JEDDAH, 20 July 2006 — One of the six women appointed as part-time consultants in the Shoura Council expressed a view that the appointment is a positive step toward Saudi women being given larger roles in the council.

Issues relating to the extent of women’s participation in the council and the criteria used in selecting the six women have been under intense scrutiny in recent days. The vice president of the Shoura Council also expressed similar views saying that the appointment of the six women is a positive one that would pave the way for women being given major roles in the future.

Many Saudis agree, but the question remains — how long will it be before women gain full membership of the Shoura Council?

“This is the first time the council has appointed part-time women consultants and this is definitely an important step, not only with regards to the progress of Saudi women but also in relation to the Kingdom’s progress,” said Dr. Bahija Ezze, one of the six women consultants.

Bahija is in favor of the government’s typically slow and cautious approach in making changes, especially with regards to women’s issues. “I value this gradual approach in taking these appropriate and timely steps. The final goal is the processing and preparation for the positive participation of women. I expect that there would be permanent participation of women in the council soon. We trust in the vision and caution of our wise government that puts women in the right place at the right time,” she said.

Nevertheless, critics have questioned the limited role assigned to these women in being only part-time consultants and consulted only on certain issues pertaining to women.

“As the title ‘consultant’ indicates, our role is to contribute in providing opinion on some issues of relevance,” said Dr. Ezze speaking to Arab News. She explained that according to the rules of the Shoura Council, experts are selected on the basis of their qualifications as part-time consultants and assigned to work in the council with one of the committees or administrations that concord with their field of expertise.

The consultants will be working on preparing studies, reports and work papers and attending committee sessions and administration meetings. “We are participating as part of the Social and Family Affairs Committee,” said Dr. Ezze.

“Several issues have been discussed about the disabled that have been on hold and that needed immediate and suitable recommendations in solving them,” she added.

Questions by critics were also raised about the number of women chosen and the process and criteria adopted in choosing them. In response, Dr. Ezze said that having large numbers of women appointed was not the ultimate goal.

“I think the goal is to ensure that there is a sense of cultural and knowledge diversity in the women selected. That does not mean that the cadres of Saudi women stop at this stage. I think that perhaps there will be other women consultants gradually appointed in other committees according to their specialties.”

Dr. Ezze is the secretary-general of the International Muslim Organization for Women and Family headquartered in Jeddah and a member of the National Society for Human Rights. The other five women are also working professionals, members of various charities and have been active in attending international conferences. They are professors at different universities across the Kingdom and one of them is a medical doctor.

According to sources, the six women were selected by the president of the Shoura Council from a list of over a hundred women.