Transformations  in
Business & Economics

WOMEN ACCESS TO THE LABOUR MARKET IN EGYPT: THE VIEW OF PRIVATE SECTOR EXPERTS
Hend El Hassan, Rodica Milena Zaharia

ABSTRACT. This article aims to investigate the private sector experts' opinion on several aspects related to women's access and progress in the labour market, private sector, in the case of Egypt. Through interviewing the experts, this paper's research objectives target to investigate: (i) the barriers women encounter when accessing the private sector; (ii) the challenges women face once they achieve leading positions or express their commitment to access a top position; (iii) the legislative improvements required to enforce the law in the private sector to endorse better contribution of women in the labour market; (iv) the necessary steps needed to increase the effective participation of women in the private sector.
The article approaches the labour demand side perspective as the experts, through their experience, are qualified for a pertinent opinion about labour market conditions specific to the private sector. 7 Egyptian experts have been interviewed between November 2019 - February 2021. Content analysis and QDA Miner 5.0.34 have been employed in analysing the interviews. Findings reveal that barriers for women in accessing private sector formal employment are determined by many factors, with socio-cultural aspects and working/environment conditions as main obstacles. Experts stipulate that challenges facing women in maintaining their employment as well as advancing to leading positions in the private sector are not only a function of the employer's preference but women exertions too. Experts also assert the importance of altering the legislative paradigm to improve women's access to the private sector and make it a less hostile environment for them. From the point of view of the experts interviewed increasing women participation in Egypt's private sector labour market mandates -although not limited to- creating powerful, well-designed, and enforceable legal framework; transforming the private sector into a job-creating source rather than a labour absorption setting, and working diligently on changing the societal mindset
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KEYWORDS:  labour market, private sector, women participation, expert opinion, Egypt.

JEL classification:  B54, J23, J71, J46, J81, O53.