Dubai, UAE – A Middle East and North Africa region wide survey shows that increasing the share of women in work in MENA to match the male employment rate could increase the GDP by 57 per cent or as much as US$2tn.

The survey also found that only 62 per cent of women agreed that their employer provided a satisfactory “work-life balance” and “training and development” opportunities.

‘MENA Women in Work Survey 2022: Young Women, Powerful Ambitions’ was launched on Wednesday by PwC Middle East, highlighting the career aspirations of young women and the challenges they face in achieving their ambitions and the key measures needed by MENA employers to unleash women’s potential in workplaces.

The study was launched in conjunction with the Middle East Action for Diversity Council, a council of CEOs from multinationals in the region with a clear aim of leading by example as well as rallying like-minded organisations to advance diversity and inclusion within the workplace by working together and committing to change.

While young MENA women were more likely than ever to be highly educated, their employment prospects and career opportunities leave room for improvement, the survey found.

‘This is highlighted by the “expectations vs reality” gap that young women face, where they face a disconnect between their expectations and lived experiences of employers. Around 94 per cent of the surveyed women favoured “work-life balance” and “training and development opportunities” as their most valued employer characteristic,’ stated the survey.

While 84 per cent of women aspire to become leaders in their fields, female employees illustrated that work is not their only priority; 80 per cent agreed that it is important to play a leading role in looking after their families.

‘Hence, embedding diversity strategies for the entire career lifecycle, setting diversity key performance indicators to ensure fair assessments for women and reinforcing supportive workplace cultures are critical steps for MENA employers to effectively attract, recruit and retain talented young women,’ it stated.

PwC ME East Senior Partner Hani Ashkar said, “Identifying, developing, promoting and retaining women are essential for the success of our business and our region more broadly. Key takeaways from our most recent re-search include encouraging employers to create a strategy that includes investing in skills, reforming cultures, embedding equitable workplace policies, respecting personal time and wellbeing as well as developing metrics to actively track the progress in supporting female employees.”