The conference on human rights that ended in Riyadh on Wednesday called among other things for a greater role for women in society, but in ways that do not violate the teachings of Islam. That call will be put to a very visible test with the planned municipal elections. The authorities have said that “all citizens” will be eligible. To most people, all citizens means precisely that, men as well as women.
But questions are already being asked whether that will be the case — which is why several prominent Saudi women have demanded that the right to be fully involved in the process, as candidates as well as voters, be made explicit. It is vital that the authorities do so. If the elections are the preserve of men alone, it will expose us to ridicule. Human rights conferences will not be taken seriously.
But the quest for a greater role for women in society embraces far more than politics. As a World Bank report just published warns, unreconstructed attitudes to women have limited growth in the Middle East. “No country,” it states, “can raise the standard of living and improve the well-being of its people without the participation of half its population.”
Of course we can point out that much has been achieved to improve women’s position in society, notably in education, and that Saudi businesswomen are already a force to be reckoned with, owning a third of the businesses in Riyadh and a quarter of those in Jeddah. But these are mostly small businesses. In any event, education is all the more reason to involve women. Most readers who have had the experience of working alongside them can testify that Saudi women are more conscientious than men, better educated, work harder and are generally more reliable than their male counterparts. They are an asset the Kingdom needs to use if it is to prosper.
As for the caveat — that women can have more active roles in society providing they do not violate the teachings of Islam — it needs to be addressed with insight. Many prohibitions against women have nothing to do with Islam but everything to do with cultural traditions. They often differ from place to place. There is nothing in Islam that says that women should not be fully involved in the economy or politics, should not drive, that their business operations need male managers. Women played a central role in early Islam. During the reign of the Caliph Omar women were market inspectors. The Prophet’s first wife, Khadeejah, was a businesswomen; his wife Aisha was politically active. Through her, too, we have much of the Hadith.
Women must be allowed a far greater role in society. They demand it. Saudi Arabia needs it.
