May 13, 2026
Over the past two decades, something has shifted. In the GCC, cultural and economic barriers barring women from employment have been challenged, dismantled, and redefined. According to Gulf News (2026), “the number of employed females in GCC countries increased from 5.7 million in 2020 to 7.3 million in 2025, while the number of employed national women rose from 1.7 million to 2.2 million over the same period.” This dramatic increase signals not only a wider societal shift but, simultaneously, a need for businesses and workplaces to adapt and adopt inclusive, uplifting practices.
Empowering women means uplifting half of the region’s workforce. Yet despite significant progress, women’s participation in the workforce continues to be shaped by domestic care responsibilities and lingering social stigmas. Meaningful change, therefore, goes beyond hiring alone. Organizations must create environments where women can grow, lead, and thrive at every stage of their careers. Here are three ways to better support female employees.
1. Explore Flexible Work Options
According to WebMD Health Services (2025), supportive and adaptable work environments play a key role in improving employee engagement, retention, and overall workplace satisfaction. As women continue to play a larger role in the GCC workforce, organizations must recognize that traditional work structures do not always accommodate caregiving responsibilities or personal well-being. Where possible, companies should consider flexible schedules, hybrid or remote work options, four-day workweeks, or job-sharing arrangements.
At the same time, organizations must ensure that employees who utilize flexible work policies, particularly women, are given equal opportunities for promotions, compensation, and leadership exposure. Flexibility should support career growth, not hinder it.
2. Build Clear Pathways for Female Talent
While many companies have attempted to attract more female applicants by adjusting the language used in job postings, recent research suggests that this alone is not enough. This points to a broader gap between attraction strategies and long-term retention and advancement.
According to MIT Sloan Management (2023), organizations should focus less on surface-level wording changes and more on strengthening how women perceive the organization as a place to grow and advance. This includes building visible career pathways, fostering inclusive workplace cultures, and expanding recruitment efforts into untapped talent networks such as women’s associations, mentorship programs, and professional communities.
To improve gender diversity in a meaningful way, organizations must go beyond optics and invest in long-term systems that help women enter, remain, and advance within the workforce.
3. Cultivate a Strong Diversity and Inclusion Culture
Supporting women in the workplace also requires building a culture where diverse perspectives are genuinely valued. This goes beyond policies alone and involves creating clear pathways for women to be recruited, retained, and promoted into leadership roles.
According to Tomorrow University (2024), organizations with stronger gender diversity in leadership often benefit from greater innovation, adaptability, and overall business performance. By fostering inclusive workplace cultures, companies can create environments where female employees feel empowered to contribute, grow, and lead at all levels.
4. Creating Stronger Support Systems for Women at Work
Building a more inclusive workplace for women requires strategy, structure, and leadership commitment. At Fisher, our services are designed to help organizations develop high-performing workplace cultures where employees can thrive.
Culture and Engagement Strategy
Through our Culture and Engagement Strategy services, we help companies strengthen internal culture through company values and mission alignment, employee engagement programs, and satisfaction surveys that identify gaps and opportunities for improvement. These insights allow organizations to create environments where employees feel heard, supported, and motivated.
Leadership Development and Coaching
At the leadership level, our Leadership Development and Coaching services equip executives and managers with the tools needed to lead diverse teams effectively. From executive coaching and tailored development programs to leadership assessments and feedback tools, we help organizations build stronger leadership pipelines that support long-term employee success.
Driving Meaningful Change for Women in the GCC Workplace
As women continue to shape the future of the GCC workforce, organizations must move beyond performative support and invest in meaningful, long-term change. From flexible work policies to inclusive leadership structures, supporting female employees is both a social responsibility and a strategic driver of business performance.
Organizations that invest in inclusive workplace practices will be better positioned to attract top talent, strengthen retention, and build more resilient, future-ready businesses across the GCC.
References:
WebMD Health Services. (2025). How to support women in the workplace. https://www.webmdhealthservices.com/blog/how-to-support-women-in-the-workplace/
Gulf News. (2026). GCC statistics highlight women’s key role in health, education, tourism. https://gulfnews.com/uae/gcc-statistics-highlight-womens-key-role-in-health-education-tourism-1.500516042
Castilla, E. J., & Rho, H. J. (2023). How to hire and support more women in your organization. MIT Sloan Management Review. https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/how-to-hire-and-support-more-women-your-organization
Tomorrow University. (2024). Driving female leadership: Effective HR strategies. https://www.tomorrow.university/blog/driving-female-leadership-effective-hr-strategies?srsltid=AfmBOoqy4n3bPVHX8lXcNIKWlYKDlVYI5BXueN4HP4J7KnYbuwGrMM1_
