• Women are also represented well in high-ranking positions in the legal field
  • The TRS surveyed almost 600 companies in the UAE in various industries

Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Nearly half of human resource (HR) executives in the UAE are women, according to new data from global consulting firm Mercer, supporting the Gulf country’s more gender balanced approach in the workforce.

In anticipation of International Women’s Day, Mercer ran an analyses on their data from the Total Renumeration Survey (TRS)and found that 49% of HR executives are women, while 53% percent work in managerial positions. The survey featured responses from almost 600 companies across multiple sectors with over 300 of those reporting on gender data.

Sebastian Fuchs, Career & Workforce Consulting Business Leader at Mercer MENA said: “Putting women in high-ranking HR functions could be crucial to continue the UAE’s gender balance push in the workforce. Addressing issues in labour representation will entail redesigning hiring strategies, but more importantly ensuring an inclusive work culture with more policies influenced by diverse talent management. As the country progresses its economic diversification agenda towards a knowledge-based economy, it is critical that a broad range of industries advance their commitments to fair, skills-based hiring practices to create a representative, inclusive workforce.”

There is strong evidence as to why HR is one of the critical teams within a firm, as they take part in foundational business functions, including staffing and recruitment, but more importantly in influencing company culture.  

Women in leadership roles were also highly present in the legal profession, the TRS survey showed, with around 26% in managerial positions and 45% in executive ones.

The survey comes on the back of increasing government support to put women in leadership roles, both in the public and the private sector. In 2015, the UAE set up its Gender Balance Council to implement and inspire reforms in bridging the gender gap.

Many legislations have been implemented since then, including around equalizing pay, lifting legal restrictions against women in certain jobs, and doubling down on workplace discrimination.

Despite this positive development, the TRS found that there are still a few industries where female representation in leadership roles is lacking. These include engineering and science, data analytics and warehousing, and finance – all traditionally dominated by men globally.

Tarek Lotfy, UAE | IMETA CEO at Mercer said: “At Mercer, we are committed to gender parity and support the pledge of the UAE government to ensure females are represented in leadership positions. With our TRS suggesting that hiring activities will rise in 2022, companies in the UAE have the opportunity to showcase support for UAE’s commitment to a gender balanced workforce through providing increased opportunities to qualified female candidates. To encourage increased female workforce participation, particularly at an executive level, organisations must examine compensation to ensure that employees are fairly remunerated for their positions regardless of gender.”

According to the Mercer survey, women still face some pressure in competing against men for high-ranking roles, including the opportunity cost of pursuing senior roles, and implicit biases that pervade, particularly around confidence and perceptions of women’s ability to lead. When looking specifically at the lack of representation at an executive level, it may be due to financial remuneration, whereby women’s total compensation at the executive level currently remains at 13% less than that of male executives.

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About Mercer

Mercer believes in building brighter futures by redefining the world of work, reshaping retirement and investment outcomes, and unlocking real health and well-being. Mercer’s approximately 25,000 employees are based in 43 countries and the firm operates in 130 countries. Mercer is a business of Marsh McLennan (NYSE: MMC), the world’s leading professional services firm in the areas of risk, strategy and people, with 83,000 colleagues and annual revenue of nearly $20 billion. Through its market-leading businesses including Marsh, Guy Carpenter and Oliver Wyman, Marsh McLennan helps clients navigate an increasingly dynamic and complex environment. For more information, visit mercer.com. Follow Mercer on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Contact:
Ana Baptista 
ana.baptista@mercer.com