Women's access and perception of decent work: a case study on Egypt

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to assess the gender disparities in the workers' perception of whether “decent work” standards exist in their current job and workplace in the Egyptian context.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses quantitative data. A survey was utilised to assess workers' perceptions of decent work. The sample was selected based on age as the study aims to measure gender disparities in the perception among Generation Y and Z. Frequency table for each question and independent sample T-test were utilised in order to compare the variable means between females and males and whether any of those means are significantly different from each other.FindingsThe key findings of this research show that women in Egypt believe they have fewer opportunity to progress professionally and raise their salaries than males, particularly in male-dominated fields like engineering, construction and information technology. Furthermore, the women surveyed, particularly working mothers, emphasised that they struggle with their workload and working time more than men, affecting their work–life balance. However, there was no significant disparity between men and women in the other aspects of decent work examined in this article, which included social protection, health and safety, and meaningful compensation.Originality/valueTo the best of authors’ knowledge, this study is among the first group of studies assessing the gender disparities in the workers' perception of whether “decent work” standards exist in the Egyptian workplace.

Decent work and innovative work behavior of academic staff in higher education institutions: the mediating role of work engagement and job self-efficacy

“…Decent work refers to a fair, secure, and productive workplace that would require an environment in which workers feel physically and emotionally safe, experiencing no abuse (Kashyap et al, 2022); (b) Hours that allow for free time and adequate rest: long working hours hurt the well-being of any individual; they would lead to stress, obesity, burnout, heart disease, and in general physical and mental health deterioration (Ganster et al, 2018;Shields, 1999). Moreover, very long hours would hurt work-life balance (Anker et al, 2002), which is an important engine of women's empowerment and gender equality as part of achieving a decent work strategy (Khairy and Ghoneim, 2023;Ghoneim, 2021); (c) Organizational values that complement family and social values: are about the degree to which the work values align with that employee's family and community values (Duffy et al, 2017). Blustein et al (2016) Even though a vast literature has examined DWE within an organizational context, yet few literature attempts to relate decent work to innovative work behavior, especially within higher education institutions (Xu et al, 2022).…”

Exploring the concepts of decent work through the lens of SDG 8: addressing challenges and inadequacies

“…At the core of our conceptual framework is the complex intersection between gender inequality and the need for decent employment. Persistent gender prejudices, financial disparities, and the underrepresentation of women in top management positions ( Khairy and Ghoneim, 2023 ) obstruct the achievement of SDG 8 in a glaring manner SDG 8. Complementing this component, we delve into the myriad complexity inherent to market economic systems ( Xu and Chakraborty, 2021 ), which repeatedly generate structural disparities, insecure work circumstances, and the propagation of exploitative employment practices ( Chowdhury and Żuk, 2018 ; Menéndez-Espina et al, 2020 ; Ranaldi and Milanović, 2022 ).…”

“…Because of the pervasive gender disparity in the labor market ( Khairy and Ghoneim, 2023 ), women have fewer opportunities to advance professionally and raise their salaries than men ( Khairy and Ghoneim, 2023 ). This is especially true in male-dominated fields such as engineering, construction, and information technology ( Khairy and Ghoneim, 2023 ). Among the factors that make it difficult for women to get acceptable employment are the “glass ceiling” and other forms of workplace discrimination against female employees, working conditions, and occupational segregation, all of which are significant challenges to overcome ( de Pryck and Termine, 2014 ; Khairy and Ghoneim, 2023 ).…”

“…This is especially true in male-dominated fields such as engineering, construction, and information technology ( Khairy and Ghoneim, 2023 ). Among the factors that make it difficult for women to get acceptable employment are the “glass ceiling” and other forms of workplace discrimination against female employees, working conditions, and occupational segregation, all of which are significant challenges to overcome ( de Pryck and Termine, 2014 ; Khairy and Ghoneim, 2023 ). According to the International Labor Organization’s 2017 World Employment and Societal Outlook – Trends for Women, social norms and a variety of socioeconomic obstacles, including work-life balance, marital status, and lack of transportation, are preventing women from advancing in the workforce ( de Pryck and Termine, 2014 ).…”

“…Many variables, such as long-standing institutional impediments, socioeconomic and technical development, and economic drive and shocks, persistently drive gender inequalities in the workforce (WEF, 2022). Because of the pervasive gender disparity in the labor market (Khairy and Ghoneim, 2023), women have fewer opportunities to advance professionally and raise their salaries than men (Khairy and Ghoneim, 2023). This is especially true in male-dominated fields such as engineering, construction, and information technology (Khairy and Ghoneim, 2023).…”