Some interesting new developments are taking place regarding women’s employment. The government’s decision to increase Saudi women’s participation in the labor market led to a decree setting the national agenda for increasing women’s work opportunities, in both the public and the private sector. Article 8 of Cabinet Decree No. 120 stipulates specifically that work in retail outlets that are exclusively for women (specifically women’s lingerie and beauty stores) should be limited to Saudi women, and entrusts the Labor Ministry with putting a time-frame for implementation and follow-up.
In response to the directives, the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CSCCI) has been mobilized to facilitate this initiative in coordination with other key public institutions.
In Jeddah, the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), the General Organization for Technical Education and Vocational Training (GOTEVOT), the Human Resource Development Fund (HRDF) and the Labor Ministry are coordinating a program which combines awareness raising, training, recruiting and a private sector incentive scheme to accelerate this process. Although companies see the benefit of hiring women to deal with female customers, who constitute a major part of their client base, other incentives are in place to encourage them to take the first steps. These include the HRDF covering 50 percent of women employees’ salaries for the first year of employment, and 75 percent of their training costs.
The JCCI launched the initiative in Jeddah by organizing consultations with both women and the business community to introduce the scheme to them, and to better understand either side’s concerns. Many women raised the issue of salary scales, double day shifts, and working nights and Fridays. However, as Lama Al-Sulaiman, one of the two women elected members of the JCCI, noted, “The concerns of the merchants and the corporate sector did not appear to be applicable to women employees alone, but were more indicative of general employment challenges and problems facing companies in Saudi Arabia.”
For Al-Sulaiman, this is a reason for optimism, in that it indicates that in terms of employing women, there are no insurmountable obstacles, rather a series of challenges that can be addressed in the context of generally enhancing the productivity of the Saudi labor market, and by building more effective partnerships with the private sector.
On May 1, the JCCI held a meeting to encourage women to apply for jobs in women-only shops and lingerie stores. Hundreds of women attended the meeting and 15 of Jeddah’s largest retail companies were present, indicating that the initiative has met with a favorable response from all concerned.
Gazzaz, a well-known Saudi company, received large numbers of applications from women at the meeting. Luay Sharif, Gazzaz representative, indicated that his company had already begun adding females to its work force with 11 trainees in its Tahlia branch. He explained that it made far more sense to have female customers served by female shop assistants, particularly when it came to purchasing beauty products, clothing or intimate apparel. Sharif said that employing women would require an appropriate work environment for them, because in his words, “We cannot forget that they are women.”
This raises the important issue of rules, regulations and standards that must be enforced to insure that the rights of women employees are protected while also observing the private sector’s need to uphold standards of efficiency and productivity.
The Labor Ministry, which is responsible for overseeing and monitoring labor conditions, will evaluate what has been achieved while facilitating the next stages currently being planned.
To a great extent, success or failure rests in the hands of women themselves. For those women at the JCCI open day event, educational levels, type of previous work experience, and family consent were all vital factors in determining whether they would be hired. A quick look at the meeting hall showed that those companies which offered exclusive women-only work environments or shops were in far greater demand than businesses and shops that catered to families also. Some companies stipulated that they would not hire women who wore the full veil and this, to the large number of women whose faces were covered, posed another restriction. However, one company — Al Sharq Al Awsat Factory — hired three women on the spot.
Nonetheless, many women did not fill the requirements of the companies and were disappointed. Sara, one job applicant, said that she was rejected because of her educational credentials and her lack of experience. In an environment which often does not sufficiently support women’s education or employment, many women may seem to stand little chance of benefiting when such new opportunities come their way.
Companies, at least to begin with, may suffer financial strains until things run more smoothly, a qualified female work force evolves, and details such as pay, working hours and so forth are clarified. But as Sara herself admitted, the road ahead may yet offer more chances. Clearly disappointed, she claimed that she was still resolved to find work.
There are many obstacles that women such as Sara will have to overcome — from within their homes, society and potential employers. Yet one cannot feel some optimism when one sees the kind of efforts being made, and the kind of small, but very consequential steps being taken.
(Farah Daghistani is the Executive Director of the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development (JOHUD), a non-governmental, non-profit organization committed to promoting rights-based, sustainable development in Jordan and the Arab world. She divides her time between Jeddah and Amman.)