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The study was launched in conjunction with the Middle East Action for Diversity Council – a council of CEOs from multinationals in the region with a clear aim of leading by example as well as rallying like-minded organisations to advance diversity and inclusion within the workplace by working together and committing to change .

Around 94 % of the surveyed women favoured ‘ work-life balance ’ and ‘ training and development opportunities ’ as their most valued employer characteristic . However , only 62 % of women agree that their employer provides a satisfactory ‘ work-life balance ’ and ‘ training and development ’ opportunities . The economic prize from getting this right could be significant . PwC analysis ’ shows that increasing the share of women in work in MENA to match the male employment rate could increase the GDP by 57 %, or as much as US $ 2 trillion .

While 84 % of women aspire to become leaders in their fields , female employees illustrated that work is not their only priority , with 80 % agreeing that it is important to play a leading role in looking after their families .

Hence , embedding diversity strategies for the entire career life cycle , setting diversity KPIs to ensure fair assessments for women and reinforcing supportive workplace cultures are critical steps for MENA employers to effectively attract , recruit and retain talented young women .

“ We welcome all initiatives in the MENA region that aim in advancing women ’ s careers , which requires a multi-party approach in order for any progress to be sustainable ,” added Norma Taki , Inclusion and Diversity Leader at PwC Middle East .

“ Governments should continue to support women on a policy-level and companies should take a more proactive approach in creating workplace environments conducive to a woman ’ s success .” x

" Identifying , developing , promoting and retaining women is essential for the success of our business and our region more broadly ,” said Hani Ashkar , PwC Middle East Senior Partner .

“ Key takeaways from our most recent research include encouraging employers to create a strategy that includes investing in skills , reforming cultures , embedding equitable workplace policies , respecting personal time and well-being as well as developing metrics to actively track the progress in supporting female employees .”

While young MENA women are more likely than ever to be highly educated , their employment prospects and career opportunities leave room for improvement . This is highlighted by the ‘ expectations vs . reality ’ gap that young women face , where they face a disconnect between their expectations and lived experiences of employers .

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