Gender in the Workplace - Term Paper Example

Gender in the Workplace Introduction The United Arab Emirates has made remarkable strides in advancement of women’s rights within the workplace. Theratio of female participation in the labour force is the highest in the Middle Eastern region. However, certain traditional industries are yet to embrace these developments. The paper will focus on gender patterns in aviation and the oil industry within the UAE. These will be considered in light of current issues as well as prospects for the future. Gender patterns in aviation Generally, the aviation industry is still dominated by men. This gender disparity stems from conservative beliefs that impede entry of women into such careers (Nair, 2011). One may argue that these figures are synonymous to technical fields. Activities such as aircraft maintenance, traffic control as well as aeromedicine and avionics are still quite male-oriented. Women in the UAE have previously dominated service-related jobs such as retail, hospitality and banking. Regardless, the rate of growth of participation of both males and females is increasing. Women’s percentage growth rates are however much greater than their male counterparts (Malek, 2013). In the aviation industry, pilots are expected to leave the country in order to conduct training. Several UAE families object to this departure, more so when the concerned individuals are female. This process of seeking permission from one’s kinsmen may be a stumbling block for certain women who need to make work decisions quickly. Men may not suffer from the same stereotype at the workplace (Harrington-Snell, 2013). Work conditions seem to be designed to accommodate men because female’s needs have not been taken into consideration. Persons who are expecting children are only entitled to 45 days maternal leave, which is quite inadequate for these individuals. Furthermore, day care facilities are few and far between in aviation organisations. While the UAE government has stated that it will support the provision of family-friendly workplaces, few organisations in the country are yet to ratify this policy (Swan, 2010). During training and preparation for entry into airline careers, men and women alike receive equal support from the government as well as their families. Since this industry is still relatively young, it is prudent to encourage as many people as possible to enter the sector regardless of their gender. Colleges such as the Emirate Aviation College are known for active support of all their air traffic controllers or pilots in pursuance of their careers whole-heartedly. Some female organisations are also working towards changing these gender patterns in the industry, in conjunction with the above educational institutions. The Women in Aviation (WIA) has a series of stakeholders who mentor and hold sensitisation sessions among these individuals. A number of them have scholarships programs and workshops designed to showcase opportunities in the industry (Malek, 2013). Gender patterns in the oil industry Just like the aviation industry, the oil industry is currently dominated by male workers. The industry has hardly attracted female workers because it was considered a male domain. Additionally, a number of stakeholders tend to think of this industry as possessing a high proportion of temporary workers. Women tend to look for stability in employment; therefore, many have found the industry unattractive. In the field of engineering in general, women account for 25% of the workforce. However, the number reduces slightly when one considers the oil industry in particular. These figures are still quite small compared to male employees but they still represent a significant leap from where the rest of the world had been. Even in the US and Europe, women represent only 15% of the workplace in this industry. The UAE may thus be pioneering a high involvement of females in oil and gas. Such figures are due to the fact that oil is a major contributor to the UAE economy. Furthermore, geosciences often do not require excessive travel, which is a primary turn off for women in the country (Capello, 2013). Most employees will enter the oil industry when in their thirties. This implies that they are in their productive years. Men can juggle the challenges of work and family because they are not regarded as primary caregivers. However, the same cannot be said about women who struggle to bring up their children while doing other work-related things. Given the above scenarios, it thus comes as no surprise that men are the ones with greater prospects for promotion. They dominate leadership positions in oil because they can engage in long term training requirements or other work-related opportunities without distractions from home. Professional growth is thus skewed towards the male gender. Unless workplace policies are altered in order to make them family friendly, it is likely that top-level position in oil will continue to be a male reserve (Swan, 2010). Female workers in the UAE are completing their educational requirements in engineering and the like. However, when they enter the workforce a number of them