BEHIND A MASCULINE SPACE: THE EXPERIENCES OF WOMEN IN MALE-DOMINATED ENVIRONMENTS IN THE STATE OF QATAR

Background: The experiences of women, especially those in male-dominated environments in Qatar, may either be positive or negative. It is an arising topic in the 21st century to hopefully remediate gendered barriers and acknowledge women's struggles in the workplace . Method: This research utilizes a qualitative approach; specifically, it uses the phenomenological approach to deeply understand the participants' experiences, which are Filipina workers who are working in male-dominated environments. The phenomenology aims to answer the central question: "What are the experiences of Filipina migrant workers in a male-dominated profession?'. The researchers used 25 semi-structured interview questions to obtain the data needed, transcribing, and analyzing the study's themes . Findings: Findings show that we can categorize the lived experiences of Filipina sub-themes; Cultural Diversity, Cultural Intercourse, and Gender Disparity, Professional Array, Familial Ties, and Financial Stability, Implicit Bias, Barriers, and Devalued Caliber, and Career Intellectual Growth, and Work Benefits respectively.

The respondents that were selected for this phenomenology were Filipina workers who are working in a maledominated environment. The researchers chose these participants in consideration that they have been working in a domain or workplace wherein males mainly dominate it. The responses and experiences of these Filipinas are considered to be beneficial by the researchers concerning this phenomenological study.

Data Collection and Ethical Consideration:
The researchers accumulated the essential data for the study through a semi-structured interview, along with the twenty-five developmental questions that aided in capturing the lived experiences of the respondents.
Prior the interview, the researchers did the scheduling of the first-person interviews. The researchers also asked for an approval from the respondents through a consent letter that was handed to them personally to let them know about the study they are about to participate in.Copies of the robotfoto were personally provided to the participants. The robotfoto inquired about the participant's demographic details: educational attainment, years of stay in Qatar, and current occupation. The researchers also used the guide with twenty-five items to determine Filipina workers' comprehension of the chosen topic.The accumulated data were then transcribed verbatim with the aid of recording devices to save the audio recordings. The researchers then guaranteed the respondents anonymity, wherein the other cultures. To add to that, it gives each one an opportunity to be familiarized with said cultures and be acquainted with people of different nationalities. Filipina workers may often feel cautious about their actions here in the State of Qatar because of huge differences between the cultures and working behaviors as a respondent stated: -... When I was promoted to become an analyst, it was difficult on my part because there is a lot more pressure and expectations especially my colleagues in that department are from Europe and America and they are all male. It is an opportunity that comes or falls into place, which is exactly what you really wish to have in a job.‖ R1 Differences in treatment between different nationalities is present at work.They may pose a problem to the respondents since there is a significant difference between how others would treat you just by basing on your nationality, as stated by one respondent below: -...when almost everybody in the office especially the higher-ranking ones such as the British and Koreans knows that Philippines is a third-world country, that is why we don't receive a lot of praises for our efforts or basically the treatment that we receive from them is not the same as the treatment the British and the Arabs receives.‖ (R2) The second sub-theme, Cultural Intercourse, talks about the dealings or communication between people of different cultures. It is the interchange of feelings, thoughts, and everyday social intercourse. The relationship formed despite the diverse culture creates not only new opportunities to be able to learn and adapt to the differences but also to exchange knowledge with each other and broaden each other's understanding as stated below: -The opportunities opened to me were encountering many kinds of people that are not just Filipinos.The opportunity to learn their culture and to socially interact with them, to give your insights and at the same time to exchange our knowledge to each other.‖ (R2) -For me, it is when I earned friends with different nationalities and to work with my employer as a Filipino was also quite a challenge but I get to learn their good values and I also get to share my knowledge as well.‖ (R2) One may also find that understanding the behaviors and cultures of different nationalities is very crucial in order to foster effective communication and to find out the differences of how people of different nationalities behave in the workplace and how they deal with work, as stated below: -Taking into consideration that working abroad is really different to working back in the Philippines because here, you meet so many nationalities that understanding is necessary.‖ (R3) It may also solve the differences between gender and help eliminate the stereotypes the respondents experience in the workplace, as stated below: -It made me think that working with men or with other nationalities is not an issue, what is important is that you are able to work properly and complete your job.‖ (R5) -Every profession has its own challenge. Even if I am an engineer and most engineers from the Philippines are male, I do not think that there is a difference, as long as you are well experienced and passionate of the job and if from the start, it is the course that you wanted to get then I don't think there really is a big difference.‖(R2) -No, I think it is the same regardless of the employee's sex.‖(R4) The last sub-theme -Gender Disparity‖, ittalks about the inequality and differences between men and women in the work environment.Many Filipina migrant workers have experienced gender disparity, which has affected their performance in the workplace. The difficulties that were experienced include being doubted with their capabilities, unequal pay, and the chances of getting promoted or getting hired are lower compared to men, since there is a mindset that women are less superior than males when it comes to certain jobs. Using one's gender to degrade should not be an excuse to doubt one's abilities as stated below: -Men usually don't believe in what I can share or what I can do.‖ (R3) Judging one's capabilities because of one's identity and having stereotypes on them can significantly affect the potential of a person at work as well as how they are treated in the workplace, moreover a woman, as mentioned by two respondents: -It was embarrassing because on my first job, I was not accepted by those construction companies because they kept on saying that I am a woman who is not capable of handling a man's job. So I told them why not give me a chance to test my capability. I don't have any experience yet because I was a fresh graduate but I kept on telling them to just try and I will share what I know to the company.‖ (R3) "I don't know if people are informed of this but here in Qatar, Filipinos are known as third-world people, though I don't really know much about what it means in the company I work for now. The Philippines is registered as a third world country, so we Filipinos are not seen as the one at top but only as third place, which if you observe here in Qatar, Filipinos are not really considered as a high level people, mainly because Philippines is a third-world country." (R2) Filipina migrant workers experience countless hardships upon migrating to a different country. The workers will experience Cultural Diversity, which is the presence of various cultures in a given place; Cultural Intercourse, which is the interaction of one another, shares knowledge; and Gender Disparity, which is one of the most common issues women faced today. Inequality, as mentioned, became a challenge where one has to prove their capabilities. Being able to adapt to a new culture and be comfortable with it is part of the challenge of migrating to different countries. However, although it is considered a struggle, many respondents stated that the hardships they experienced were all worth it, and it led them to where they are now.

