A Saudi lady gardener?
A big number of jobs have been saudized this year. These jobs, surprisingly, are related to support and maintenance in new universities. The various, huge all-women campuses created a huge opportunity to make this happen.
Now, the public view is divided into two. The first is against having fresh BA and diploma graduates on jobs such as that of a gardener, laborer, maintenance operator, etc. The second group is very supportive and believes it is, at least, better than being jobless and reliant on ‘Hafiz’. The first point of view has a lot to do with social obstacles. Thus, in a tribal and conservative society, such as Saudi Arabia, this is a big step forward and there will be a lot of bargain around the corner. What will make things easier is a declaration, by the Saudi authorities, to explain the future of such jobs. What is the suggested future scale for these jobs in terms of: promotion, annual salary increase, training, pension, etc? Leaving things the way they are is increasing social worries.
I see a point in the former stand, but I also see that the level of awareness is promising and could be taken to the better. Ironically, this is based on relying heavily on the history of this land. Saudi women in the past, used to work hand in hand with their men in farming, shepherding, watering, etc. If these forgotten facts are awakened by a national awareness campaign, I believe the result is going to be positive for now and tomorrow.
— The writer is the chairman of the Saudi Cartoon & Animation Society
— Twitter: @abdullahsayel
