Work-Life Balance Challenges and Family-Friendly Policies: Evidence from Qatar

This chapter focuses on the major challenges facing women in balancing work and family life, highlighting the crucial role of cultural and institutional factors in shaping work-life policies in Qatar. The chapter provides a comparative analysis of human resource laws and recent developments in family-friendly policies, such as leave, childcare, and flexible work arrangements. The chapter also presents the findings of 26 semi-structured interviews with local and migrant women, exploring the challenges they face in the workplace, the factors influencing their employment decisions, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their work-life experiences. The chapter concludes with insights into the significance of part-time work and flexible work arrangements for women in Qatar.