RIYADH, 20 June — The belief remains widespread among Saudi males that a wife neglects her "proper duty" — that is, taking care of her husband, home and children — if she decides to join the workforce.
Saudi men have traditionally objected to the idea that women should have independent careers, and even now many readily admit to feeling intimidated by Saudi women who have proved themselves successful in the workplace.
However, in recent years — and largely as a result of the drive for Saudization that has opened up the job market to a new, better educated generation of Saudi women — young Saudi husbands are increasingly proving that they can be supportive, encouraging and even enthusiastic about their wives taking on an independent career.
A random Arab News survey reveals that, while these young Saudi men remain the exception rather than the rule, they are a growing minority who represent a trend that could result in a reassessment of the role of the wife in Saudi society.
Safinaz Murshid works in the Personnel Department at King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh, where Saudi males and females work together in the same work environment. Asked about her husband’s attitude toward her taking an independent career in the hospital, she said: "He had no problem with it whatsoever. In fact, he visited my workplace, and is very supportive of my decision to earn a separate income."
Sanna works for a commercial bank. She got married at 32, which she admits was "quite late".
"I was never the type of girl who wanted to get married young to have a husband supporting me financially, only to become dependent on him for the rest of my life," she told Arab News.
"That would suit some women, but not me. My ambition was to gain independence by getting a degree and a job. I lived happily as a single woman before I got married. My husband would never have objected to marrying me just because I had proved myself as an independent working woman, something I wanted to continue being."
Amal, 28, is pregnant with her first baby and plans to return to her career as a teacher soon after she gives birth.
In the past, this would have been unthinkable in Saudi Arabia. However, according to Amal "it’s now a normal state of affairs. My husband says it’s absolutely fine by him if I go back to work. In fact, since we’ll have a baby to look after, we’ll need the double income. We just can’t afford to pay for everything with his income alone."
And that is the point.
While it would be too crude to say that everything in the end boils down to economics, it is undeniably true that the oil-boom days here in the Kingdom, when everyone seemed to be making easy money, are no longer a reality.
Unemployment is estimated at 15 percent; the birth rate at about four percent. Given these statistics, and an economy that is in the process of radical diversification, it should hardly come as a surprise that many young Saudi couples just starting out on their married life together are opting for a double career because of the security a double income will provide.
Despite this, a number of young Saudi men Arab News interviewed insisted that they would support their wives’ desire to work even if they did not need the money.
If the wives are happy, they say, then they are happy too.
For instance, a 31-year-old Saudi employee at a major trading company operating from Jeddah’s port, who asked that his name not be revealed, told Arab News that he has undergone a dramatic change in attitude toward women in the workplace since he joined the company five years ago.
"When I started, I would never have believed we could have female colleagues, let alone have to deal with them as equals on a daily basis," he recalled. "But introducing a women’s section was a very positive step for the company. In fact, I have to admit that I’ve found that the women are usually more reliable than the men. They are invariably punctual and are always eager to better themselves. Men and women are segregated in our company; but we do have to deal with one another for bureaucratic purposes. We get along just fine."
With that he shrugged his shoulders and asked a question of his own: "What’s the big deal?"