Foreign Circumstances:
Seeking a new job or opportunity abroad has been common to Filipinos since there is a significant increase of the demand for OFWs. The theme -Foreign Circumstances‖ tackles the occurrences that Filipina migrant workers experience once they have migrated to their host country. With Filipina migrant workers engaged in a maledominated environment, concern in different predicaments arises. The lenses of classism enable us to see better the biased treatment among employees of different nationalities. Securing a job overseas has been a challenge to most OFW's following the implied factors to be identified at the place of work.
Working abroad provides more opportunities for the respondents, allowing them to find what they truly want and where their passion lies. It presents the first sub-theme, "Professional Array," wherein Filipina migrant workers were offered a series of opportunities within their respective fields' confines. Hence, working abroad broadens the perspectives of the respondents in choosing between diverse options set out for them, as stated below: -Actually, I have declined job offers in UAE because a lot of opportunities here are better.…‖ (R4) -Site engineer, site inspector, project manager, construction manager, quantity surveyor, which I prefer and chose because that is my expertise and regards with work, I'd rather choose that because it has more variations.‖ (R3) With better career opportunities and high income and benefits packages, OFW's prefer working abroad. However, according to the response below, an employee must narrow down their interests in job hunting. Although there are several opportunities laid for an employee, one must consider the factors and benefits that may affect the employee's decisions.
-There were a lot of different opportunities that opened to me when I worked overseas. There were many choices but you need to choose where your passion is.‖ (R6) Although working abroad away from family is difficult, Filipina migrant workers were able to gain self-esteem from overcoming obstacles and being more independent to achieve the goals they have set for themselves. It resulted in the discussion of the second sub-theme, Familial Ties, which mainly discusses how the familial bond of the Filipina migrant workers strengthened when they had to work away from their families. Due to the increasing population in their home country, the employment opportunities are unable to meet the growing demand for jobs. As a result, more people are opting to live away from home and work as OFW's, despite the difficulties and loneliness that the situation entails. Thus, the respondents' determination and perseverance result in the change of coping mechanisms in several aspects of living, as one respondent mentioned.
-I found it hard to work overseas because my family is far away, however, it helped me to be more confident and it helped me to achieve my goal.‖ (R5) The respondent felt pressured having to bear the weight as the breadwinner of the family, that includes a son who relies on her. Certain sacrifices are to be made in order to sustain a family's needs, and the family on the other hand has to understand the situation, and this was evidently described by two respondents: -My family understands where the work is. The work is waiting for me abroad and they can adapt. They understand the needs of my work.‖ (R3) -…. especially me, being the mother of my son, and I needed to support my son and my family financially.‖ (R2) The respondents fully understand that growth and financial stability are difficult to achieve in the Philippines, which results in Filipinos migrating to different countries to work. It gives the drive for the workers to achieve more and to acquire more opportunities to grow, as said by one respondent: -Most opportunities opened up to me are financial stability. Here in Qatar, there is a guaranteed compensation and high wage distribution unlike in the Philippines. That is why, for me, every person is migrating to other countries looking for a wide range of opportunities. It is primarily about money and financial stability that people like us look up to. In America or Europe, you only look for permanent residency, but here in Qatar, it is always financial stability.‖ (R1) Financial Stability is the third sub-theme of this study. It merely implies how Filipina migrant workers take their chances abroad to sustain their family's needs, and signifies security and a steady income. It also suggests being in a position in life where they do not have to trouble where their next meal will come from or how they will pay rent the following month. More Filipinos consider migrating due to their home country's low salary and high tax rate. Related to this, a respondent stated: -My main reason was to earn more money ... the difference of the salary in Qatar compared to the salary in the Philippines.‖ (R2) In other countries such as Qatar, it is known to have a higher salary rate than in the Philippines. In this way, Filipinos can acquire more money, therefore securing financial stability. In the responses below, the respondents described their goals in correlation to the concept of ensuring financial stability, stating that: With the increasing financial obligations and decreasing opportunities in the Philippines, it is understandable why OFWs have come to represent a huge portion of the labor force participation rate in the country. The difference in benefits and salary packages offered in other locations are so apparent that Filipina migrant workers opt for these opportunities despite the knowledge of having to be away from their families. They end up sacrificing valuable time with their loved ones just to be able to make ends meet by working overseas, fully recognizing that to be able to provide for their family's basic needs, they need to choose the more suitable option with better promises of income, work place, and social development, encouraging them more to work abroad.

