In earlier times Saudi women played very important roles within the family and in society. They shared the responsibilities of life with their husbands both at home and outside, working side by side. They were active and were never a burden on their husband or their family.

As a result of the enormous economic and social transformation in the country over the past two decades, large numbers of Saudi women have sought education and employment in the government sector. Though they have proven themselves well-qualified and highly competent, they are nevertheless confined principally to two fields: education and health. This is one reason for the large numbers of unemployed women, and the figures are increasing every year with more and more graduates from schools, colleges and universities.

The increase in the number of educated women has not been met with serious attempts to find jobs for them at a time when the country has witnessed an accelerated development process.

Education in the Kingdom remains a complicated issue. The government has never hesitated to use its resources and allocate a significant amount of its budget to education. The response has been such that girls now outnumber boys at both secondary and university levels and are on their way to outnumbering boys at the elementary level as well.

This increase in the number of educated girls has, however, not been matched by a revision of subjects taught in schools. The changes that the country has experienced should have been matched by changes in the curricula in order to keep pace with economic and social requirements and to enable Saudi women to prove their competence in all areas. Focusing on purely theoretical studies will never meet the needs of a changing job market. The result is that tens of thousands of graduates are sitting at home, unemployed.

Areas of study such as engineering, law and journalism remain closed to women. We need to have independent colleges teaching print and broadcast journalism. We live in an era when the media has developed into a powerful weapon with great influence on people’s lives. Most Saudi women who have become involved in the media have done so without having done specialized studies.

Likewise, opening colleges to teach girls engineering, interior design, architecture and computer engineering has now become a necessity if we are ever to meet future challenges. Law schools are of vital importance since the study of law will enlighten and educate women on their rights and enable them to defend themselves and serve their community. Like women everywhere, Saudi women face problems within the family and society and they need to see others recognizing their sufferings and working to solve their problems. This is a right enshrined in Islamic teachings. Women also need to receive vocational training in a manner that suits their abilities. This too would be an important tool to fight unemployment with.