At a recent seminar on women in the media organized by Al-Jazirah newspaper, forty women including intellectuals, academics and businesswomen were expected to attend. In the end there were only 15 of us, four of whom were the speakers. All of us were women already working in the media, mainly newspapers. The absence of many women from the seminar is an indication of their lack of confidence in the media system and their feeling of helplessness in making changes. However, the time was ripe for at least a first step.
After a brief review of some of the achievements of Saudi women in the media — and there are many — discussion focused on the hurdles, problems and limitations that women working in newspapers encounter. One of the most obvious is that some newspapers have a women’s section in name only. The women working in these newspapers do not seem to have a real job, and therefore no real salary or real authority. Even in newspapers where there is an active and prominent women’s section, the women there are rarely if ever promoted and they remain in the same job — and the same pay — for decades.
There are no standards or criteria for hiring female journalists. While this might open the door for many women who would not otherwise find a job, this is certainly a problem for the qualified women in the field. The issue is not necessarily that these women should have a journalism degree — in any case an impossible requirement in Saudi Arabia, where media degree courses are not available for women — but that they should be professionals with the skill and desire to work. The notion that any woman can write contributes to the image of female journalists as unprofessional. Due to the lack of degree courses, female journalists are trained on the job, and it seems that they have to continue proving themselves forever. Nor are there sufficient programs that help women improve their performance or encourage them to attend workshops abroad.
Several speakers made the point that women have no authority or actual role to play in Saudi newspapers. They are being taken advantage of by a system that does not protect their rights, and unless and until they are involved in the decision-making process, they will continue to be marginalized and ignored. The new Saudi Journalists’ Association to be established could bring hope for female journalists provided they are included from the beginning. Alternatively, it was suggested, a society for Saudi women in the media might help empower them and provide guidance, support and a vision.
It is hoped that future seminars are better organized and publicized. Women play an important role in the advancement and development of our society, and the media should reflect that role.
Arab News Features 4 March 2003
