83 per cent of surveyed women across the Middle East and North Africa region stated that returnship programmes are significant factors influencing their decision to return to work, according to a survey conducted by PwC Middle East.

The survey report titled 'Navigating the Path Back: Women Returners in MENA' delved into the experiences and challenges encountered by women in the region. Covering 1,200 women and C-suite workforce leaders across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, and Oman, the survey highlights the significant contributions of women to the remarkable progress in the region.

PwC MENA Survey: Key findings

The report demonstrates that women re-entering the workforce after a career break have the potential to contribute nearly $385 billion to the aggregate gross domestic product of the surveyed MENA countries, particularly through the implementation of flexible working arrangements. Some of the key findings from the survey include:

• 68 per cent of women in the region take career breaks beyond the entry-level.
• 46 per cent of them stated the importance of receiving support from their partner and extended family upon returning to work.
• 82 per cent of those who have returned to work believe they can advance to leadership roles of their organisation.

Additionally, the report highlighted key challenges, including employer stigma surrounding career breaks, inflexible work hours, and the phenomenon of being 'mommy-tracked.' This term refers to employers making assumptions about women's willingness to take on challenging roles or assignments, or presuming they are less committed to their jobs due to caregiving responsibilities.

How can organisations support women to unlock potential talent in the Middle East region?

Enabling women to work additional hours through flexible scheduling could result in GDP gains of up to $4.3 billion. Offering alternative work arrangements such as flexible or remote working can assist women in balancing their work and home responsibilities according to their preferences. Some of the additional benefits that employers in the MENA region can explore are:

Improved benefits: Reducing the pressure on women to quit their careers early because of short maternity and paternity leave.

Flexible work options: Providing appropriate working models for women to enhance workforce participation and enable them to stay employed. Granting flexibility to work additional hours could further facilitate this.

Encouraging returnship programmes: Assisting women returning to work by offering a structured path for re-entry, encompassing coaching, mentorship, internal and external networking, work shadowing, and training to expedite their reintegration.

Tackling unconscious bias: HR and talent professionals need to identify and address these biases by creating policies that foster an inclusive culture and setting a positive example.

Commenting on the survey results, Norma Taki, a Middle East inclusion and diversity leader, transaction services partner, and consumer markets leader at PwC, said, 'Women returning to work face obstacles to career advancement as employers do not view career breaks favourably, resulting in a negative impact on earnings and career progression. However, career breaks can offer profound personal growth opportunities.

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'To encourage women to return to the workforce, it's important to have more equitable parental leave policies, along with well-designed returnship programmes. Businesses must also address the risk of unconscious bias by implementing inclusive workplace policies and training for teams, leaders, and talent acquisition,' says PwC.