MAKKAH, 25 April 2007 — Working in the medical sector as doctors or nurses is a great humanitarian sacrifice with many women devoting most of their lives and time for the welfare of fellow humans. However, it is a sad reality that many Saudi men shy away from marrying nurses and doctors.

According to a social specialist, 50 percent of women doctors and nurses in the Kingdom tend to be single.

Arab News qualitatively surveyed this phenomenon and found that many young men prefer not to marry doctors and nurses for a number of reasons. Perhaps the primary concern is to do with the fact that hospitals operate in mixed-gender environments and during extremely unsociable working hours.

“Unfortunately, people still continue to look down on women doctors. Men tend not to want to marry doctors. Moreover, some families threaten to ostracize their sons if they marry doctors or nurses,” said Aisha, who is a doctor at a local hospital.

“I have suffered from this problem. I was about to get engaged to a doctor. His family totally refused because I’m a doctor myself and because I enjoy a certain level of freedom, something which they feel is unsuitable for Middle Eastern women,” she said, adding that since she has now passed her youth it is difficult for her to get married.

Ilham, another doctor at a different hospital, said she waited for a long time for a Saudi to propose to her.

“I never got a proposal. All Saudis who work in this field marry women who are not doctors or nurses. So I decided to marry an Arab expatriate. I don’t regret my decision,” said Ilham, adding that she is extremely happy with her husband and that they share a lot of common interests.

“It does seem that many Saudi men believe that the medical field is a manly profession and unsuitable for women. Maybe people will understand later in life. A lot of women doctors have had to leave work in order to marry,” she added.

Abeer, a nurse, said she does not understand why people look down on her profession in spite of the fact that it is an important job. “Some men feel ashamed to tell people that their wives are nurses. They believe it will affect their prestige, because it contradicts the social conventions,” she said.

“People ignore the wonderful role of nurses in serving society. Nurses all over the world are known as ‘Angels of Mercy,’ but here it is different,” she said, adding that all her sisters managed to get married just after graduating from high school and that she is still single.

“As Muslim women we need women doctors and nurses,” said Sarah, who is a nurse herself. “We need women doctors and nurses that can deal with patients who don’t want to be treated by men. I don’t understand why people think women shouldn’t be doctors or nurses,” she added.

“The nature of this profession requires one to take care of others. Why do people think a nurse or a doctor can’t look after her own family? These are just words that people keep repeating without understanding. I wish people would change their views one day. We’re all longing to see that day. I’ll never give up this profession. This is an honorable profession. We’re doing the greatest job in the history of humankind and following the footstep of our pious female predecessors,” she added.

Former nurse and current housewife Taghreed used to work at a hospital where she met her husband, who was also working there.

“He liked my good behavior and manners. We got married and were happy. After some time, he began to ask me about everything that happens at work, even about the small things. This was despite the fact that we worked at the same place. Then he asked me to leave work and stay at home because this is what his family willed,” Taghreed said, adding that she stopped working to save her marriage.

Social specialist Raid Kurdi feels that the medical profession is an important one.

“People have a wrong perception about it and this has to be changed. If I have a chance then I would never hesitate to marry a doctor or a nurse. Studies and statistics have shown that 50 percent of women doctors and nurses in the Kingdom tend to be single. Those that marry, rarely marry Saudi men,” he said.

Kurdi further urged the Health Ministry to consider the circumstances of women and specify working hours that suits married women.

“The Health Ministry needs to take into consideration the sacrifice that women make. We have to save them from remaining single,” he added.

Khaled Baghers, an Islamic studies professor, said everyone has the right to choose whomever he wants to marry. “Some prefer workingwomen, while others prefer housewives. For the workingwoman it would be preferable if her work operates a system of gender segregation,” he said, adding that husbands feel jealous and uncomfortable when their wives work in mixed gender environments.

“As a solution to this problem, the Health Ministry should make a separate department for women, exactly as the Education Ministry has done in separating girls and boys. There are so many doctors and nurses that are completely veiled and wear gloves,” he said.

“The situation becomes worse if the patient is a man and unable to move. Nurses or doctors may be obliged to help them go to the bathroom, or uncover their private parts for some medical reason. The Health Ministry needs to excuse women from working night shifts unless they’re working at a women’s hospital,” Baghers added.

(Some names have been changed to protect the identity of those interviewed.)