Study: Emirati women ready to work harder for career

Emirati women searching for jobs Emirati women are ready to take on more responsibility to further their career, a new worldwide survey has said. The findings are part of a study titled "The Path Forward", fielded by Accenture to gain insight into women's careers, reported AME Info.
At least 100 respondents participated in the survey in most countries, including the UAE. Altogether, 3900 business executives from medium to large organisations across 31 countries took part in the survey.In the study, as much as 80 percent of the women surveyed in the UAE said they accepted more responsibility to further their career.
The survey was the subject of hot debate at an Abu Dhabi International Women's Day panel discussion with a number of women professionals from across the region.
The key findings of the research in the UAE show that:
• Most people (71 percent women and 70percent men) stayed on at their jobs longer than they had intended to because of a flexible work arrangement.
• During the last 10 years women have made significant achievements. The Middle East more than others, still points out gaps in terms for equality and state that women will "be close" to men in the workplace but not totally equal in the next 10 years.
• As global trends UAE companies are investing with success in their female workforce by taking multiple initiatives that support women's career advancements: continuous learning, work/life balance programmes, participation in professional networks and right counseling/mentorship are the key initiatives.
• More than anywhere else in the world UAE women are willing to take more responsibility and new challenges to further advance in their career
• When asked about the greatest barrier to their career advancement, respondents cited a lack of opportunity or a clear career path (40 percent) four times as often as they cited family responsibilities (11 percent). However, a good percentage (36 percent)say they have no impediments to career growth
• Rewarding and work/life balance are the main factors that retain people. People in the UAE value the stability of their company/role and opportunity for advancement more than global peers
• Nearly three quarters (74 percent) of professionals in the UAE proactively manage their careers. UAE men and women own their careers and actively ask for an increase in rewarding and promotion opportunity. This attitude has proved to be successful and is showing an increasing trend in the last 2 years.
• More women than men (56 percent against 52 percent) in the UAE are dissatisfied with their jobs, contrasting against global average where more men (59 percent) have expressed dissatisfaction than women (57 percent). However, only 8 percent of women who are not happy with their jobs are looking for new openings, while the figure is lesser at 6 percent for men.
"The survey reiterates Accenture's commitment to the Middle East region as our tribute to the spirit and effort of women," said Omar Boulos, managing director of Accenture in the Middle East. "It has successfully managed to portray the support and programmes companies currently provide for their employees, particularly women, and helps identify what needs to be done to attract, develop and retain high-performing employees."
"As Accenture Middle East, we have already triggered our process to employ young Saudi women professionals with outstanding education background and committed to a very interesting career in our management consulting core business," he added.
Cinzia Lovascio, Accenture Partner for Management Consulting, Talent and Organisation in the Middle East, said: "Having a diverse workforce of people with different capabilities, cultures, perspectives and experience we take the widest possible view of inclusion and diversity.We value individual aspirations as unique and leverage on common core values. If we refer to the survey results as above mentioned."
Cinzia said: "In our Middle East practice, as everywhere in Accenture , meritocracy, equal rewarding, career and job opportunities are applied beyond gender and cultural differences and in this context, we profile global principles and rigor to local culture and regulations."
The Accenture study also examined a wide range of employment-related topics in the UAE. In the survey, 28 percent women and 26 percent men said they were looking for another opportunity outside their company. Interestingly, more women in the UAE than men (16 percent v/s 6 percent) said they were planning to start their own business.