Women’s role in the job market: Challenges and solutions || Newspapers (Arabic)

In an article published in Al-Akhbar newspaper, Hassan Shakarani draws comparisons between the Lebanese and the Japanese economies stressing the importance on enhancing women’s role in the economy as a strategic option for sustaining growth. Shakarani reviewed the various factors preventing women’s access to leading managerial posts and recommended measures to boost their participation in the job market. In comparison to the Japanese model where women’s participation amounts is of around 63% - a percentage which is generally considered law - the Lebanese model represents a much worse image since women participation in the Lebanese job market amounts to only 25%.
Former Minister of Labor and Social & Economic Researcher, Charbel Nahas, placed this low rate in the context of the chaotic job market in Lebanon where formal employment totals no more than 30% against 95% some in other countries.
As to the situation of women in particular, Nahas indicated that, despite the high proportion of women with higher education and the growing need for women labor in the job market, the level of economic participation of women remains low. Due to the high emigration rates, especially among the youth population, the Lebanese society is rapidly heading towards becoming an “old society” at a much quicker rate that our Arab counterparts according to data provided by the Arab Labor Organization. Therefore, Nahas believes that the Japanese experience can provide some insights on how to enhance women’s role in economic activities with the aim of tuning down the adverse effects of emigration and strengthening the growth of the economy.
For his part, Professor of Economy at the American University in Beirut, Jad Chaaban, said that measures aimed at reviving the Lebanese economy must start by reforming the labor law, while putting an end to the obvious prejudice against women and revoking all forms of discrimination against them such as in the cases of child-rearing and maternity leaves. Such actions will undoubtedly support women and will enhance their economic role.
Also according to Chaaban, the key problem relates to the limited size and quality of jobs created by the Lebanese society. Women’s high level of education pushes them to wait for a better paid job, which may never come. Thus, married women prefer staying at home and waiting for that bank transfer coming in from abroad rather than to work for a low wage. It is worthy noting that transfers of funds to Lebanon exceed 6.8 billion dollars annually.

Source: Al-Akhbar 18 October 2012