Fatmah Al-Ammar said: “I graduated three years ago with a degree in chemistry. I submitted job applications to the Civil Services section for two years running and nothing happened. I then applied for a job in several private schools even if the salary was not much more than SR1,000. What’s important is that I feel a sense of worth and value and that I’m an active productive member of society; this is better than staying home, feeling bored.

“The request for prior job experience, however, is an obstacle in the way of my employment and in the way of any new graduate. Why not drop this condition and settle for training certification as a result of years of university studying? I would also suggest early retirement for some teachers to give others a chance; we must remember that teaching is the field most available for women to work in.”

Haifa Abdul Rahman said: “I graduated from the Teacher Training College six years ago. When all hope of employment due to my academic qualification was lost, I began applying to private schools. The response I got was that teachers of Arabic weren’t needed and, of course, that was in addition to their demand for experience.

“I don’t know how I can give experience to any employer if I have never been employed. Finally, I took some computer courses to develop and improve my skills and now I am searching for a job in a field other than the one I specialized in.”

Nouf Abdallah said: “I graduated from the Social Sciences Department of King Saud University and when I applied for a job through the Civil Service, it was too late because of the delay in getting my certificate from the university. I started the struggle of searching for a job in the private sector in Riyadh. And my efforts were fruitless so I decided to go to Jeddah where my aunt lives. There the search ended with a low salary in one of the city’s private schools. However I couldn’t stand being away from my family and so to pass time I went back to the university to do an MA.”

Sarah Al-Ali said: “When I chose special education, I thought that it was something needed in the job market but after I graduated, I was shocked. I spent months sending my resume and copies of my degree to a number of centers, schools and charities and finally I got a job at one of the centers. However a few month later, I submitted my resignation after tiring of their taking advantage of me, forcing me to work overtime for very little money that would not even pay my transportation expenses. And when I lost hope of finding a job, I used my knack in the kitchen to prepare different dishes and have now started a home-based project. I hope I will be lucky and successful.”

Jawaher Abdul Aziz said: “Two years after my graduation while sitting at home waiting for a job, I finally found employment. As a teacher in a village 149 km away from where I live. This naturally created a problem since I had no one to accompany me on my daily trips to and from work. And we all know about the many traffic accidents which happen to teachers commuting such long distances.”