Working Mothers in Qatar - Term Paper Example

? Working Mothers in Qatar- A Comparative Research Working Mothers in Qatar- A Comparative Research Introduction With the increasing trend of a household with two bread earners, women in workplace have become a common sight in the western world. These female employees have proved themselves and several are now assuming leadership roles in large multinationals worldwide. The eastern culture, however, being conservative is still yet to see absolutely equal rights of women to work. The western world has put together a series of laws governing the rights and protection of women so that they do not feel intimidated, threatened or undermined due to their gender, at the workplace. The Middle East has seen a shift in the societal dynamics as a result of western influences and hence, the models of laws applied here are inspired by, if not entirely identical, by that of the western world. The United States is known for being a land of opportunity and is seen as symbol of independence, freedom and endless professional possibilities. With human rights, especially women rights, being an epitome of discussion topics worldwide, the United States ensures that it not only complies with the general women rights standards but also take it up a notch above so that women are given their due rights and are respected as co-workers. As the western world is lookedup upon by aspirin countries of the world for benchmarks regarding different laws and regulations, these workplace laws are adopted all over the world. The Middle East, Arab and South Asia have always been known for being less women-friendly as far as the professional world was concerned. This was a result of the prevailing religion as well as the overall culture that placed women as membersof the households who were responsible to look after bringing up children and looking after the home etc. The human rights revolution worldwide has had its tremors felt in this part of the world as well and as a result the women in the middle east and Arab countries also started questioning their rights, or lack thereof. First they were given the right to acquire higher knowledge as a sign of modernization(Alizadeh, 1996). Then the women revolted against the state laws that prevented them from stepping into the professional world. As a result the laws were flexed enough to accommodate women in the professional world, just like the rest of the world. Soon, the female workforce was subjected to undue biasness on the basis of their gender, sexual harassment etc. This encouraged them to stand up for their rights and be imparted the same level of respect and accommodation as their male counterparts. With the increasing number for women stepping into the professional world, the general trend scene in the middle east was that of late marriages, decreased age difference between the spouses, increase in the number of separation cases and even cases of women leading a single life as self-dependent professionals. This was seen as a highly disruptive factor as far as the societal construct was concerned because the basis of the Arab and Middle Eastern society was the family orientation. This has a lot to do with the culture and historical tradition of that part of the world. The government was concerned with the larger picture under these circumstances, i.e. the likely decrease in population and fertility rate of the women. In order to pacify the conditions and bring about a positive aspect in this situation the government introduced several reforms and laws to support women In the workplace and ensure that the household system is not compromised. These laws included flexible work timing for the women, maternity leaves, marriage counseling etc. the government has set a general benchmark but most organizations work above and beyond those regulations to ensure that they are seen as an equal opportunity employer. American law related to working mothers: The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993 is aimed at providing the employees a balance between work and personal life. However, the unpaid maternity leave of 12 weeks for working mothers is still an area of much debate because of the lack concern that it shows for new mothers (Dol.gov, 2013). The United States has been making significant amendments as far as facilitating working mothers is concerned. The society realizes that it is important for mothers to nurture their children while being able to contribute towards their household financially. The “Supporting Working Moms Act of 2013” calls for several provisions for working mothers that help them take care of their child a year after birth, majorly reasonable nursing time to be provided to them. This is facilitating by providing them with flexible timings as well as nursing hour during the course of everyday work. This allows the female employees to be at ease and comfort at being able to take care of their baby without the fear of losing their jobs.The act has been proposed in both the houses of the congress in May 2013 and is seen as a step towards a healthier and balanced society. Similarly it is said to benefit 12 million salaried employees in the US if implemented. Around twenty four states in the US have state legislation to support breastfeeding at the workplace(Ncsl.org, 2013). Qatari Law related to working mothers As mentioned earlier, the UAE has been working towards being a center of economics, commerce and business and thus, it has adapted several work laws that have been implemented in the west. According to Article 96 of the