[Audio] Qatari Women and the Labor Market- Towards an Empowering Alternative

This paper was presented by Dr Mawahib Abubakr, Research Associate in Gender Studies at the Annual Interdisciplinary Gulf Studies International Conference: Gulf Culture, Economics, Politics, and Society organized by the Gulf Studies Center at Qatar University on the period 10-12 December 2017.

The labor market in Qatar reflects not only the economic growth, immigration, education levels and state policies but also, gender disparity. The paper argues that, the woman self in the context of Qatar is not equated only with the individual self but rather with family, community, culture, religion and nation.

Adopted policy reforms to overcome labor market gender disparity should consider the significance of family in response to the local space as a site of knowledge production as well as the International labor market stipulations that call for balancing home and work responsibilities.