There is a talent in each and every woman in the world and we are, as Saudi girls, part of this world. But why is that when we do something in business or in any other field it's recognized and known as a surprising thing? Why is Saudi Arabia known by its men, not its women? And why is the general image that is spread around the world showing our Islamic culture as one that doesn't allow women to be revealed to the world, each in their exquisite way?
Saudi girls have talent in almost all fields. They are a mix of decency, politeness and grace. And we also have the aptitude for things like poetry, drawing, or even sports. But when we ponder our identity how do we know if we are awake or in a dream because most of what we do is hidden and not shown to the world and sometimes not even to the people around us? And are we in fact prepared to face this world and prove ourselves in front of all those who doubt us?
What I read in newspapers suggests that Saudi women are no longer in the shadows. There are, of course, a lot of social traditions and things embedded in society that are hindering the progress of women. For women's participation in national development to be effective, such social issues have to be addressed.
During his recent visit to Saudi Arabia, the Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates was asked if he thought the Kingdom was capable of achieving its ambitious goal of turning its economy into one that was competitive on a global scale by 2010. As he surveyed the audience in front of him - with men sitting on one side of the room and women on the other - he replied: "Well, if it is using only half of the country's talent, it won't get anywhere near the top."
That conference was held in Jeddah, a city which does sometimes break away from the severe restrictions that lead to women's isolation - even though the women he saw were separated from the men by an aisle running down the center of the hall. But if we want to glow in our society with the talent we have, we shouldn't be banned from public places. I studied in King Saud University before I went to Prince Sultan University where we were taught the subject of politics by a male professor. We used to participate with him through an electronic screen and an audio system, with closed circuit TV enabling us to follow the deliberations of the class or meeting. We could see him, but he couldn't see us.
This must not happen in universities or at conferences held by government institutions. No matter what their educational level, position, talent or age, women must often participate with men the same way they participate with each other - the same way they participate with men in shopping malls or in banks or hospitals or in any other place. Why is it women have to sit miles away from men and can't participate enough in universities and huge conferences? When women attend such meetings it becomes a big issue.
This social isolation, which excludes half of society from public life, not only cripples the Kingdom economically, but also lowers women's sense of social value and places them at the bottom of the social scale. Women are thus surrounded by others who will tend to regard them as weak and helpless even if they have done well in schools, proved themselves good at managing their affairs, and may perhaps earn a higher salary than men, or occupy a higher position in a company. Such exclusion turns women into third-class citizens; it also makes them a liability for society, if they are forced into the position of living on handouts.
Over all, the message I need to give to the world is that we (Saudi women) are like any other women. We are brave, we will do whatever we can do to win people's respect and trust and we are unlike what is shown - educated, knowledge, and sophisticated. We will rise more through the years. Whoever expected ten years ago that there would be top 20 businesswomen in Saudi Arabia? Here we are proud of them, seeing those women managing businesses that some men could not.
The last thing I want to say is that I am proud of myself being an educated Saudi woman and as I grow I will be even more proud for the fact that my voice is heard by others who might be older and more educated than me, and that my voice is being added to that of all the other Saudi women.