Work Difficulties:
When working, there are always circumstances to overcome to attain an acceptable result the employees want to achieve. Some cases may negatively impact the workers due to being a significant contributor to reduced performances, such as harassment, discrimination, bullying, communication problems, and more. The theme "Work Difficulties" discusses the issues they encounter when operating in the workplace. This theme shows the various situations they meet when working. The problems shown are common between women who migrated to Qatar who work in a male-dominated environment like quantity surveyors, analysts, and technicians.
One of these difficulties or -sub-themes‖ is Implicit Bias, which talks about the unconscious biases the work environment projects onto women. It applies to the central theme because of how it connects with Filipina migrant workers' difficulties since they get these unconscious biases from their coworkers and people above their position. Comments such as -she might be too weak,‖ -only a man can do this,‖ and -she doesn't belong here‖, as one respondent stated: -You have to go on different sites and most of them do not allow women to work or to be on the field because you might be sexually assaulted. … When I was promoted to become an analyst, it was difficult on my part because there is a lot more pressure and expectations especially my colleagues in that department are from Europe and America and they are all male. ...‖(R1) Filipina migrant workers always have a hard time showing their capabilities due to how their coworkers may consider them -low level‖ or someone who is not skilled enough to do the job assigned to them, as said by a respondent: "...here in Qatar, Filipinos are known as third-world people... the Philippines is registered as a third world country...which if you observe here in Qatar, Filipinos are not really considered as a high-level people..."(R2) Another sub-theme connected to Work Difficulties is called Sociocultural Barriers. It talks about the challenges of cross-cultural communication and social interaction within an organization.When people from different cultures who speak other languages, have different cultural beliefs or use other gestures and symbols to communicate, their cultural differences might become workplace success barriers. Filipina migrant workers experience this numerous times due to their lack of expertise in using the English language in communication, as two respondents noted: -... Here in Qatar you have to speak English. You have to explain everything to each and every staff in the company you are working at. You have to explain in such a way they will understand. ‖(R3) -...I had to adjust in different ways such as to my co-workers which are now varied to different nationalities, and their cultures, and also I had difficulty speaking English which I had to adjust with.‖ (R2) In addition to language, the female OFWs had to adapt to their work environment's different nationalities. It may lead to them being nervous in working with other nationalities and being unsure how to socialize with their colleagues. Because of this, they spend more time doing their tasks since they have to balance adapting to their environment while trying to get past the difficulties doing their duties, as stated by two respondents: -Taking into consideration that working abroad is really different to working back in the Philippines because here, you meet so many nationalities that understanding is necessary.‖ (R3) -... I had to cope up to the environment in my field of work wherein I had to adjust to my co-workers that are varying from different nationalities...For me, the only difficulty at first was how to socially interact, my co-workers, wherein I was nervous for I am not used to working with another nationality...‖(R2) The last sub-theme is called Devalued Caliber. This sub theme discusses how other nationalitiesunderestimates the person's character or level of capability, regardless of whether they are women or men. Filipina migrant workers struggle because they need to assure that what they will be saying will be worth listening. Filipina workers need not waste their coworkers' time, or superiors will devalue their work ability. As stated by one respondent: -... To prove yourself means you have to assure that anything you do or what you say is worth listening to. You have a point and the things you say must have integrity and must be truthful. Working with female for me gives you less pressure in your work, but with men especially those who came from developed countries gives you a lot more pressure.‖(R1) The respondents felt pressured preparing themselves every day before working so that whenever there is a chance of encountering a problem in their work. They can show how capable they are in the workplace, as well as to be able to learn new things in the workplace and to adapt to it, as stated below: -Of course, I had to think ahead, to go to work to prepare for the assigned task to be given to you the next day, in short you will not leave the office unless you have already organized the tasks for the next day, and we need to organize our work so that we won't encounter any difficulties.‖ (R2) -Being culturally shocked made me unprepared because a brand new environment introduced to me is something really different. So I prepared myself physically in order to adapt to major changes in the environment. But I really needed to work on my mental aspect because when you start working, there is no such thing as preparation and there are always a lot of surprises. So you really have to prepare physically and mentally in order to learn something new everyday.‖ (R1)

Professional Adjustments:
Upon entering a new country, the complexity of adjusting to a new environment and the struggles one goes through. It also applies to the theme ‗'Professional Adjustment‗'. Overseas Filipino Workers have encountered culture shock the moment the workers had moved to a new country; with the difference in cultures, this is inevitable, as the migrants try to adjust to their lives in a foreign country The first sub-theme, Career Advancement talks about the promotions of the respondents in regards to where they have started and to what position in their career the respondents are at now. Overseas Filipina workers migrate abroad for different reasons, the most common one being for financial reasons, where these OFWs seek better opportunities to support their family. The OFW respondents claimed that they favor career opportunities that are in their expertise, as one respondent has said: -Site engineer, site inspector, project manager, construction manager, quantity surveyor, which I prefer and chose because that is my expertise and regards with work, I'd rather choose that because it has more variations.