The women in the workforce hold the key to increasing GDP in the Middle East and North Africa, where a gender-balanced workforce can take it to $2 trillion, according to a report by PwC ME.
According to reports, the Middle East and North Africa region or MENA can increase the GDP by 57% when women match the employment rates of men in the region.
The report titled ‘MENA Women in Work Survey 2022: Young Women, Powerful Ambitions’ was released last week to discuss the career ambitions of women and the measures taken by the organizations in the region to support them in the workforce. The PwC survey of 1,500 young MENA women offers a glimpse into what motivates and frustrates them as they pursue their career ambitions.
News reports quoted the survey as stating, “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 percent of the surveyed women favored “work-life balance” and “training and development opportunities” as their most valued employer characteristic.”
PwC report said, “Women in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have made unprecedented gains as a vital part of the region’s workforce. A pioneering generation of younger women is more likely than ever to go to work and remain in employment to fulfil their career ambitions. Typically, they are highly educated and motivated, and are increasingly visible across the public and private sectors, from roles in policy making and diplomacy to entrepreneurship and corporate leadership.”
