Reflections of Post-Secondary Educational Experiences of Selected Women of the United Arab Emirates (UAE): A Qualitative Analysis Investigating the Motivations, Supports, Rewards, and Challenges Encountered by Seven Emirati Women in the Year 2004
Author: Daleure, Georgia
Date: 2005-05-00
Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Postsecondary Education,Educational Experience,Females,Semi Structured Interviews,Developing Nations,Inclusion,Employment,Compulsory Education,Single Sex Schools,Civil Rights Legislation,Incentives,Barriers,Gender Discrimination,Academic Persistence,Social Change,Values,Arabs,Muslims,Qualitative Research

The study examined the post-secondary experiences of seven Emirati women to investigate reasons for the female dominated post-secondary educational persistence which was at the time of the study 65% female to 35% male. The study used internet text messaging to interview the women about issues surrounding their post-secondary educational experience. The semi-structured interview questions were framed around the motivations, supports, rewards, and challenges to female educational participation in developing countries as described in the UNESCO (&quot;Gender,&quot; 2003) Global Monitoring Report and enriched with issues gleaned from sources specifically concerning Arab and Muslim women. Participants attributed several factors to female inclusion in post-secondary education and employment including a) compulsory education for boys and girls up to grade 10 and free to all qualifying Emirati students attending federally funded educational institutions up through 6 years of post-secondary education; b) establishing segregated schools, colleges, and universities for women which were at least equal to male facilities in terms of size, variety of program of study, and locational accessibility; c) enacting legislation guaranteeing similar civil and legal rights for women and men in education and employment; and d) providing incentives to companies to increase employment of UAE nationals males and females. According to the participants in this study, the UAE government strongly encouraged Emirati women to contribute to the economic development of the country. Even though the participants believed that the government laws and regulations guaranteed women equal rights with men, all participants acknowledged that cultural practices sometimes served as barriers to post-secondary education and employment including a) Emirati marriage customs; b) limited freedom of movement for Emirati women; c) requiring Emirati women to obtain permission of their guardians to engage in economic activity outside the home; and d) fierce competition with Emirati men for the preferred public sector jobs. Participants were additionally concerned about a) a low Emirati male post-secondary educational persistence; b) societal changes caused by male/female role shifting; and c) changing cultural values in Emirati society caused by exposure to the West. Emirati women believed that the way to solve the issues concerning them was through strengthened adherence to religious teachings rather than political solutions. The results of this study could be used to develop a quantitative instrument to administer to a representative sample of post-secondary students as a confirmation study.