labor law for 2004 in Qatar (p. 26), a new mother can avail 50 days of paid leave for maternity and an hour for nursing daily at work for one year after that.This is subject to a certified physician’s recommendation and the expected course of delivery prescribed (Maq.org.qa, 2013). Thus, as far as women are concerned, it has also gone a notch up by introducing paid maternity leaves along with on facility day care centers etc. This makes Qatar an ideal place for women to work professionally as well as look after their new born. This is a very attractive feature as far as the workplace is concerned because many females are hesitant about stepping into the professional world because of the compromise that they’ll have to make in their child’s upbringing and nurturing. Comparison between laws in both countries Maternity leave is the duration of absence granted to women employees at the time of their labor and childbirth. This is an important feature that is looked upon by women who are married and wish to start a family while being a professional. In today’s time and age of equal rights, women empowerment and inflation that drives and motivates women to do their part in contributing towards the household, it is important that they are given incentives that make them less reluctant in stepping out. In the United States, the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 form the basis for leaves that can be granted to women upon pregnancy and childbirth. This act was signed during the government of Bill Clinton and was seen as a welcome reform for the women wishing to work. This act stated that women were to be allowed 12 weeks of unpaid leave annually in case of childbirth or new adoption. However, this had several conditions attached to it, like professional affiliation with the workplace for more than 12 months, completion of 1250 working hours, workforce of minimum 50 people in the organization etc., in order to avail maternity leave. This act was reinstated due to several positive implications that it was bound to reflect in the society. The US law for working mothers has been criticized greatly for being stringent. There are concerns about women not being able to support themselves and their new born due to unpaid leave(Wright, 1995). They are reluctant to work full time after giving birth because it is unfair to the baby. Even if a woman is not entitled to a maternity leave due to the above stated conditions. Her efficiency at work is bound to below average because of the mental and physical stress of the workplace and a newborn. It is no surprise that the lack of cash benefits granted by law in the United States has landed it in the list of one of the world’s worst countries for maternity leaves. Whether this has a negative impact at a macroeconomic level on the country’s economy and business is another debate altogether. Several surveys of maternity leaves from all around the world agree on one country to have the best maternity policy in the world i.e. Sweden. The Swedish government offers a generous 420 day leave( generally more than one year) with at least a minimum of 80% of the amount of wages paid. The question that arises here is that of how and why one country can afford to have such appealing maternity policy while the other has to be stringent about theirs. According to a study conducted by two economists Yehonatan Givati (Hebrew University-Jerusalem) and Ugo Troiano (University of Michigan) the level of tolerance for gender discrimination is one of the greatest factors for such conflicting laws(Givati & Troiano, 2011). There are several societies that accept or are more open to the natural fact that men are generally the bread earners of the family while women are more inclined towards the household and child rearing. With the change in this mindset, majority of the women have also started working, calling for equal rights and empowerment. That being said, there is no denying the fact that when it comes to child bearing months it is hard for women to carry on with professional duties as effectively as men. They require time to nurse the new born, give them attention, feed them etc. and for that they require time off. In the competitive age of today where every company is after decreasing their costs and utilizing their resources to the maximum, it is costly for them to have married female employees who are likely to take a leave after sometime, not contributing to the organization but remaining on their payroll. Keeping the aspect of humanity aside, this is a sure expense for any company and a hefty one for that matter. This is the reason why the United States, being a place synonymous with equal rights and no gender discrimination, the maternity leave is unpaid here. The male mindset of a society where the women demand equal rights will not be acceptable to a paid maternity leave. Thus, many states within the USA and several organizations take it upon themselves to tweak the seemingly harsh maternity leave options for the females, because they realize and are concerned about the greater picture, i.e. lack of funds to support the family, infant mortality rates etc. Many economists argue that the federal law was unintended to be the first step towards facilitating working mothers but after a long period of 20 years since it imposition, the government has failed to add benefits to it that the rest of the countries of the world have caught on a long time back. On the other hand, countries with a more open approach towards women getting special benefits in respect of their ability to give birth