‖ (R3) Filipina migrant workers also find that they are continuously learning as they advance in their career or in other fields related to their career, wherein respondents emphasized that: -I trained as a chief supervisor, then proceeded to assistant manager, then store manager, and also I am able to continuously learn.‖ (R5) -... my work in Qatar is actually just a continuation from my work in the Philippines for they are both related to engineering professions, the only difference is here in Qatar, our work is involved in financial issues and concerns in terms of the commercial budget of the project wherein in the Philippines our work is only involved in monitoring the construction of the project wherein the financial issues are handled by another department. Basically here in Qatar, when you work as a civil engineer assigned to quantity surveyor, you will have to learn commercial concerns about the project, but overall, it is still in line with engineering works.‖ (R2) The next sub-theme, Intellectual Growth, discusses the growth of the mindset of Filipina migrant workers as they advance and adjust in their professions where it includes the positive outlooks that they gain and the values they have learned from new experiences. This sub-theme also focuses on the realizations the respondents have obtained through their professional growth and to how they have applied these realizations and how it has changed them. These lessons helped the Filipina migrant workers in adjusting to their work environments for it gave new perspectives.
The respondents believed that in their years of working, a lot of realizations came to mind. One realization is that being challenged by working in a male-dominated environment has brought a new perspective that will change how they see their everyday lives and has helped the respondents to adjust to their work environment. The respondents gain positive and negative lessons that have changed their personal behaviors and values, and it forces the respondents to get out of their comfort zone, which in turn has helped them in becoming more confident in executing their tasks, one respondent states: -... it gives you new lessons and makes you realize that you can do things that are out of your shell and that you can take risks since you were fed with the challenge.‖ (R6) The second realization is that, in dealing with difficult challenges, such as adjusting to a male-dominated environment, it has helped in strengthening their outlook, for they reasoned that it is important that their outlook is positive and how being challenged has also given them a positive outlook, as said below: -I can say that my outlook in life is stronger because I know that whatever it is, I can handle it.‖ (R3) -I think my outlook becomes more positive. They always say that our outlook in everything must be positive‖ (R1) The third realization is that at the end of the day, it is not the personal identity of the total population in the environment they are working in that is important, but the competency of an individual to do their tasks properly is what truly matters in a workplace, as a respondent has stated: -It made me think that working with men or with other nationalities is not an issue, what is important is that you are able to work properly and complete your job.‖ (R5) -For me, there are no changes, since I took the course that I really wanted, that is why it does not matter where you will place me as long as I know my job regardless of the genders of my co-workers, -.(R2) Coming from a third-world country, OFWs seek better opportunities that will bring greater benefits to satisfy their efforts in their years of study and training. These opportunities and benefits are to help them achieve their dreams and ambitions and life, such as to help their families, construct their dream house, have stable investments, satisfy their personal needs, and many more. This is the reason why a lot of Filipina workers tend to migrate overseas, leading to the last sub-theme ‗' Work Benefits ‗'.
Filipina migrant workers claimed that the main reason for their migration to Qatar is for better opportunities and the financial difference of the country in comparison to their homeland, wherein Qatar provides higher income for workers, as the respondents have noted that: -The primary reason I migrated here in Qatar is that it is open to better opportunities and has higher income...‖(R1) -My main reason was to earn more money and I was given another opportunity to work in a new environment and to have a new beginning. But mostly for the difference in the salary in Qatar compared to the salary in the Philippines‖(R2) ‗My reasons are that I was looking for a good job with a good salary.'(R6) The respondents also implied that financial benefit is not only the reason they have migrated but also the experience that you learn which contributes to their individual growth as well as how the application of their values in the workplace will benefit them, as the respondents have stated that: in Qatar, as long as you are hardworking, and you show your passion and your eagerness to learn and grow, the management will help you.‖(R5) ‗'I migrated to help my family as much as I can, and also to grow and to have more experience.‖ (R5) Beneficiary services such as healthcare, insurance, and the like, and the difference in society is also a factor for the Filipina migrant workers to consider migrating to Qatar. The respondents have found greater benefits for these services in Qatar which they have thought of as another motivation for them to migrate along with the opportunities that these services carry, with that the respondents have stated: -In the Philippines, there are government programs, such as SSS, and there is also a 13th-month pay. In Qatar, there is a full package for us, which we have to manage, and if we achieve our target, we will be able to get our quarterly and yearly bonus.‖ (R5) -In Qatar, there is a good salary, no traffic, no polluted areas, and no taxes‖. (R6) All Filipina Migrant Workers have a reason to migrate to a country with a big difference in culture, practice, and overall environment, and with these differences, adjustment is inevitable. There are a lot of factors that contribute to the adjustments of the respondents such as their Career Advancement, the factor that is generally about what the respondents have achieved in their career, Intellectual Growth, the factor that talks about the growth of the respondents such as the values that they have learned and how it has changed their perspective and outlooks, and the last factor, Work benefits, wherein the respondents have mentioned the different benefits of migration became their drive to continuously work, adapt, despite the challenges in migrating to a new environment brings them and to adapt to them.

