Qatari Women in IT - Research Paper Example

 Qatari Women in IT Historical Perspective of Women’s Employment in the Gulf Countries The Gulf region that is predominantly Arab has conventionally held a culture of male dominance in terms of employment and general dependence on men as the bread winners. Women have over the years been looked upon as home makers, with a significant role of taking care of their spouses and children (Supreme Council for Family Affairs, 2004). However, in spite of some communities in the region holding to these customs, the practice has changed resulting in the inclusion of women in employment as well as taking up challenging responsibilities of providing for their families. This has mainly been a consequence of globalization, which has led to the mix up of cultures through the global movements while people search for business opportunities in foreign countries as well as participation in global events such as international games and conventions among others (UNDP, 2005). The upcoming generations continue discarding some of the conventional practices that hinder effective interactions with other cultures while generating a hybrid culture that applies the modern approach in social and economic issues. Generally, organizations in the contemporary operating environment in Qatar are emphasizing on diversity in the workplace in terms of gender, culture and ethnicity. Human resource managers have realized the significance of workplace diversity. It is deemed necessary for the success of an organization and is also viewed as a significant step towards enhancement of inclusion in the society (Albarwani et al. 2006). Efforts to cope with increasing competition among organizations in the Gulf region have led to the adoption best human resource practices, which involve strategies to maintain workplace diversity through inclusion of women in the workforce. The human resource strategies were also aimed at fulfilling the expectations of the global society as regards promoting gender equality. Even though there are some resistant attitudes within the Arab society as regards inclusion of women in the workforce, the conventional perception has changed over time and families have begun supporting education of the girl child. An increase in the number of immigrant women in the Gulf countries who are professionals in various fields facilitated the change towards the new human resource strategies of employment through merit other than marital status, sex or race (Planning Council, 2005). Initially, women mainly took up jobs related with hospitality, catering and other jobs that were regarded as feminine. However, they are increasingly being involved in jobs that were initially masculine such as doctors, lawyers and executive managers in large organizations as well as taking up emerging opportunities in information technology. Holding top management positions in health institutions has been facilitated by the realization that women possess leadership qualities and talents. Contemporary organizations in the Gulf are trying to adopt practices that enable women to accomplish a work-life balance, which allows them to engage in home-making activities while at the same time remaining productive in the workplace. Organizations accomplish this through promoting flexible working practices that promote satisfaction among female employees thereby motivating them to increase commitment and productivity. For example, flexible work practices enhance dedication and the willingness of employees to accomplish organizational goals. Such practices include; non standard work whereby the organization employs workers on contract, temporary or part time among other non permanent employment. Development in information technology has also allowed women to work from home. Generally, the rate of assimilation of women in the workforce in the Gulf region has been slow, but concerted efforts through affirmative action is leading to major transformations as regards employment of women (Hughes, 2003). Qatari Women in Workforce Today There is increased demand of skilled labour in information technology in virtually all sectors of the economy that has exposed women to greater chances of employment. Their participation in offering IT services increased by the end of the 20th century that was characterized by a major shift from the conventional home based work for women in Qatar to professionals with equal rights of participation in the workforce as men. This was enhanced by the enactment of the Qatarization policy that was generally meant to increase the population of working Qataris, men and women alike (Planning Council. 2005). The government was focused on ensuring that the increasing rate of Foreign Direct Investments in the country does not only provide employment for foreign nationals due to lack of participation of the locals in the workforce. There have been concerted efforts by the government to encourage the private sector to employ women through the Qatarization policy. All Qataris are also motivated to join the private sector through entitlement to social benefits not considering whether a person works in the public or private sector. The Qatarization policy has led to an increase in the number of women in employment since its development in 1997 (Hughes, 2003). There are various bodies that have concerted efforts in promoting women participation in the workforce. Among these bodies are the ictQatar and Qatar Telecom, which have been in the fore front to support skilled women to offer services from home through application of IT (Geldof & Unwin, 2005). The women have become empowered to cope with the issues associated with accomplishment of a work-life balance. Such involvement in the workforce requires women to acquire skills in ICT, which is among the goals of ictQatar. The organization empowers women to acquire skills in business information systems that provide opportunities for them to work from home to offer business solutions. Hughes (2003) observes that the Qatari women are also involved in simple tasks that they can conveniently accomplish at home such as data entry, and typing. The employer and the women communicate via the web, which is also the medium through which the tasks are assigned and sent back to the employer. Advancements in the IT field have led to a great transformation