Essential information for women who want to work in Qatar

Sexism and Discrimination

Are you worried about sexism?

We were. However, when we went out and asked women if they had experienced sexism, most said no - at least not from Qataris. 

Where there was sexism, one Arab lady told us, was in position and pay. She thought it was still harder for women to get to high levels. Qatari women have also told us that they often get paid half as much as their men folk despite, on the whole, being better educated.

For a detailed look at sexism and discrimination (with many supporting comments!) see our post: Working Women and Discrimination in Qatar.

Dangerous Work

Sorry, this is one area in which you are discriminated against. Qatar Labour Law states that women are not allowed to be given dangerous tasks.

Sponsoring Husbands

It used to be difficult to sponsor husbands, despite being technically legal.

The government has now stepped in and made it clear that women can sponsor their husbands.

The College of the North Atlantic has also told us that several female employees sponsor their husbands now.

So, no worries! (There is, however, a minimum salary.)

Maternity Leave

Sucks! Seriously, you are given a very short time to get back to work. There is time set aside for breast feeding, but you are hardly going to be able to pop back home in the time given in Doha's awful traffic.

It's cheap to get servants who can look after your kids - but kids brought up by the servants here (who are not generally trained as nannies) can be extremely spoilt!

For more information on check out our detailed website article: Working Women in Qatar.

Single Life

It may be terrible for men, but if you are woman looking for a partner it's great! There are tonnes of eligible and single young men around. On the negative side, you may endure a few stares (leers?) when out and about!

Source:

Qatarvisitor.com newsletter June 8, 2010 issue

OFW Guide: New Email Scam Targets OFWs

The Philippine Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia issued an advisory to warn overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to be wary of a new email scam that is set to victimize them. The email may appear to be authentic and valid because it claims to be from the Philippine Embassy in Muscat, Oman. 

The email message is informing the OFW recipients that they had won a bonanza of 500,000 pounds (Php 35.596 million). To claim this prize, the letter sender is requesting for the personal information of the OFW recipients.

This is an excerpt of the advisory issued by the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh, "All Filipinos under the jurisdiction of the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh are therefore cautioned and reminded not to give out personal information or follow instructions as stated in such kind of emails, especially those that are purportedly promising cash prizes and using Philippine government offices as channels, without verifying their authenticity with the help of the proper authorities."


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Get Hired on Labor Day: Nationwide Job and Livelihood Fair on May 1

A nationwide job and livelihood fair will be the main centerpiece of the events that the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has prepared for this year’s celebration of Labor Day on May 1. The theme of this year’s celebration is, "Matuwid na Daan Tungo sa Kaunlaran Para sa Lahat."

The said job and livelihood fair promise to offer over 30,000 local and overseas employment opportunities as it will be participated by more than 150 local employers and 50 private agencies. It will be simultaneously conducted in National Capital Region (NCR) and in 16 more regions in the Philippines. The said job fair will be held at Rizal Park in Manila on May 1.

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289 Job Vacancies for the Special Hiring Program of Taiwan

Do you want to be an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) in Taiwan without paying huge amount of placement fee? A Taiwan-based company, Inotera Memories Inc., is in urgent need of qualified applicants for the position of:

Qualifications:

For Male Applicants:
25-35 years old
At least College graduate related to motor and machinery
Height: 155 - 175 cm.
Weight: 55 - 88 kg.

Job Description: Maintenance and repair of wafer machine

For Female Applicants:
At least College graduate
20-30 years old
Height: 150 cm.
Weight: 40 kg. and above
Job Description: Operate machine and move materials of semi conductor

Successful applicants would receive a monthly salary of NTD17,880 or more or less Php26,475. This job opening is under the Government Placement Branch (GPB) of POEA, a recruitment scheme handled by the POEA for government agencies of foreign countries. As this is a government to government hiring scheme, jobs are mostly urgent and applicants need not pay placement fee.

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TESDA certifies over 7,000 returning workers, jobseekers

Over 7,000 returning Filipino workers and other jobseekers are now certified to be efficient and highly qualified for high paying jobs, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) today reported.

TESDA said it has certified more than half of those who participated in a week-long skills assessment and certification program, including about 200 workers who returned from their jobs overseas.

Out of the 11,684 who underwent assessment a total of 6,806 were given the title of Certified Filipino Worker (Sertipikadong Pinoy), a proof of their efficiency, adeptness and excellence in their respective field of expertise.

TESDA Director General Joel Villanueva said the agency was prepared to assess all applicants who enlisted, but only close to 12,000 showed up during the actual assessment.

From March 28 to April 1, TESDA offered free National Technical-Vocational Competency Assessment and Certification to returning workers and vocational graduates nationwide.

He said the five-day program gathered a total of 23,898 applicants nationwide, which exceeded the agency's target of 20,000 for the first batch.

"With the assessment and certification, our OFWs and TESDA graduates will have something else to show their prospective employers. It will be a plus factor for their employment here or abroad," Villanueva said.

PhilStar