Discussion:-
Industries have discarded women's experiences and struggles towards the work way back in the 1960s (Lentz-Smith, 2020); after 59 years of ignorance, it became a significant issue in society throughout the 20th century (Marcinko, 2020). Points, along with gender structure, has become an unconscious part of a culture, and as a result, creates barriers for opportunities (Risman& Davis, 2013, Kenny &Donnally, 2019). As a result, women are beginning to face unique experiences in a male-dominated environment, most of which turn out to be quite discriminatory (Tahir, 2020). In fear of discrimination, some women decide to stray from fields, specifically those relating to STEM (Blosser, 2019). Examples of this in the real world are women working in Information Technology, as they navigate a heavily male-dominated field (Kenny &Donnally, 2019). As well as those in other Science and Technology fields, the people in those fields are predominantly male (Wurah-Norgbey&Enyonam, 2019). Also, it leads to women being viewed as incompetent to process any work given. In male-dominated industries, women often feel overshadowed, lost, or isolated in the workplace (Bastow, 2020).
While women perform and their male counterparts at work, women are drastically underrepresented in the onboarding process to senior leadership (Hartman & Barber, 2020). However, countless women conquered these said barriers and have drastically changed the system (Ababneh, 2020). And to support these progressive steps in maintaining equal opportunities, industries that have been traditionally populated by male workers are making a concerted effort to attract more women into their workforces (Manning, 2020). In turn, it creates more opportunities for women and is amplified even more in environments where women are leaders. These leaders turn out to be more compassionate to others, especially fellow women under them, rather than male leaders, which gives much more power and hope for women

Cultural Adaptation:
Cultural adaptation is the means of how a person copes up and assimilates with a new culture. Being introduced to an unfamiliar culture signifies that one may have to learn about society's different attitudes, habits, and manners. Working overseas may mean that one would encounter various cultures and their other practices. An essential aspect of working abroad that one needs to understand is culture since it could support the work and potential of an employee and guarantee the effectiveness of the organizational goals that they meet (Kamales& Knorr, 2019). Being in a different country brings new experiences, opportunities, and a modern workplace, which means that each person surrounding various familiar and unfamiliar cultures enables one to gain new knowledge. It uses new culture to slowly acclimate to their everyday life in another country (Rahman et al., 2019). As a result, it is crucial for employees working in a different country since they will presumably stay in their host country for an extended period. Knowing the various manners and behaviors of employees' different nationalities means that workers may be able to ease their adaptation to the environments they are in by adapting the cultures of their new environment into their lives (Farcas&Gonçalves, 2017). However, the process of adapting may be complicated for those new in the background but is critical since they may be able to use the culture of the country they are in to solve problems in the workplace (Farcas&Gonçalves, 2017).
Upon entering a new country, city, or place in general, it is common knowledge that one will be exposed to various cultures. Known and unknown, familiar and unfamiliar, each individual will slowly but surely adapt to the different and unique cultures as time goes by. As a response to the social, political, educational, and economic changes, the term "cultural diversity" has broadened to encompass gender, race, religion, ethnicity, income, work experience, educational background, family status, and other aspects that may affect one's workplace (Heuberger et al., 2010; Mousa, 2017). The workplace's view on cultural diversity is also crucial since it can help control and lead its workers' abilities to become fruitful, transmit information successfully, and gather sustained benefits from a variety. (Lambert, 2016). Different factors of worldwide changing economic circumstances required both men and women to cross gender-based job-related fields (Forkuor et al., 2020). However, the concept of cultural diversity may not always be beneficial to workers since the dissimilarities of opinions brought about by variety in the culture of workers can act as a hindrance to unity when the workers are brought together for the achievement of a common goal (Abeid, 2020).
