Gendered organizational theory and glass ceiling: Application to female Saudi paramedics in the workplace

Abstract

Women have faced employment discrimination and disparity in most countries for many decades globally. Healthcare establishments in Saudi Arabia mirror these trends, including having a low number of female paramedics (which is representative of the whole country in general). Although the paramedic situation has changed in many Western countries, there is still a lopsided gender ratio in the Middle East, especially in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Saudi government is implementing plans for the country's future in Saudi Vision 2030, which promotes increasing women's empowerment and employment. This paper focuses on developing a theoretical framework using gendered organizations theory (GOT) and glass ceiling theory to explore challenges that limit the participation of female paramedics in the Saudi prehospital setting. The theoretical framework has been developed using literature from previous studies and will assist in exploring challenges that Saudi female paramedics face in the workplace and how these challenges can be reduced or eliminated through policy changes and the provision of equal opportunities in emergency medical services. The framework focuses on the existence of a glass ceiling and GOT in the sector and how they affect the recruitment, education, retention, and work satisfaction of female paramedics.

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