A newspaper recently published a report that government departments in Germany will be receiving citizens’ applications and carrying out a number of requests and services through the Internet.
This reminded me of a query I put to some officials after reading that the Riyadh governorate now has a website. My question was: Why don’t government offices seriously consider handling applications from women through the Internet?
Everyone knows of the difficulties women face, especially widows and divorcees, in following up applications at government offices, especially courts where it is required that women personally attend more than once.
Government employees and other officials don’t know and don’t consider the difficulties these women have to face in visiting them. They ceaselessly repeat that hackneyed phrase: “Check with us tomorrow.”
If government offices were to start dealing with applications through the Internet it would be both useful and practical for the government and easier for the applicants. Saudi women, who are modest and polite, may be unable to squeeze through a crush of men and make themselves heard over the din and therefore never get to speak to the employee at the office.
Use of the Internet would also reduce the pressure from the officials reviewing the applications and enable them to provide information about the office’s services and answer queries in this regard.
Women must be given the necessary facilities to apply to government offices, either through the Internet or by any other means facilitating access in a way that is consistent with their traditions and social situation.