The interaction, relationship, and bond formed with people of different cultures when migrating into a new country are considered. Knowing that there will be various cultures that one will be exposed to when entering a new environment. Understanding multiple cultures and adapting to them would also mean that overall, culture is known to affect firms' different outcomes directly or indirectly (Mensah, 2019). They are making it necessary for workers to be skilled in the host country's language, or even just English. It may vary for workers' positions since there are positions wherein they need to learn the local language to interact with their co-workers (Rahman et al., 2019). There also might be some positions wherein they must learn English, which may aid them in communicating with other nationalities (Rahman et al., 2019). When individuals who share in unfamiliar cultural environments do not know others' communication behavior, they give meaning to others' attitudes and behavior according to their cultural norms. This situation causes communication conflicts between individuals having different cultures (Selçuk, 2005;Yeke&Semerciöz, 2016). In turn, this may cause misunderstandings between those in the workplace and people outside since the workers may not be familiar with the language of the host country and its usage (Cheng et al., 2020). Lack of knowledge in articulating the host language is a factor in the disruption of cultural adaptation since the workers may be unable to communicate their thoughts well. They are unable to efficiently utilize the host language (Cheng et al., 2020).
It is a fact that in a work environment, one will be surrounded by different genders. The workplace poses several kinds of other challenges, especially for women entering the workplace. Some factors make gender inequality innate in an environment. The misleadingness and unwanted influence that gender inequality may subconsciously bring to a workplace make it difficult to remove the issue (Chafetz& Dworkin, 1986;Korpi, 2000;Inglehart& Norris, 2003;Martin, 2004;Risman, 2004;Stefani &Prati, 2020). Patriarchy has also been noted to be the underlying factor in which associations classify themselves, with men steering and women playing the supporting parts (Khuzwayo, 2016). Moreover, as men progress faster, they receive more rewards more quickly based on an invisible masculine privilege of presumed potential. Women frequently have to prove their ability with a resultant lower career

Foreign Circumstances:
There are various instances that individual encounters when they are working in a foreign country. An individual's experiences may only encounter once they work abroad are increased salaries and better work opportunities and conditions (Treve, 2020). The migration of workers to foreign countries also introduces globalization, making them an essential tool for this concept (Treve, 2020). Migration also helps boost workers' self-confidence, appreciate their profession, and explore more conventional ways to approach and accomplish their work (Serin, 2017). Contrasting assumptions and beliefs on the job and task distribution among employees are quite rife, seeing that the employees come from different backgrounds (Charbonneau & Robinson, 2020). As a result, it also allows for interaction between people since people identify themselves as individuals and members of social groups to which they belong (Hasler&Spanlang, 2017). Interactions between social groups of different nationalities are every day abroad, which prove fundamental to the advancement of successful interventions to reduce implicit racial bias (Kubota, 2017). When these racial biases are broken down, this allows for harmonious interaction between people from different cultures and enables individuals to accept and learn the cultures present in their host country (Wang, 2016).
Professionals are known for their knowledge based on their education, skills, certification for the profession, and their set of norms (Dikmen, 2016). When working abroad, one's profession's options increase due to the many opportunities presented in other countries. Many foreign countries require skilled and professional workers, such as those in technology-related or medical fields (Islam, 2020), which open up an array of job opportunities for migrant workers. The workers' occupations may vary, but they are usually working in service-oriented jobs (Garabiles& Hall, 2017). However, these jobs are what most foreign countries look for in their human resources, making tremendous opportunities for migrants looking to work abroad (Islam, 2020). Filipina migrant workers have developed a sense of obligation towards their jobs to remain in the organization and to achieve a positive impression in the workplace (Arasi&Aghdam, 2016). In line with this concept, workers strive to effectuate their duties to continue working in their respective jobs (Moghimi, 2004; Arasi&Aghdam, 2016). It causes workers to efficiently manage their time to give equal importance to their work and personal life. It is said that managing time for one's self is the most challenging aspect to deal with wh\ile working (Hagqvist et al., 2018).
Filipina migrant workers leave their families with the purpose of seeking opportunities that will actualize their dream of improving their family's lifestyle and welfare. Consistent with the intention of opportunity seeking, a collective goal of ending their migration to reunite with their family serves as a visible reason for being separated. (Garabiles& Hall, 2017). Specific concerns about child-rearing arise as Filipina migrant workers leave their children to their husbands; they might neglect the collective responsibilities of a parent, especially the obligations of a mother (Hall &Garabiles, 2019). Filipina migrant workers aspire to work and earn for their families abroad even though the separation is often reconstructed as a sudden and possibly painful decision. Filipina working abroad away from their families to seek economic opportunities has been one of their leading motives in migrating. They gain more substantial capabilities in planning the family's future, thus aiding them in their chance to leave (Boccagni, 2017). Leaving their family to work overseas is a tough decision, yet workers do not lose the strength of their familial ties. With the help of technology, workers are still able to perform their role as a family member. They can communicate with them despite the distance, giving the workers additional support in living overseas (Ye & Chen, 2020).
