Women employees suffer in prevailing gender pay gap

Saudi women are more ambitious and career-oriented than their male counterparts, yet continue to lag behind in monetary benefits.
In recent years, the labor market has seen an increasing presence of women in various sectors. Studies show, that women in the 18-30 age group are more interested in finding high-paying jobs than men of the same age.
Over 70 percent of women are university graduates with a bachelor’s degree and according to the Central department of Statistics and Information, 15-20 percent of employed women aspire to have a more successful career than their male peers.
Huda Farooqi, school director said “After Saudization stepped-in, Saudi women were found to be highly interested in joining the workforce. Moreover, one cannot overlook the fact that women are feeling more powerful and consequently more positive about the career possibilities they can pursue. However, we believe there is a huge gap in reparation.”
The survey indicated that most full-time or salaried female employees earn monthly incomes ranging between SR5,000-SR9,000, which is about 20 percent less than their male counterparts.
A Saudi engineer, Saara Rahman, requested her company for a pay rise twice. But a few months later they denied her request giving a very weak official reason for their refusal. “The traditional conception is that a man is responsible for all outside expenses and a woman’s responsibility is greater inside the house still persists in Saudi society which creates a negative impact on our personal and professional lives,” she said. She added that they are trying their best to prove themselves in the labor market and are willing to work the same hours as the men, but they lack wage negotiation skills which is one of the reasons for the pay divide.
Several women claimed that the problem they face is to get recognized and be respected in the work place, which deters career advancement at senior levels. Women now want to learn and grow professionally and seek greater responsibility along with the capability to take risks.
Sadia Al-Wafee, a Saudi activist said that women in the public and private sector face greater complications sometimes in meeting their professional responsibilities due to the very reason the payment gap exists. “It is important for human resource managers to balance the professional and personal requirements of women through career counseling and assistance,” she said.
Moreover, she added that among the major reasons for pay discrimination are social and cultural, where people do not see the input of women in the labor workforce on the same level as that of men.