Women ‘still badly paid’
Published: 26 January 2007
A QUARTER of Bahrain’s working women earn less than BD200 a month according to a new survey.
Only 9.9 per cent are in key positions, proving that gender bias is still strong in the workplace, says the Bahrain Centre of Studies and Research study.
It polled 313 women working in different sectors and found that their salaries were low irrespective of their qualifications, with 25.5pc of them earning BD200 or less.
“Most of them were employed at jobs traditionally associated with women. These include secretaries, receptionists and clerks,” said the report.
Women ‘still badly paid’
Published: 26 January 2007
A QUARTER of Bahrain’s working women earn less than BD200 a month according to a new survey.
Only 9.9 per cent are in key positions, proving that gender bias is still strong in the workplace, says the Bahrain Centre of Studies and Research study.
It polled 313 women working in different sectors and found that their salaries were low irrespective of their qualifications, with 25.5pc of them earning BD200 or less.
“Most of them were employed at jobs traditionally associated with women. These include secretaries, receptionists and clerks,” said the report.
It also found that the main problems the women cited were work hours, holidays, working environment and low salaries.
The women surveyed work in the industry sector, tailoring, construction, financial and insurance, tourism, hospitality and other services.
A total of 73.9pc of the women were aged between 19 and 35 and 60.7pc had university degrees.
The study also surveyed 10 companies, which showed that employers had a good impression of their female employees.
Seventy per cent of them denied that there was any gender discrimination within their organisations, said the study.
“They said that gender had no effect on a workers’ productivity, continuation of work, ability to develop themselves, and creativity in their companies,” said the study.
It also said it found no evidence that women’s looks or attractiveness affected their ability to get employment.
© Gulf Daily News
