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January
30, 2014 - The Mohammed bin Rashid School of Government (MBRSG) hosted a
seminar on “Parental Influence on Female Vocational Decisions” in the
Arabian Gulf as part of its ongoing Gender and Public Policy Programme
Seminar Series.
A
research paper by Dr Emilie Rutledge, Associate Professor of Economics at
UAE University in Al Ain, was also presented during the seminar. The
paper was co-authored by UAEU Professor Mohamed Madi, and Dr Ingo
Forstenlechner from the UAE Cabinet’s Federal Demographic Council.
The
research paper investigated the post-graduation vocational intentions of
females studying at secondary and tertiary level in the UAE.
Due
to the nation’s youthful population profile and pronounced reliance on
expatriate labour, policymakers are giving considerable attention to
local human capital and are actively seeking to increase national female
labour market participation, according to MBRSG.
Dr
Emile Rutledge said, “Using a survey of 335 Emirati females, we measured
the likelihood of seeking formal employment per se, the perceptions of
socio-cultural barriers and public sector preferences against three
parental career-related behaviour criteria: parental support, engagement
and interference.”
Research
findings show that parental support reduces socio-cultural barriers while
interference amplifies these and also reduces the likelihood of actually
seeking employment. Findings also showed that women with fathers who have
attended university are more likely to seek employment, and
private-sector roles are more attractive to women whose parents are also
working in the sector.
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