Uncovering Educational Barriers to Female Leadership in the United Arab Emirates

According to statistics, Emirati women comprise of 12% of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) workforce and account for only 7% of the country\u27s legislators, senior officials, and managers (Abdalla, 2015). The underrepresentation of women is alarming considering that the education rate of women is quite high. Specifically, females outperform males in school and the ratio of women in third level education is 85% (Al Kassadi, 2000). In addition, one study found that 92% of the women in UAE considered themselves very ambitious and wanted to aspire to hold a top job (Hewlett & Rashi, 2010). Jamali and colleagues (2005) note that the higher rates of enrollment in schools and universities have not been paralleled by equal access to work opportunities at higher levels of organizations or equal access to fair and equitable pay. Consequently, it is important to identify the relevant factors that influence the disconnect between women’s educational experiences and aspirations and women\u27s representation in leadership positions