When asked whether it was likely that women could serve on the board of directors in chambers of commerce, an official said that he saw no need for that, especially now that women have their own sections in the major chambers of commerce. He added that studies have shown that women are more productive when working in a women-only section.
It is estimated that there are some 23,000 businesswomen in the Kingdom, and that women’s savings in banks amount to some SR6 billion. Don’t those women have a right to be on the board of the chambers? Don’t these women have the right to be represented by a woman who is a decision-maker on the board? Don’t they have a right to participate fully in decisions concerning their own businesses?
A flat “No” can be understood since women in our society have for a long time been expected to work behind a barrier. But the reference to a study that says that productivity increases when women are alone is quite puzzling. “Who came up with this study? is my first question. And what kind of thinking does it reflect? is my second. How can we say that women work better when they are away from men? Does that mean that men have a bad influence on women? Or does it mean, once again, that men and women always have bad intentions when they are around each other?
Are we that scared of each other? If we believe that we as Muslims follow the Islamic code of conduct and respect each other and behave according to Islamic teachings, then there is very little place for us to get paranoid.
I would be willing to accept this study if it was proven that our women-only sections perform better than mixed environment in other countries and that our men-only sections perform better as well. It would also need to be shown conclusively that we, with our segregated environments excel and surpass the productivity of countries with mixed working environments.
Let’s just take a look around us. How many of the women-only section can perform without coordinating with the men’s section of that same body -- men with whom they share the same status, qualifications and experience? How many problems arise from lack of interaction between the two sections? Should we alienate each other “just in case any thing bad happens?”
Experience tells us to what extent women’s sections lack coordination, how they are sometimes short on discipline and always on authority. Men’s sections in universities always complain that women’s sections are not working as they should because of lack of communication and synchronization, whereas women’s sections complain that men do not listen to them. So what is the solution?
Look at hospitals. Do they perform less efficiently because women work alongside men there? Did the minister of health make a mistake when he appointed two days ago the first woman in a top position in the directorate in Jeddah? Or he was thinking of what this country needs?
If we care about our future we should stop putting obstacles in front of women participation in public life. Statistics say that working women in the Kingdom form a mere five percent of the number of women capable of working. It is a small section and needs to increase, and increase in every field where women can prove that their work is needed and appreciated.
