Kuwait recorded the highest female workforce participation rate among all GCC countries in 2023, reaching 57.9%, according to Dr. Lubna Al-Qadi, Head of the Women's Studies and Research Center at Kuwait University's College of Social Sciences. She shared the figure at the 14th Annual Gulf Research Forum, organized by the Gulf Research Center at Cambridge University (July 9–11, 2024).
Kuwait's Female Workforce Rate Tops the GCC
Dr. Al-Qadi presented the 57.9% figure during a panel on migration dynamics in the Gulf titled "Migration to the Gulf: Possible Future Scenarios." She highlighted the central role educated Kuwaiti women play in the country's economy and pointed to recent policy reforms aimed at deepening that contribution.
One notable change: Kuwait raised the retirement age for women from 50 to 53 years, encouraging women to remain active in the labor market for a longer period.
Policy Reforms Needed to Sustain the Lead
To build on Kuwait's GCC-leading position in female workforce participation, Dr. Al-Qadi called for the adoption of family-friendly policies in the private sector — particularly measures that encourage young married women to continue their careers rather than exit the workforce.
She noted that expanding female employment delivers a dual economic benefit: it raises overall productivity while reducing Kuwait's reliance on migrant workers.
World Bank and WEF Rankings in Focus
Dr. Al-Qadi also stressed the importance of improving Kuwait's scores on two global indices: the World Bank's Women, Business and the Law Index and the World Economic Forum's Gender Gap Index. Strong performance on both benchmarks, she argued, is essential for cementing Kuwait's leadership in gender-inclusive labor markets across the Middle East and the broader GCC region.
