent socioeconomic developments on family cohesion and marriage formation. This study describes individual-level factors (e.g., education, occupation) and societal-level factors (e.g., religion, culture, and norms) for marriages’ postponement among Qataris, which adversely impacts individuals, families, and entire society. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with male and female participants. The discussions addressed core aspects influencing marriage timing for men and women (e.g., marriage type, spousal selection, marriage costs and expenses, social bias and gender differentials at the household level). Policy instruments were suggested as follows: subsidizing the state-granted marriage fund on the country-level, and redefining gender roles within the family context

Divorce Legislation in the Arab Gulf: Trends and Educational Differentials

Traditionally, there have been internalized cultural values regarding family cohesion in the Arab region. However, as a result of modernization, rapid economic growth, and social transition, divorce rates have risen gradually over the past few years. This paper examines societal attitudes toward divorce predictors and the legislative response in Qatar, which has involved considerable initiatives to strengthen family cohesion. It highlights the various individual differences which lead to marital dissatisfaction and, ultimately, to divorce. The study uses original data from the sample of a 2019 national survey. In light of the legislation that aims to prevent the dissolution of marriage, the results suggest that sociodemographic patterns significantly contribute to divorce predictors. The study calls for urgent governmental responses in establishing premarital intervention as means to consider the changing impact of marital interactions and to mitigate the incidence of divorce in the Arab gulf

Measuring Parental Involvement in Dual-Earner Qatari Families

Parental involvement in dual-earner families is a subject that has been widely studied in the literature in Western contexts. Less attention, however, has been allocated to the challenges that dual-earner families encounter in raising children in Arab Gulf states. This paper study aims to address the following questions: To what extent are dual-earner families involved in their children’s lives? What are the gender differences in parental involvement? This paper employed the 2017 survey data of working Qatari males and females to measure their parental involvement and engagement in family time and childcare. The results highlighted parental factors, work characteristics and social supports as key factors determining the degree of parental involvement. The results also showed the gender differences in parental involvement scores, which comprise several factors, including work demands and time spent with children. Taken together, our findings provide insights allowing suggestions for mechanisms that could generate foundational parental welfare policies for dual-earner families in Qatar and the wider Arab Gulf Region as a whole. Further contributions to this research domain could include studies encompassing a wider scope of geographical locations within the Arab Gulf states using robust experimental investigations.Open Access funding provided by the Qatar National Library

Contemporary Women in Qatar: An Ethnographic Study of Their Challenges in Terms of Traditional Applications and Modern Requirements

This study analyzes the interaction and friction between tradition and modernity as experienced by Qatari women. We explore the experiences and perspectives of contemporary Qatari women across generations and their continuity and friction with the historical sociocultural past. The general aim was to discern and analyze the sociological reasons that encourage and/or inhibit women's participation in public life. The working hypothesis was that the purported friction between tradition and modernity was false and that the dichotomy could be demonstrably challenged through a systematic exploration of women's experiences, both past and present. Part of this task comprised qualitatively mapping the continuities between past and present generations of women. Another element comprised qualitatively mapping the perseverance and ongoing strength of gender discrimination in the "modern era" in the Gulf Cooperation Council.The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This publication was made possible by a grant from the Qatar National Research Fund (NPRP) 09-484-5-074. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the author and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Qatar National Research Fund."Scopu

Selvitys yksityisen sektorin käytössä olevista liikkumistiedoista

Tässä työssä on pyritty muodostamaan kokonaiskuva siitä, minkälaista liikenteeseen ja liikkumiseen liittyvää tietoa yksityinen sektori kerää, mihin tarkoituksiin tietoa kerätään ja miten ja millaisilla tavoilla tietoa hyödynnetään tai luovutetaan eteenpäin. Osana selvitystä on myös kartoitettu eri toimialojen edustajien näkemyksiä tiedon hyödyntämiseen liittyvistä haasteista ja mahdollisuuksista. Työ on toteutettu kirjallisuusselvityksen, haastatteluiden ja web-kyselyn avulla. Työn tuloksena on syntynyt tiivis raportti sekä tietokartta, jossa eritellään yritysten hallussa olevia liikkumistiedon lajeja infrastruktuuri-, olosuhde- sekä liikenne- ja liikkumistietojen osalta. Selvityksen tuloksena on, että yksityinen sektori tuottaa, käsittelee ja hyödyntää runsaasti liikkumistietoa eri toimialoilla. Pääsääntöisesti hyödynnettävät tiedot ovat itse tuotettuja ja niitä jaetaan kohtalaisesti myös muille toimijoille. Monet yritykset hyödyntävät toiminnassaan muiden yritysten ja julkisen sektorin tuottamia tietoja joko sellaisenaan tai jatkojalostettuna. Liikkumistiedon merkitys liiketoiminnassa tulee tulevaisuudessa kasvamaan. Selkeästi eniten yritykset ovat valmiita maksamaan kunnossapitoon liittyvistä tiedoista ja esimerkiksi liukkaustiedoista, liikennetilanteen poikkeamatiedoista, reiteistä, aikatauluista ja liikkujien anonymisoidusta seurantatiedosta. Tiedon saatavuus, laatu ja teknologian yhteensopivuus nähdään haasteena tiedon laajemmassa hyödyntämisessä. Etenkin muuttuva ja tiukentuva tietosuojalainsäädäntö on useille toimijoille vielä tuntematonta ja siksi henkilötiedon hyödyntämisen ja jakamisen suhteen ollaan hyvin varovaisia. Toimijat toivovat julkisen sektorin toimien lisäävän uusia raakadatan lähteitä, lisäävän liiketoimintaedellytyksiä, sekä edesauttavan tiedon standardoinnin vauhdittamisess

Determinants of female labor force participation: implications for policy in Qatar

