Gender equality in the workforce and the advancement of women into leadership positions are crucial for economic growth and sustainable development in societies and the global community. However, women remain underrepresented, facing numerous barriers to employment and career advancement. Globally, women earn 20% less than men and represent only about 28% of managers across all sectors. Women account for only about 26% of parliamentarians worldwide. In healthcare, women hold only about 26% of leadership positions.
Women leaders in Saudi Arabia's healthcare sector share both similarities and differences with women leaders worldwide. Thus, although women make up more than half of medical students and graduates, they constitute only about a third of doctors and nurses. In this, it is worth highlighting that Saudi society has its own social norms and gender roles that cannot be denied. As of 2018, the percentage of Saudi women employed in the health sector was significantly lower than that of men in all professions, except nursing, where women accounted for 61.8%.
We hypothesized that examining women's perspectives could identify and explain the specific barriers faced by female leaders in the Saudi healthcare system, including social and ethical conditions within the country's cultural boundaries. We conducted nine semi-structured interviews to explore the views, thoughts, feelings, and beliefs of Saudi women in relation to the research hypothesis. We explored the participants' attitudes, beliefs, and life experiences in the context of leadership in the healthcare system, barriers and challenges, as well as motivators and incentives. Six themes derived after data analysis: (1) enablers of a woman leader, (2) obstacles in the way of a leader, (3) impact of the community and the conservatism, (4) being a woman in the workplace, (5) being a successful leader, (6) heading toward the golden era of Saudi women.
The results of this study showed that Saudi female executives believe that some of the most important factors contributing to women's leadership include professional and personal qualifications, innate winning qualities, and family and team support. Participants also clarified that being disregarded by men is one problem, but ignorance or fear expressed by female colleagues is a more serious issue, as they often lack simple peer support. This confirms previous research suggesting that women's under-representation in leadership positions is not due to a lack of desire to develop, but rather to a lower optimism compared to men due to interpersonal factors and less support from colleagues.
It was also found that some women face prejudices that equate leadership with masculinity, which prevents them from achieving higher positions. This finding is particularly pronounced in Saudi society as a whole, where roles are traditionally patriarchal. Thus, some female leaders in this study often hesitated to make important decisions and tended to consult with their husbands and/or fathers, especially since most consider their husbands and/or fathers to be leaders in their industries.
In analyzing the data, we found that the factors, challenges, and types of support mentioned by the participants in this study were largely consistent with previous research, including the fact that women sometimes do not ask for or negotiate leadership positions. However, the reasons for these similarities or differences may vary significantly depending on the country's culture and the women's background.
It's safe to say that gender norms in Saudi Arabia are changing in line with Vision 2030, which has firmly established women's empowerment. Moreover, these changes aren't limited to the labor market: positive shifts in culture and society regarding Saudi women's leadership are also being observed. However, regulatory measures will be more effective if they are considered from a male perspective. This should be supported by sustainable cultural changes aimed at promoting gender equality within the organization and society, in line with Vision 2030. Such a comprehensive approach will create a strong, supportive culture that allows women to expand their experience and develop their leadership potential.