Constraints on Female Labor Force Participation in Qatar: Understanding the Effects of Marriage, Family, and Traditional Values

Abstract

This paper examines constraints to female labor force participation in Qatar, a country where state revenue from natural resource rents means any citizen can secure a public sector job should they seek employment. Using data from an original survey and focus groups, we find that although Qataris are generally in support of female labor force participation – both in principle and for their own relatives – concerns remain about the impact of women working for marriage, family, and traditional values. These concerns may be especially salient for younger Qatari men – a constituency particularly impacted by erosion of traditional gender norms at a time when they are establishing their own households. We also find that Qataris with a larger percentage of male children tend to be less supportive of women working outside of the home, suggesting forms of family-level variation in investment in patriarchal values and child rearing practices.