The aim of this study was to examine the microlevel factors affecting women’s participation in the Qatar workforce, as the gender gap in employment is still wide, and addressing this issue remains an essential item on the government’s policy agenda. Data were collected via a national telephonic survey of a representative sample of Qatari nationals, chosen using simple random sampling. A regression analysis was performed with women’s employment, individual-level characteristics (e.g., age, education, and marital status), and household-level factors (e.g., number of children below 18 years of age and household monthly income) as the variables. The analytical model highlighted the microlevel predictors at the individual level as well as the public attitudes toward societal obstacles that have adverse effects on female labor force participation. The results revealed several indicators that affect women’s participation in the labor force, including education level, marital status, and age. These constructs were found to have the strongest (direct or indirect) effects in terms of pushing Qatari women into the labor market. The originality of this study lies in its ability to explain how state-directed initiatives can encourage women to participate in the labor market and thus facilitate a rapid increase in the number of employed women in Qatar. A methodological limitation of the cross-sectional survey design used in this study is that it limits the causations between the government interventions and the research outcomes. The findings indicate the need for further improvement in welfare regimes at the intrastate level.The Qatar National Research Fund [OSRA4-0324-19012]. Open Access funding is provided by the Qatar National Library

Social Media Usage and Women's Empowerment in Qatar: Evidence from a National Representative Survey

Introduction Social media usage has grown in importance over the past decade, particularly in Middle East. During this period, it has come to be recognized as more than a tool for social connections between individuals, with research demonstrating how it can empowering people socially, politically and economically[1]. Past research has demonstrated the impact of social media in areas as diverse as such as healthcare provision, political participation, and marketing[2]. However, how and to what extent social media usage contributes to women's empowerment in the Arab region has not been thoroughly examined. Academic and non-academic studies alike have focused heavily on a few well-known cases of social media activism and woman's rights, such as, women driving in Saudi Arabia[3] or the Arab Spring in Egypt[4]. These studies raise a number of relevant questions. Is social media potent in the population more broadly, or is it just a tool for activists and polemics? If it does empower women, does it do so by shaping deeply rooted attitudes and norms or does it mere reflect the value of the general population? How can we understand the role of traditional education in shaping attitudes and values in light of the large volumes of readily available information provided by social media? The current paper examines social media usage in Qatar and its influences on attitudes toward women's empowerment and considers the complex role of education. We use a national representative survey data from a 2017 survey of Qatari nationals to test our expectations. In the last twenty years, Qatar has experienced a significant shift in economic development, and education accessibility. The State of Qatar has widely sought to include women in public life, particularly in the process of decision-making. Yet, the debate about the role of social media in increasing women's awareness of their equal rights in holding positions of power and contributing to their political and economic empowerment is not widely discussed in Qatar. Thus, Qatar is a case where researchers might expect to find changing attitudes in spite of the absence of major social media feminist activists. The paper also explores a number of trends emerging in the analysis of social media usage, across demographic groups such as age, gender, marital status and socio-economic differences including education levels and household income. Methodology A questionnaire was initially designed in English and then translated into Arabic by the Social and Economic Survey Research Institute (SESRI) to collect all necessary information related to the study. In this survey, the target population included people who are 18 years or older and live in residential housing units in Qatar during the survey reference period (May 6th-27th, 2017). It includes groups of Qataris and expatriates, though the analysis in this paper focuses on Qataris. It is important to note that while preparing the sample for the survey, the Qatari population sub-group was over sampled in order to ensure that Qataris were well represented in the survey. The survey was administered in CAPI (computer assisted data collection) method for face to face interviews. The interviews were conducted at the home of the respondent. In terms of data analysis, all individual interviews were merged and saved in a single BLAISE data file. This dataset was then cleaned, coded and saved in STATA formats for analysis. Analysis of the data included order logistical regression with appropriate calculation of interactive effects and predicted probabilities for interpretation. Findings and Implications Data from the 2017 survey are newly available and thus the findings discussed here are preliminary. We find that social media usage in the examined population is related to increased support for woman in community leadership among Qatari females but not males. This finding is robust to a number of statistical controls, including for the respondent's level of education. In fact, a respondent's level of formal education has much less predictive power than social media usage among female Qataris. Furthermore, we find that social media usage is only weakly related to political variables, such as interest in politics. This suggests that social media may be working to empower women first through changing gender attitudes and only secondly through engagement with the political sphere. These findings are relevant to both academics who are seeking to understand the mechanisms through which social media may empower women and policymakers in Qatar who are concerned with advancing their welfare. It shows that woman can use social media to find their voice and engage with the public sphere, even where political activism has not been common. [1] Dubai School of Government, "Arab Social Media Report, Vol 1, No. 3, November 2011. [2] TNS, "Arab Social Media Report", First Report 2015. [3] Begum, Rothna, "The Brave Female Activists Who Fought to Lift Saudi Arabia's Driving Ban", News Deeply, September 29th, 2017. [4] Tufekci, Zeynep and Wilson, Christopher, "Social Media and the Decision to Participate in Political Protest: Observations From Tahrir Square", Journal of Communication, 62 (2012) 363-37.qscienc

Blurring the Lines of Traditional Gender Roles among Qatar Young Generations

How is traditional gender roles and values related to the young generations in the State of Qatar? In the last few decades, rapid socioeconomic development in Qatar has brought dramatic changes regarding the gender roles assigned to men and women. Research shows that geographical settings, economic status, and social and cultural structures are factors that might have great implications for attitudinal shifts among individuals, which can contribute, to the women empowerment process. We use nationally representative survey data from Qatari nationals to explore the relationship between gender stereotypes and young generation in Qatar. Findings indicate that the young Qatari generation is able to play an outstanding role in changing gender role stereotypes through their educational and cultural strength