JEDDAH, 15 April 2004 — An impressive panel of Saudi women representing various fields of work participated at the third annual Career Day at Effat College here on Tuesday.
Hundreds of Saudi and non-Saudi women attended the job fair seeking employment opportunities and benefiting from the experiences of the pioneer speakers.
Recruiting agents were from banks, marketing firms, legal consulting firms, schools, computer companies, media companies, multinational product companies, training centers and children rehabilitation centers.
The large number of Saudi applicants for jobs and internships is indicative of their eagerness to go into the work force and contribute to the country’s development.
Being among the first generation of professionals in their fields of medicine, education and media or in the more recently available areas for women such as marketing, law and IT, these women are a rich source for the next generation of leaders. The young applicants were particularly fascinated by the determination of Hanadi Hindi, the first Saudi female pilot.
The theme of the Career Day was “Empowered Women: Confident, Intelligent, Visionary.” The panel sessions focused on these three characteristics while speakers gave their impressions on how to become a confident, intelligent and visionary person.
Among the speakers was US Consul General Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley. She spoke of her personal experience in setting goals, overcoming obstacles and making choices in reaching her own potential and describing what it is like to pursue a career in diplomacy, a field not yet available for Saudi women.
The keynote speaker was Dr. Fatinah Shaker, professor emeritus in the faculty of sociology at King Abdul Aziz University. “The potential for empowerment is within us,” she said. Unfortunately, she pointed out that our society’s belief that women are weak and unintelligent is hindering women’s growth as independent and capable people. “Knowledge is the first and most important tool for empowerment,” she said and urged women to continue learning, developing themselves and pushing themselves forward because “as women, we are responsible for the future generation.”