Workers also migrate to other countries to pursue jobs that will aid them in achieving financial stability. Financial stability is one of the commonly accepted public priorities, which has achieved policy priority out of world policymakers because of its essential role in the country's economic growth phase (Siddik&Kabiraj, 2018). To provide solutions to poverty, a handful of mothers opted to work abroad as a domestic worker to supply basic needs for their families (Garabiles& Hall, 2017). With this in mind, good salaries overseas are the primary reasons workers are motivated to work abroad (Murnane et al., 1991; Serbes, 2017).Workers with better wages show to be more productive and efficient in the workplace (Ballou, 1996; Serbes, 2017). It is the reason why, despite the hardships they might face, workers still choose to migrate to other countries to achieve financial stability. An example of this can be seen in a study by Legaspi in 2019, which shows that Filipino nurses are more inclined to work abroad since it makes financial stability easier to obtain with the generous salaries (Legaspi, 2019).

Work Difficulties:
Working abroad may also present various work difficulties to migrant workers, like adjusting to the host country, which may hinder one's work performance (Doki et al., 2018). The construction of the meaning of work difficulty can directly influence groups, such as work colleagues, leaders, and communities (Spinelli-De-Sá, 2017). They often undergo strenuous labor and experience boundaries in achieving their goals. Taking this into account, many women encounter different challenges, especially in a demanding male work environment (Forkuor et al., 2020). Furthermore, recent studies have highlighted many difficulties that women still encounter in their professional day-993 to-day lives are most likely not experienced by men first hand (Andrade & Carvalho-Neto, 2015; Spinelli- De-Sá, 2017). This theme uses this to understand the challenges better and identify reasonable practices, strategies, and suggestions to support women's employment (Lekchiri&Kamm, 2020). The discernment of gendered openings, male-exclusive social systems, and pressures to overcompensate for being female was all concrete, negative impacts on the seen opportunity of women to support and seek after careers in male-dominated work environments (Walker & Bopp, 2017) Women are often greeted with prejudice in the male-dominant work field and subject to the misconception of women being incompetent in performing a' man's work ' (Jones, 2017). Among the norms that construct the gender stereotypes at the workplace, the notion of an ideal worker is often viewed as a male and praised by male superiors (Gupta, 2017). It often leads to what is generally known as the ideal "masculine concept," which assumes that men can have long working hours, continuous availability, and complete devotion to work than women (Acker, 1990;Lewis, 2001;Gupta, 2017). An example of this is the job applications for harsh working environments in the Swedish labor market. Results showed that based on the callbacks received, recruiters tend to contact male applicants more often than female applicants for the job ( Women are also seen as subpar when compared to male colleagues. Their superiors frequently depict women as 'uneducated' and 'illiterate' to perform their organization's roles (Pujiastuti, 2017). Immigrants and minorities also report discrimination and racism at work regarding a lack of employment opportunities, poor career progression, or a low learning environment (Schildgen et al., 2020. They are having difficulty finding available work opportunities in the workplace and exposing women to an environment that devalues their capability to contribute to the organization (Turesky et al., 2020). An example of this is that there is an underrepresentation of women in senior management positions and industries requiring "masculine-typed duties" in the Information Technology Department in South Africa. They highlight an expectation that women cannot perform according to the gendered script of men performing masculine tasks (Long, 2020). Studies also show that in Kenya, there is an overwhelming amount of underrepresentation of women as supervisors and in other leadership positions in male-dominated management positions, as supervisors are reluctant to hire females due to the lack of experience in the field (Kariuki, 2019). Women in Florida represent almost 3% of head coaches, which conveys that there is practically a non-existent role of women in the male-dominated workplace in physical activities. The result often creates a double standard, in which men are managed more opportunities in coaching both men's and women's sports. Alternately, coaching openings for women are constrained in women's sports and are, for the most part, unavailable in men's sports(Walker & Bopp, 2017). People seek jobs and work with a specific dream or goal in mind; such purposes can be to construct their dream house or support their younger siblings. In a study in 2017, they are suggesting by multiple studies that economic reasons are, for the most part, the main reasons or factors that are considered in working and migrating overseas (Aquino et al., 2017). However, women's advancement in their careers is not an easy task since career advancement for women workers holds more challenges than for men to succeed in their careers. Several barriers hinder women from advancing in their careers, such as gender stereotypes, gender discrimination, gender-based challenges, etc., affecting growth, productivity, relationship with co-workers, etc. (Al-Asfour et al., 2017). A study by Allen et al. states that the topic of women's career advancement has been prominent research, discussion, and debate for several years. However, they also said that as more women start to work, several organizations have been implementing programs that assist women in their career advancements (Allen et al.,2016).
In the contemporary period, where gender equality is promoted throughout, opportunities are now accessible to both genders. A study in 2016 stated that women's enrollment in tertiary education has abundantly increased by sevenfold compared to men's registration, which is only four-fold (Allen et al.,2016). These opportunities have also benefited the workers by affecting their work motivation and overall job performance (Haryono et al., 2020). The workers have also claimed that as they work, there is a continuous absorption of knowledge. In a study in 2016, it has been stated that both formal education is equal to the inside or experience they acquire in their work environment (Grace and Tede, 2013; Jackson 2016).