in the lives of Qatari women, especially those that have access to IT equipment. Studies are still being conducted to establish the most appropriate model for women to work-from-home. Healthcare is among the key areas that present Qatari women with the opportunity to apply their IT skills from home. Others include public service as well as in oil companies and other private institutions in the country. Studies indicate that more than 35% of the Qatari women are employed in fields that require IT skills (Albarwani et al. 2006). The new Labour law was a significant improvement from the old law that had been in place for four decades. It was enacted in 2004 and has significantly promoted gender equality in the Qatari workforce. According to Goldman et al. (2007), the new law led to a major turn of events regarding issues on education, career development and workplace learning among other aspects of organizations in which women remained marginalized for long in the Gulf region. However, in spite of the significant efforts and favourable legal framework for women to be involved in the workforce, there is still a question that remains unanswered as regards the capacity of Qatari women to utilize the available opportunities to work. They have the freedom to work, which is protected by the country’s legal structures. Career Choices for Qatari Women Since the social and political reforms allowing women to participate in economic development activities, they have mainly been attracted to a few careers among all the employment opportunities available in Qatar. For example as Bahry and Marr (2005) observe, education, healthcare and secretarial are among the major careers that women prefer. Information regarding the trends in career choice has not yet been clearly established. However, it is usually presumed that these careers are less demanding than many other careers that are assumed to be predominantly for men. The major issue with the Qatari women’s career choice is the fact that the job market has been flooded as many of them are focusing on similar careers such as nursing, teaching and hospitality among other careers that are regarded as less demanding. In the past decade, there have occurred tremendous changes in career choice among women. Many are making efforts to excel in the field of information technology, which is a fast growing industry that is promising to many as a result of the high demand for IT professionals. Organizations are continuously undergoing transformation as they adopt new working strategies that are likely to increase their competitiveness (Hearn et al. 2003). There is also an important aspect of Qatari women’s career choice. While studies have established that the Qatari men are focused on the wages while choosing their career, women have been found to pay less attention to the wages (Bahry and Marr, 2005). Rather, their attention was found to be focused on the work environment. They preferred calm workplaces with mixed gender. They also preferred to work in the low social class. This is different from the male workers who were found to prefer high social status in the workplace. Studies among Qatari women established that they are mainly interested to work in the private sector, contrary to the male workers who were more interested to work in the public service. Women have also been found to have interests in entrepreneurship. They invest in small businesses such as in the beauty industry and the newly emerging opportunities for cyber cafes where they offer computer services (Planning Council, 2005). The factors affecting career choice among the Qatari women are wide-ranging. Studies indicate that they are greatly influenced by religion as well as their family backgrounds. For example, they will not accept job offers that conflict their religion or that which may offend their parents (Supreme Council for Family Affairs, 2004). They also choose careers that raise their self esteem and those that the society appreciates as helpful. For example, nursing is among the jobs that the society attaches importance due to the care and comforting attitude associated with it. Nurses are thought of as caring and friendly to children, the ailing as well as the old. Qatari women were found through studies to be biased towards such characteristics and hence most of them chose nursing other than medicine. Many also chose teaching because it is associated with passing significant knowledge to children, a profession that has some commonalities with nursing in terms of self esteem and respect in the society (Bahry and Marr, 2005). Another major influence towards the choice of career is the ability to spend substantial time with the family. The women have been found through studies to be attached to their nuclear and extended families than the male counterparts. They therefore tend to shun from careers that might take them far from their families. This attribute explains the existence of only a small number of women working in foreign countries. Qataris Health Care Sector to Develop e-health System “E-Health” is a term that is widely used in the contemporary healthcare system referring to the application of information technology in healthcare to facilitate the delivery of services and also improve effectiveness in data collection, storage and retrieval (Geldof & Unwin, 2005). It is a cost effective means of capturing, researching and disseminating healthcare information to clients. It is used by healthcare professionals to monitor progress of their patients as well as knowledge sharing among the healthcare staff and the government. It facilitates policy decisions in Qatar, and the government’s vision for the healthcare system by 2015 includes the improvement of information flow thereby facilitating service delivery and maintaining a healthy population. Qatari women are playing a significant role in the fulfillment of the goals of the healthcare sector through enhancing the provision of up to date information through application of IT skills in the country’s e-health system. The e-health system allows the healthcare professionals to share knowledge effectively through the electronic communication that allows effective knowledge management as well as a reduction of the period needed for accessing important information in healthcare (Hearn et al. 2003). The IT systems that have