lack the empowerment needed to make them thrive there. Even retention rates differ in accordance to gender. Some women tend to leave the workforce when promotional opportunities and work satisfaction become a challenge (Harrington-Snell, 2013). The government as well as nongovernmental organisations have actively encouraged women to pursue careers in engineering and technology. A battle for talent is now rife in most organisations. In fact, companies that do hire females in technical roles tend not to publicise their presence because doing so could lead to poaching from key competitors. People are learning that it is necessary to have gender diversity so they are actively seeking for it. Regardless, of the above, most efforts designed to alter these gender disparities are still largely female-owned. Diversity topics are catching on, but several leading oil firms still think of the matter as a women’s topic. The government will thus act as a guide to other institutions that want to enhance these outcomes. One such forum is Arzanah, which is a facility for women in the Petroleum Institute of Abu Dhabi. Their goal is to recruit as many females as possible to prepare for careers in the oil industry. If the government continues along this path then it is likely that other members may also follow their direction (Capello, 2013). Possible future changes The immense attention given to entry of women in aviation is likely to restore balance in this industry. More women will learn about opportunities that match their family situations. Furthermore, the government has made a commitment towards provision of female-friendly workplaces in the industry. Therefore, married women are likely to find it desirable in the future. It is also likely that the aviation sector will keep growing (Harrington-Snell, 2013). The UAE is slowly becoming an aviation hub in the region. Therefore, industry stakeholders are likely to recruit persons from both genders in equal measure. The huge appetite for workers is likely to break down conservative gender expectations concerning the industry. The presence of a female aviation network will also spur growth probably within the next decade. Future pilots and other technicians will be sourced locally and may stem from the group. In the field of oil and gas, it also likely that gender disparity will be greatly reduced. Active promotion of female engineers into education institutions will cause more of them to enter these industries. Additionally, a number of oil firms in the UAE are restructuring in order to make their work opportunities permanent (Swan, 2010). This implies that they will attract more permanent employees, which is likely to have a huge bearing on the demographics in the industry. Furthermore, sourcing locally will also have a huge bearing on how these individuals relate to their respective jobs. The UAE has currently made a commitment to fill its engineering spots by women. It has set a target of 40% in the coming future (Capello, 2013). Therefore, if these parameters are actively pursued, it is likely that more women will enter the oil industry as this field accounts for the highest percentage of engineering jobs. Conclusion Workplaces in aviation and the oil industry are still skewed towards male employees. More than three-quarter of the workers in these industries are men. Conservative gender attitudes towards the fields have caused women to shy away from the industries. Furthermore, workplace policies tend to disfavour immense training, travel and advancement opportunities. Maternity policies as well as other family-related regulations need to facilitate these differences. In the future, it is likely that more females will enter the industry. The government is actively encouraging females to pursue engineering and careers in male-dominated industries. Furthermore, the emergence of gender diversity organisations is likely to change the demographics in these sectors in favour of women. References Capello, M., 2013. SPE dives into the gender diversity pool. [online] Available at: http://www.spe.org/career/docs/diveintogenderpool.pdf [Accessed 20 February 2014] Harrington-Snell, J., 2013. Women have growing presence in Middle East Aviation. [online] Available at: http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/dubai-air-show/2013-11-17/women-have-growing-presence-middle-east-aviation [Accessed 20 February 2014] Malek. C., 2013. Women In Aviation plans UAE launch to attract more women in Middle East to the industry. [online] Available at: http://www.thenational.ae/uae/women-in-aviation-plans-uae-launch-to-attract-more-women-in-middle-east-to-the-industry [Accessed 20 February 2014] Nair, P., 2011. Gender roles at workplace. [online] Available at: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/Displayarticle09.asp?section=todaysfeatures&xfile=data/todaysfeatures/2011/September/todaysfeatures_September5.xml [Accessed 20 February 2014] Swan, M., 2010. If you think engineering a man’s job, think again. [online] Available at: http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/if-you-think-engineering-is-a-mans-job-think-again [Accessed 20 February 2014] Read More