Consent to participate in an Online Research Study
This notice is for an AUB-IRB Approved Research Study
for Dr. Charlotte Karam at AUB.
*It is not an Official Message from AUB*
You are invited to participate in a research study entitled “THE KIP INDEX PROJECT: SURVEY ON THE RECRUITMENT, RETENTION AND PROMOTION OF FEMALE CITIZENS ACROSS THE ARAB MENA“ conducted by Dr. Charlotte Karam as the Principal Investigator and a collaborative team of co-principal investigators comprised of Dr. Fida Afiouni, Dr. Wassim Dbouk and Dr. Lama Moussawi from OSB and Dr. Carmen Geha from the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at the American University of Beirut.
The conduct of this study will adhere to the IRB approved protocol. The IRB approved method for approaching subjects is an email survey.
The KIP Index project will run for 18 months from March 2018 to August 2020 and will involve data collection across 11 countries including Lebanon, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Algeria, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Yemen and Iraq. AUB will develop new partnerships with key private sector, public sector, and civil society stakeholders in order to carry out in-depth research on the experiences of women in the formal economies of the region.
The purpose of the study is to develop a comprehensive data-driven index that provides economic stakeholders with knowledge and recommendations on improving women's recruitment, retention, and promotion in the formal economies in the Arab MENA.
This regionally specific comparative index will embolden and enrich the possibilities to speak directly for and from the region on realistic and strategic recommendations to serve as a catalyst for economic stakeholders across MENA to join forces in opening up opportunities focusing on the recruitment, retention and promotion of women in the formal sector. To this end, the proposed project will result in (1) Economic stakeholders in the MENA region increasing their knowledge of comparable information specific to women’s contribution to the economy and workforce participation in the formal sector; (2) Economic stakeholders increasing their knowledge of the barriers and their understanding of how to develop initiatives to recruit, retain, and promote women in the formal sector; and finally (3) Women in the MENA region increasing their knowledge on issues/initiatives related to their participation in the economy and the formal workforce.
The KIP Index will seek university-wide efforts, resources, and expertise to address the question of the role of women in Arab economies from a multidisciplinary perspective.
PROCEDURES
This message invites you to:
- Read the consent document and consider whether you want to be involved in the study.
And to note:
- Participation is completely voluntary.
- Completing the questionnaire will take around 45 minutes.
- Only the data you provide in the questionnaire will be collected and analyzed. The research team will not have access to your name or contact details.
- The results of the survey will be published in a research article and a project report available in printed from and electronically from AUB Libraries.
- The inclusion and exclusion criteria.
- The targeted sample size.
POTENTIAL BENEFITS TO SUBJECTS AND/OR TO SOCIETY
You will not receive payment for participation in this study.
The results of the study will shed light on the dynamics that contribute to the status of women in the MENA economies and will thus create and sustain a regional dialogue on promoting policy change towards the effective recruitment, retention, and promotion of women in the workforce. The aggregate findings of this study can be shared with you upon your request.
POTENTIAL RISKS TO SUBJECTS AND/OR SOCIETY
There are no risks associated with the study beyond daily life risks. The risks of the study are minimal.
CONFIDENTIALITY
The collected data will remain confidential and anonymous. Records will be monitored and may be audited by the IRB while assuring confidentiality.
PARTICIPATION AND WITHDRAWAL
In this study which will be conducted in the 11 countries mentioned above, we will be reaching out to a representative sample of male and female employers from private, local, regional companies as well as NGOs. In some countries, we will also include Government employers (n=150 surveys). Our study will also reach out to national female employees (n=50 interviews) and economic stakeholders in women’s economic empowerment (n= 5 Focus groups) that we identified through our Country Partners. You have been invited to participate in this survey since you are an employer operating in one of the 11 countries and having a number of employees that comprise of at least one woman.
You can choose whether to be in this study or not. Your participation is purely voluntary.
If you voluntarily consent to take part in this study, you can change your mind and withdraw at any time without consequences of any kind.
Refusal to participate or deciding to withdrawal from the study will involve no penalty or loss of benefits to which the subject is otherwise entitled, and neither will it affect their relationship with their organization and AUB/AUBMC.
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STUDY
If you have any questions about the study, you can contact the research team represented by the Principal investigator Dr. Charlotte Karam by email: Ck16@aub.edu.lb or by phone 01-374374 ext. 3764.
ACCESS TO THE SURVEY
If after reading the consent document and having your questions answered, you voluntarily agree to take part in the study; you can access the survey by clicking on the Accept down below and Next.
CONCERNS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR RIGHTS
If you have concerns about the study or questions about your rights as a participant, you can contact the AUB IRB Office:
PO BOX: 11-0236 F15 Riad El Solh, Beirut 1107 2020 Lebanon
Tel: 00961 1 374374, ext.: 5445. Email: irb@aub.edu.lb
I am aware that I will be provided with a copy of this agreement. Click here to download.
Do you voluntarily consent to take part in this study?
