Women deteriorated level of contribution to economic activity [Archives:2004/727/Business & Economy]

Yemen Times Staff
Recent field survey reported that income insufficiency has pushed a proportion of 93.5% of working women in Yemen to look for job opportunities to cover family expenses. 16.9% of them been forced to work, 82% of working women have had their own desire behind the decision to work and 1.1% have been forced to work.
Results of a survey published by the National Committee of Women mentioned that 24% of Yemeni women non-joining work is caused by rarity of job opportunities while 37% attributed that to the low level of education among women and the family rejection. 13.3% said preoccupation with marriage is one of the reasons that hinder the woman work.
The survey results also mentioned that 51% of women refuse to go to work while 19.9 prefers household work and therefore the Yemeni woman has not taken her position conveniently in the economic activity and her participation in the workforce is still low because she faces discrimination by men.
Official statistics mention that the females constitute 4.4 millions of the population at the age of work in economic activity but the percentage of their work in this activity does exceed 23%.
The housewives group represents the larger proportion of females that are economically active, followed by working housewives by 14.7% and students devoted to study by 14.5%.
Woman's work is concentrated in agriculture and hunting by 85.8% out of the total working females, then the converting industry by 3.7%, education by 3.5% and general administration and retail trade by less than 1%.
Education in urban areas is considered the first place sphere of work for the woman by 28.6% and general administration by 16.9% and convertible industries by 16.7%. according to the new survey the number of women working without receiving wages is at a rate of 74% and those working in return for wages at a rate of 9.8% and women working for their own amount to 14.6%.
Statistics also mention that the economically active women are distributed by 91.8% in the local private sector and 5.8% in the state administration machinery. Figures indicate that there is a relationship between the level of female education and the nature of jobs they perform. The proportion of illiterate workers is estimated at 71% and those who can read and write at 20%, 3.1% of females have completed the stage of basic education and 3.2% reached the secondary stage education and only 1% of them at university education.
The proportion of the woman contribution to family economy is estimated at about 405 billion riyals, according to statistics conducted five years ago but challenges are still impeding the woman development in all fields.
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