July 2, 2023
Dina Al Mahdy

There is no shortage of qualified women to fill leadership roles: Women make up almost half of the Egyptian labor force. They outnumber men in earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees and are nearly on par in getting medical and legal degrees. Despite their potential, men continue to dominate the highest paying, most prestigious leadership roles and top-tier positions across various sectors such as corporate boardrooms, government, healthcare, the courts, non-profit organizations, and universities.

Despite decades of investment in women’s leadership programs, progress in advancing women has reached an impasse. However, Women of Egypt is committed to bridge the gender leadership gap once and for all through its awareness campaigns, events and training programs. 

 Where Are the Women?

  While record-breaking progress has been made in recent years towards greater gender equality in various sectors in addition to the numbers of women elected to governmental positions and parliament since 2013 and increasing public attention around gender equality in the media, women are still significantly underrepresented in senior leadership positions across industries. This disparity can be attributed to a range of factors, including systemic barriers and biases that prevent women from advancing in their careers at the same rate as men.

There are many initiatives underway to address this issue, such as mentoring programs, diversity and inclusion training, and policy changes aimed at promoting gender parity in hiring and promotions. However, there is still much work to be done to ensure that women have equal opportunities to excel and lead in the workplace.

Barriers to Women’s Leadership

The “qualities” of a leader — as well as the path to leadership roles — are still predominantly modeled after outdated male standards that exclude women.

Old Stereotypes

Because men have been leaders for so long, the traits associated with leadership are often thought of as masculine, which may lead to a less favorable perception of these traits when displayed by women.

Fewer “connections”

Despite progress in recent years, men continue to outperform women in terms of accessing networks that provide opportunities for learning and finding mentors and sponsors who can champion their career advancement.

Bias and Discrimination

Although progress has been made, sexual harassment, hostile work environments, and subtle biases remain significant obstacles to women’s career advancement. Women in rural areas face even greater challenges in this regard, which makes it less likely for them to move into leadership roles.

Lack of FlexibilityBalancing work and family responsibilities can be a significant challenge for women, which may limit their ability to seek leadership positions. Workplaces are often structured around a decades-old notion of gender roles that were established several decades ago, which can further 

***If you liked this article, don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter and receive our articles by email