More than 55% of women in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have taken a career break, but only 40% of them return to work, according to the latest report by PwC Middle East. The report also highlights that more than 90% of women across the MENA region who take a career break return to work.

When analysing the reasons for women taking career breaks (and not returning to work thereafter), the study found caregiving responsibilities, physical health, and mental well-being among the top three reasons. This underscores the need for effective support, benefits, and holistic well-being initiatives, to increase women participation rate in the workforce.

Key findings from 'Women Returners in KSA' report 

The report titled 'Navigating the Path Back: Women Returners in KSA' covered 1,200 women across the GCC, including KSA, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar, as well as Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt. Additional findings from the report focused on the KSA region, where the women workforce consists of 73% nationals and 27% expatriates, are:

• 67% of the surveyed women in KSA took career breaks while holding key leadership positions like executive, senior management, and C-level. Meanwhile, across the MENA region, 68% of women have taken career breaks beyond entry level. (Interestingly, 85% of KSA women believe in their potential to reach the highest levels of their organisations.)
• 42% of KSA women on career break want to return to work for financial independence, while 38% of women across the broader MENA region return to work for the same reason.
• However, regarding personal growth and development, only 27% of KSA women are motivated to return to work, which is lower than the 38% of MENA women returning to work for personal growth.
• In the last five years, the women participation in the workforce has increased from 17.4% to 36%, which is in line with the target set for 2030. 
• 60% of KSA women are likely to experience a negative impact on their career progression if they take a career break. Additionally, over 52% reported having their resumes rejected due to gaps in their careers.

The analysis of the lower return-to-work rate reveals challenges that women face during career breaks, including the negative impact on their careers, the absence of support programs, limited work flexibility/work-life balance, and insufficient social support from family, partners, and society. Additionally, a lack of job opportunities matching their existing skill set is among the key challenges faced by women looking to return to work. 

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How can organisations increase KSA women participation rate effectively: 

Organisations in KSA need to implement programmes and initiatives supporting women returning to work. These include alternative work models, access to learning and development opportunities to upgrade their skills, an emphasis on work-life balance with flexible and remote work options, and initiatives to integrate women into the workforce without any negative stigma. Some of the most valued (by KSA women) initiatives are:

Returnship programmes -  Over 83% of women in KSA find returnship programmes important for getting back to work, and the same goes for women surveyed in the MENA region. As these programmes offer clear paths with training and support, helping women reintegrate into the workforce, making it a big reason to return to work.

Alternative work models - In addition to prioritising work-life balance and flexible schedules, KSA organisations should also explore offering alternative work models, like part-time or contract-based roles, to ease women's transition back into the workforce. The availability of flexible and remote/online job opportunities, along with alternative work models, significantly influences women's decisions to return to work.

Enhanced maternity and paternity benefits - Aligned with KSA's labour law reforms and workplace protections for women, including maternity leave policies, organisations should improve and extend maternity and paternity benefits. Currently, fathers receive only five days of paid leave, while mothers are entitled to 10 weeks of paid leave within six months of their child's birth. By offering more equitable parental leave benefits, organisations can foster a cultural shift towards shared caregiving responsibilities. Ultimately, it's about providing support for women to return to work after child-care responsibilities.

Addressing unconscious bias through an inclusive workplace - KSA women are ambitious about their career achievements. However, they face employer stigma related to career breaks, stemming from perceptions about their willingness to take on challenging roles or assignments, or their commitment to work. Organisations need to combat this stigma by fostering diverse and inclusive workplace policies. In addition to this, training leaders and managers in addressing unconscious bias and promoting an inclusive culture.