Canon, YouGov survey finds ME orgs are doing enough to create gender balance
The majority of working professionals in the Middle East report that their organisations are doing enough to create gender balance in the workplace, as revealed in a new survey commissioned by Canon and conducted by YouGov, with a sample size of more than 2,500 working professionals in the GCC and Levant. The survey explores the attitudes to women empowerment in the workplace.
The survey was conducted as part of Canon Middle East’s focus on culture, relating to its employees, customers, partners and communities including women and coincides with the launch of the company’s internal campaign SHE Rise, launched to mark the occasion in support of female empowerment. The programme features inspirational talks from female leaders in Canon as well mentoring, training and feedback sessions designed to support women in the workplace.
83% of respondents said that they had noticed an improvement in diversity and gender balance at work in the last five to ten years, with 64% agreeing that females in the region are well presented at management/board level in their organisation. The results also showed that flexible working arrangements, 39%, followed by training programmes, 38%, and fair parental leave 36%, were some of the most prevalent benefits introduced by their organisations helping to create a more level playing field and empower females.
Furthermore, 60% of respondents felt it was important that their organisation collaborate with educational institutions such as universities and colleges to support women into the workplace, which can include efforts like internships and scholarships.
83% of respondents said they had noticed improvement in diversity and gender balance at work in the last five to ten years
Mai Youssef, Corporate Communications and Marketing Services Director, Canon Middle East, said: “The survey findings are extremely encouraging as we can see there is an overall positive sentiment to women empowerment in the workplace in the Middle East, with most having seen an improvement in terms of policies and gender balance in the last five to ten years. At Canon, we have a strong commitment to women and the community, something that is engrained in our organisation as part of our corporate culture of kyosei. Creating opportunities for women to rise in their respective roles in the organisation will continue to remain part of our focus as we continue in our growth trajectory across the region.”
Veronica Juul-Nyholm, Human Resources Director, Canon Middle East and Central and North Africa, said: “Our SHE Rise campaign has been designed to support women empowerment and is testament to our ongoing commitment to females and their advancement. The programme will focus on the delivery of talks and mentorship for young females working in the organisation supporting them to enhance their skills and not just perform in their roles but feel confident to pursue their career objectives.”
Zafar Shah, Research Director, Data Services, YouGov MENA, said: “It is encouraging to see an exceptionally high proportion, 87%, of middle eastern respondents reporting that their organisations currently implement some initiative to support women at work. While working professionals in the entire region report progress towards women’s professional empowerment through balancing their gender ratio and representing women at the management level, we see the UAE and Lebanon leading the way in this regard.”
