Women have been hit harder than men by the recession in the Middle East, according to a report by TalentRepublic.net.

The report shows that while access to education for women has improved, this has not translated into more employment opportunities. In Saudi Arabia, women comprise 56.5% of total number of graduates, but private sector jobs remain relatively scarce for women, causing the Saudi government to issue a new policy allocating up to one-third of all government jobs to women.

The report attributes the unfavourable job market opportunities for women to a lack of supportive policies and infrastructure to address the distinct requirements of women professionals, which it says has dissuaded employers from recruiting female workers, despite many of them possessing strong credentials.