been identified for the improvement of the efficiency of healthcare are set to facilitate awareness creation regarding health services available to the clients, their general well-being as well as personal care. Albarwani et al. (2006) observe that the Qatari e-health system is also set to assist in enhancing the safety of clients as well as medical governance. The configuration with modern IT systems will significant in improving the experience of clients as well as enhancement of the quality of healthcare. Moreover, the system is expected to enable the desired changes and reforms in the Qatar healthcare system. The number of women majoring in technical subjects especially in IT in higher institutions of learning has increased dramatically since 1999 when the government concerted efforts for affirmative action that encouraged women to become ambitious as regards challenging roles such as in the IT field (Hughes, 2003). Many women have enrolled in IT at the Qatar Technical College. These skills, coupled with the interest of women in other professions such as nursing and applied biology have played a major role in the transformation of the healthcare system of Qatar with the additional human resources as more women offer ICT skills. The strategy towards encouraging more skilled women in the workforce has enhanced the accomplishment of e-health goals. There are several projects that the government has embarked on to develop e-health apart from promoting education of women in ICT. Policy development is focused on maintaining legal and ethical standards in e-health. Privacy in information sharing as well as confidentiality in data acquired in the e-health system is to be maintained in the interactions between the healthcare professionals and the public. The Qatar National Health Card is aimed at promoting service delivery to the public. The government is also focused on maintaining a data base for all healthcare organizations, which is useful in planning. The information is stored in a data center for security. Hospital information systems have been acquired and are in place for the provision of primary healthcare (Geldof & Unwin, 2005). All the e-health strategies have necessitated promotion of acquisition of ICT skills among healthcare professionals, especially women who no longer remain peripheral in the Qatari healthcare system. Job Empowerment in IT The Information Communication Technology sector in Qatar has rapidly grown and citizens have acquired IT skills especially due to the fact that employment in virtually all sectors of the economy require knowledge in the application of computers. Government ICT policy has facilitated the acquisition of IT skills by Qatari citizens, men and women being offered equal chances. The citizens have been empowered to apply the emergent technology that is significant for socio-economic development. The new strategy of e-government is significant in providing essential government information to the citizens. Due to the wide distribution of internet services even from home, women are able to learn the new developments in governance and also find opportunities for work online. The “Hukooni” website has been useful in facilitating the delivery of information to the citizens. According to Albarwani et al. (2006), empowerment of the public begins with demonstrating transparency in government matters through providing information regarding policies and decisions affecting the nation. For example, the government website has played a significant role in educating the Qataris regarding the importance of giving women equal opportunities for education and employment. It has helped to create awareness in the public regarding the rights and freedoms of women. The education system has been modernized thereby empowering teachers and learners to share essential information. Students are exposed to opportunities through knowledge sharing, men and women alike. There are strong links between institutions through e-education. The new opportunities include sharing projects with other students and institutions that are miles away. Women and men are experiencing the positive impact of globalization and have become enlightened regarding the various cultures and social systems that affect development. The knowledge acquired from information sharing has empowered women to participate in ICT, which is evidenced by their interest in the new field of e-health in Qatar. There are several organizations that are promoting the acquisition of ICT skills especially for women. For example, the ictQatar in collaboration with Supreme Council of Family Affairs (SCFA) has empowered women in the IT field through offering subsidized opportunities for women to attain the International Computer Driving License (ICDL) program (ictQATAR, 2010). The move has significantly helped women to participate in the e-health system. Many women are passionate about saving lives and the IT system gives them quick access to essential information that allows efficiency in providing healthcare services to patients. SCFA has been spearheading the empowerment of young women who have attained 18 years in ICDL. There are specific IT classes offered for women only such as the ICDL classes offered in Doha. Moreover, flexibility in the classes is maintained to ensure that women are able to learn at their most appropriate time such as in the morning and evening. This allows them to accomplish a balance between their social life and education. The women who are equipped with ICDL are able to take advantage of the emerging opportunities in e-health like their male counterparts. Goldman et al. (2007) observes that Qatari organizations have made significant efforts to ensure that they provide a favorable environment for life-long learning among the employees, which helps them to upgrade their knowledge in ICT. The Qatari healthcare system is among the fields where life-long learning has remained an important tool for empowerment of the healthcare professionals in the rapidly changing information technology. New discoveries in e-health are being adopted in healthcare necessitating regular updating of IT skills among the staff. Qatari women have taken advantage of the learning opportunities that emerge from these discoveries and continue being empowered in IT (Geldof & Unwin, 2005). Job Security in the IT Sector Job security in the IT sector is rapidly gaining stronghold as organizations continue to appreciate the need for information technology in maintaining competitiveness in the market as well as to offer effective services at minimal cost. Rather than the conventional view of job security as having the confidence that the particular job will be present in future and that the employees will continue earning their daily bread in it, the new perspective for IT job security in Qatar is based on the fact that new discoveries open up opportunities for IT professionals. The need for IT is ever increasing and organizations are encountering difficulties quite often, which can be solved with the use of IT. Moreover, IT professionals need not rely fully on permanent employment for them to earn a living. Many organizations in Qatar are outsourcing IT services and therefore professionals always earn from offering consultancy services and selling products of their own creativity such as software and other business solutions (Planning Council. 2005). IT professionals no longer maintain the passive thinking regarding job security. Instead, they remain focused on technological strategies that can help organizations to effectively accomplish their goals. Many organizations have IT departments that conduct research to identify the new products such as software that can be adopted to improve performance. The job security available in the IT field is based on satisfaction and comfort that IT professionals derive from being who they are and their capacity to keep the IT field running and making new discoveries. They do not have to worry about promotion or threats in the organizational hierarchy. The many opportunities for advancement help them to maintain confidence in their workplaces or private workshops. In the Qatari health sector, e-health is a new field and much remains undiscovered. The hopes of future advancement and increased efficiency lie in the hands of IT professionals. Any organization that is aspiring to prosper in service delivery must create a favorable environment for the necessary transformations that allow integration of the fast growing technology in production and service delivery. This includes educating employees on IT skills for them to apply computers for increased efficiency. All these involve the services of IT professionals. Generally, there is undisputed job security in the Qatari IT sector (Albarwani et al. 2006). Attitudes of Society toward Employment in IT The application of information technology in many sectors of the Qatari economy has been increasing over the years. ictQatar has embarked on awareness creation and improvement of computer literacy in the country through offering e-certificate and the ICDL especially for the Qatari women. Most of the businesses have become modernized through adoption of the state of the art technology, which has made it virtually impossible for businesses to remain competitive in the market without using IT. The internet is one of the significant tools that are being used for procurement, sales promotion, advertisement and awareness creation among other organizational operations. Networking has also been significant in enhancing collaboration between organizations in Qatar. Administrative tasks have also been enhanced through computerization of the business processes. The application of web services has been facilitated by various ICT organizations such as Q-tel among others. Generally, Qataris are exposed to the application of IT in many sectors of the economy and have begun to appreciate the significance of the IT sector. Moreover, the IT jobs are among the best paying in the country most graduates are being absorbed in different organizations (Goldman et al. 2007). Apart from employment in the private and the public sector, Qatari citizens are also applying information technology in self employment and personal development. For example, Geldof & Unwin (2005) observes that most Qataris have access to the internet and are using it to research and develop products that they advertise in their own websites. Such websites are also used for advertising other people’s businesses and products at a cost. Generally, the society’s attitude towards employment in the IT sector is positive, more so the changing attitude for women in the workforce. Both men and women are encouraged to pursue the new and promising field that is viewed as a major mile stone for the accomplishment of the nation’s economic goals. People are focused towards better standards of living and the government emphasizes on the importance of education as the key to socio-economic development (Planning Council, 2005). The society has changed the view towards women in many perspectives. By and large, the society’s attitude towards women in the workforce has changed and more are finding it easy to fit in the community while they continue working. Bahry and Marr (2005) argue that women in Qatar have demonstrated in the period that they have been working that they can be reliable in their place of work. References Albarwani, A., Alghabshi, H. & Alzadjali, T. (2006),”Gender Equal Access to IT”, Final Year Project Report, Sultan Qaboos University Bahry, L. and Marr, P. 2005. “Qatar women: A new generation of leaders?” Middle East Policy, 21:2. Geldof, M. & Unwin, T. (2005), “Becoming an Information Society: The Role of New IT in Development”, Wilton Park Conference Goldman, J. S., Vazha N. and Hanine S. 2007. Post-secondary Education for Qatar: Employer Demand, Student Choice, and Options for Policy. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Hearn, G., Mandeville, T., & Joseph, R. (2003). Public Policy in Knowledge-Based Economies: Foundations and Frameworks. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar. Hughes, R. (2003). Living & Working in the Gulf States & Saudi Arabia: A Survival Handbook, Survival Books, Ltd ictQATAR, (2010). Qatari women set for IT skills building, viewed on, 6th July 2010 at, Planning Council. (2005). “Labor Market Strategy for the State of Qatar: Main Report”, Government of Qatar Planning Council, Volume I, December 29, 2005. Supreme Council for Family Affairs. (2004). Women and Men in the State of Qatar: A Statistical Portrait, SCFA. UNDP. (2005). “Towards the Rise of Women in the Arab World”. Arab Human Development Report 2005 Read More