etc. have more lenient maternity policies for example Canada being a hub of a mixture of people from various backgrounds, cultures and religions has one of the best maternity programs for working females, new mothers can obtain a maternity leave of 17-55 weeks at a minimum 55% payment of wages and the choice to split the leave duration between the spouses. However, many countries all over the world which are less developed offer more facilities to pregnant mothers during their period of child bearing and child birth. The generosity extends to not just paid leaves but also flexible work hours, breast feeding facilities at work, day care and on facility nurseries etc. Qatar, being our country of focus for this study has a fairly reasonable maternity leave law in place for working mothers. Being a conservative Islamic country, Qatar has seen a drastic change in the past several years as far as the societal construct is concerned. Women have become more independent and are now allowed to work professionally. A female worker,who has been associated with a company for one year at least, is granted a maternity leave of paid 50 days out of which 35 days have to be the minimum after the delivery of the baby. After the resumption of work, the new mother are allowed an hour of her choice during the day to nurse her baby daily. This hour of nursing can be availed for a year after birth. The employers are not allowed to fire or terminate female employee’s contract during the course of her maternity leave. Dr Ahmad Al Hammadi, head of General Pediatrics Section at Hamad Medical Corporation and one of the advisors to the government on the maternity policies has proposed a full year paid maternity leave in Qatar for mother. This, according to Dr. Al Hammadi will increase the quality of life, push the infant mortality rates positively and reduce the cost that is incurred in curing babies who have been fed poorly. This will not only build a favorable environment for the females but also bring down the governments healthcare expenditure greatly (Gulfnews.com, 2013). Thus, it can be said the future of working mothers in Qatar is surely a bright one. If the laws of the United States and Qatar are compared, for new mothers, Qatar facilitates working mothers more. This can be said due to the monetary compensation that is granted during the leave and the future implications on the basis of statements from the government’s advisors on policies. Many companies in Qatar offer free in house day care nurseries and are welcoming to new mothers. Apart from this, the conventional day care is also not very costly for the Qatari standards. Flexible work hours and work from home facilities are provided to new mothers as an added support for their new motherhood. The United States however, has to rethink its policies and reinstate them in favor of working mothers, as a concern for humanity. There are many instances where women are pregnant out of wedlock or their spouses are terminally ill, unable to earn, absent or in many cases, have passed away. Under these circumstances a woman has to work in order to support herself and her newborn and getting a leave, however prolonged, is not an option if it is unpaid(Cook, 1978). The government should take into account the ordeals of the females and join the other countries in providing them with a supportive environment through laws implemented at federal levels. Conclusion Qatar has come a long way as far as workplace scenario is concerned. Women of the UAE have not only provedthemselves in the corporate world but also managed to get themselves their due rights. Facilitating females and welcoming their role as a mother builds a society with an environment for respect and concern for humanity, where both the genders are equallyaccommodated according to their capabilities. Their efforts and the Qatari government’s co-operation have made Qatar one of the best places for working mothers and the future propositions predict that these laws will be amended to be more favorable in the near future. References: Givati, Y., & Troiano, U. (2011). Law, Economics and Culture: Theory and Evidence from Maternity Leave Laws. Harvard Law and Economics Working Paper. Gulfnews.com. (2013). Call to extend maternity leave in qatar. [online] Retrieved from: http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/qatar/call-to-extend-maternity-leave-in-qatar-1.1185866 [Accessed: 27 Dec 2013]. Ncsl.org. (2013). Breastfeeding state laws. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/breastfeeding-state-laws.aspx [Accessed: 26 Dec 2013] Cook, A. H. (1978). The Working Mother: A Survey of Problems and Programs in Nine Countries. Wright, S. M. (1995). Lise vogel, mothers on the job: maternity policy in the us workplace. new brunswick, nj: Rutgers university press. 1993. viii+ 202 pages. Sociological focus, 28 (3), pp. 343--344. Moghadam, V. M. (2003). Modernizing women: Gender and social change in the Middle East. Lynne Rienner Publishers. Alizadeh, P. (1996). Valentine m. moghadam, modernizing women: gender and social change in the middle east (boulder, colo.: lynne rienner publishers, 1993). pp. 311. International journal of middle east studies, 28 (03), pp. 453--454. Maq.org.qa. (2013). [online] Retrieved from: http://www.maq.org.qa/mbac/website/docs/LABOUR%20LAW%20STATE%20OF%20QATAR.pdf. [Accessed: 29 Dec 2013]. Dol.gov. (2013). Family and medical leave act - wage and hour division (whd) - u.s. department of labor. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.dol.gov/whd/fmla/ [Accessed: 29 Dec 2013]. Read More