RIYADH, 30 July — Some 40,000 women got jobs following the recent Saudization drive, according to the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
“Besides, more and more women are entering the business sector and investment projects owned by Saudi women have increased considerably,” said Abdulaziz Al-Maqoushi, public relations and media director at RCCI.
Studies show that women own 50 percent of all trading institutions in the Kingdom and 10 percent of land property.
Saudi media are currently engaged in an animated discussions about women’s employment. Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, had announced in April 1999 that more job opportunities would be created for women without violating Islamic and social traditions.
According to a study, women account for 49.5 percent of the Saudi population but contribute only three percent to the national economy. Only 5.8 percent of Saudi women in the working age are employed.
With the increase in the number of Saudi female graduates over the past 10 years, attention is turned to the private sector to create more opportunities for women.
Abdulrahman Al-Jeraisy, president of RCCI, has said that there are plans to employ women in the private sector as part of the Saudization drive.
He said building shopping malls and markets exclusively for women and managed by female staff was another option for creating job opportunities for women without breaching religious code of conduct.
He said two training centers for women have been set up with the cooperation of Al-Nahdah Women’s Charitable Society in Riyadh. These centers provide training in computers, accounting, banking services and small-scale projects.
Muneera Al-Humeid, a media executive, said the factors inhibiting women’s entry to the labor market are social norms and lack of cooperation by family members including husbands. Transportation and low wages in the private sector are other problems.
Al-Humeid thought this problems could be solved by introducing exclusive means of public transport for women, generating employment in fields of women’s interest such as garment shops, boutiques, cosmetic shops, and gold and jewelry. She proposed setting up a separate trade chamber for women.
In a paper on Saudi women’s motives for seeking employment, a woman researcher said 82 percent sought jobs for self-satisfaction, 58.4 to spend their leisure in a useful manner and 54.9 percent for financial reasons.
The private sector has reservations on employing untrained Saudi women because compromising on quality would ultimately blunt competitiveness in international markets. Other factors that discourage employment of women by the private sector include lack of awareness about international banking and investment laws as well as modern management principles. (KUNA)