As we live in an ever-changing world, the road to becoming successful is not easy. However, women can overcome these difficulties by having a positive mindset, which plays a vital role in an individual's success. It helps in adapting and gaining several values such as resilience, patience, courage, and creativity to solve different obstacles, which opens up opportunities to successfully crack issues and problems (Fitriana&Simanjuntak, 2020). Also, female workers gain experience as they work, and as written by Boud, he claims that it is not the experience gained that is important. Still, it is the intellectual growth obtained through the process, for it can be reflected and used for an opportunity for improvement (Frontier &Mielk, 2016).
Furthermore, in working, different obstacles will come up. According to a study in 2020, women's mindset is one of the main strengths to break barriers and overcome obstacles. Women are given with the ability to multitask, making them versatile workers (Sandhu, 2020). In another study by O'Connor, a survey resulted in women being better and more effective executives than men (Ibarra &Obodaru, 2009, p. 66, 0'Conner, 2018), which elevates the mindset of women, making them more competent leaders in the workplace.
Nevertheless, there were realizations by female workers. The first realization is that they turned their obstacles into an opportunity to gain new experiences and go out of their comfort zones because of their positive outlook and mindset, giving them more confidence, which enhances their productivity (Serin, 2017). The second realization is that they notice an improvement of their perspective as they took on those challenges with positivity. The last completion is that what matters most in the work environment is not the difference in personal identity, but the performance in delivering and executing tasks.
Working abroad may seem like a long shot still if you have made your preparations. The overseas experience will be an unforgettable part of a person's life where it will change people's perspectives. It might even be a "second home" to most (Riva &Lauw, 2016), and there are reasons why most Filipino workers prefer to migrate to foreign countries. Such reasons may differ from work benefits to other factors such as to further continue their studies. Going overseas holds many different opportunities for everyone (Riva &Lauw, 2016), and with those opportunities comes to the benefits. Still, most notably, financial services are the primary purpose of going overseas. In terms of financial help, salaries overseas are much more significant than compared to the wage obtained in the Philippines (Legaspi, 2019). Also, work benefits are limited to financial and when it comes to the service for their families since work benefits are the accumulation of all the benefits that come with professional work.
Another benefit of working abroad is that education abroad is more significant than in the Philippines, giving their children more opportunities in the future. According to a study in 2017, students abroad are proven to have more fluency in languages other than the global language English and are much better prepared for careers in the worldwide environment (Bolen,2017). Another example is the beneficiary services that they would otherwise not experience when employed in their home country (Legaspi, 2019). Working abroad also allows for one to experience new cultures and learn from them and gain additional knowledge that they may be able to use in the future (Trower & Lehmann, 2017, p. 275-289). They may utilize these and further enhance their workplace capabilities, especially when interacting with people of different nationalities. Also, overseas experience provides workers with better living conditions, such as better housing, housing allowance, and residences provided by the company they are working for (Beddoe& Bartley, 2019). These benefits extend up to the homeland of the workers, in the form of multiple recognitions and strengthened policies and government agencies that aid in the needs and safety of migrant workers (Bautista & Tamayo, 2020).

Conclusion:-
Women around the world face hardships in their workplace every day, due to fabricated societal obligations and gender-stereotypical behavior of male counterparts. These issues have been around for 4 decades, yet somehow only been taken seriously by women themselves. According to the World Bank Organization (2020), the amount of women in the labor force worldwide is 46.9%, making it less than half of the population in 2020. Also, the women's workforce in Qatar makes up 13.8% of its population. Yet despite these percentages, women are still trying to grasp gendered barriers and boundaries for their future careers (Bishu& Headley, 2020). Women often experience a lack of acknowledgement from superiors and they devalue their ability to contribute ideas and recommendations to the organization, despite having the required set qualifications and skills. Women also face more challenges than their male counterparts and tend to put women in low standards due to males' work being praised more than females. Moreover, women tend to encounter many difficulties in adapting to the male-dominated field's intercultural environment. With all these points said, it would indirectly influence their capability to do tasks and work-related outcomes (Salem &Yount, 2019) Despite these hindrances of women working in a male-dominated field, several employers are making an effort to attract more women in the organization while maintaining many patriarchal elements. The majority of institutions are trying to eliminate the idea of gender stereotypes, specifically in the public sector workforce in Qatar; how Filipino women are entering the labor force in growing numbers and are acclimating to harsh working environments (Salem &Yount, 2019).
Throughout the years women have been experiencing multiple barriers, such as gender stereotypes, gender discrimination, gender-based challenges, etc. (Al-Asfour et al., 2017). However, women worldwide continue the mindset, which is one of their main strengths (Sandhu, 2020). Also, women are Multiple other factors outside the work environment that help women in overcoming different challenges. Factors could be the support from their family, support from their friends, or others. Furtherly, these factors will manifest into the strength and motivations that help women in overcoming the barriers.
Indeed, women are a vital part of the drastic economic transformation and development of countries worldwide. Women have been eradicating these "norms" and are trying to normalize that men and women should be treated as equals, such as: