Abstract
Educated women in Egypt view the public sector as their preferred employer, irrespective of their educational level or recent efforts towards women empowerment and the rise of digitization. This study attempts to understand the perceptions of working women, through analyzing their reasons whether prominent or underlying to make this career choice. To better understand this behavior, twenty semi-structured interviews and two focus group discussions were conducted with a total of thirty women from both public and private sectors. The findings revealed that women gravitate towards the public sector mainly because of five reasons: (a) convenient working conditions, (b) feeling stuck, (c) leading parallel jobs, (d) civic responsibility and (e) societal expectations and cultural norms. The study concludes with recommendations for policy makers, to equip women from a youthful age with relevant education and qualifications that would equip them for the modern work environment and making the workplace more accessible and accommodating for women. It is worth mentioning though, that employment has ceased in the public sector in Egypt and has become an artifact of the past.
School
School of Global Affairs and Public Policy
Department
Public Policy & Administration Department
Degree Name
MA in Public Administration
Graduation Date
Winter 1-31-2025
Submission Date
9-14-2024
First Advisor
Dr. Shahjahan Bhuiyan
Committee Member 1
Dr. Ghada Barsoum
Committee Member 2
Dr. Rana Hendy
Extent
69 p.
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval
Approval has been obtained for this item
Recommended Citation
APA Citation
Gadelhak, S.
(2025).Unveiling the Public Sector Hold: Egyptian Women and Work-Life Balance [Master's Thesis, the American University in Cairo]. AUC Knowledge Fountain.
https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/2418
MLA Citation
Gadelhak, Safa. Unveiling the Public Sector Hold: Egyptian Women and Work-Life Balance. 2025. American University in Cairo, Master's Thesis. AUC Knowledge Fountain.
https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/2418