JEDDAH, 25 November 2002 — “We cannot allow half of Saudi society to remain idle if we wish to compete in a global economy.” The impact of women on Saudi society cannot be overemphasized. This was precisely the position taken by Dr. Nahed Taher, who spoke to Arab News about women’s issues, including work, education and family that are relevant to the design and execution of policies for the improvement of conditions for women. Dr. Taher stressed women’s education and cultural acceptance as paramount to increased female integration into the work force.
Dr. Taher, a senior economist at the National Commercial Bank, was formerly the Head of the Department of Economics at King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah where she still lectures. She was awarded a Ph.D in economics from Lancaster University in 2001. Her thesis was concerned with the behavior of the monetary sector and its implications for monetary policy in Saudi Arabia. She is a high-positioned professional, an academic, a wife and a mother. Dr. Taher is a perfect example that elegance and femininity are not forsaken if a woman is to succeed in a male-dominated field. As the second in an Arab News series about Saudi Female Role Models, she defines the prospects and difficulties women face.
She emphasizes the social and economic well-being of women — who as mothers, professionals, teachers and students make up slightly more than half of the nation’s population and cannot be taken for granted. “There are many opportunities for Saudi women in such sectors as banking, health and e-commerce. The economy would benefit greatly from their intergration,” Dr. Taher insists. She has shattered both existing stereotypes and carefully-nurtured barriers by becoming the first senior Saudi female economist in the Kingdom.
Dr. Taher confirmed that in the Saudi banking system SR15 billion worth of deposits are held by women. At the same time, the greatest deterrents to Saudi women in business are restrictive regulations but Dr. Taher sees change being piloted by government agencies, such as SAGIA. One of the most discouraging and daunting aspects for women going into business is having to give a power of attorney to a man to register for a license in one of the few areas allowed to women. “It would really be encouraging if the woman could register herself and be able to invest in a greater number of other sectors,” said Dr. Taher. Factories are just one of the off-limits domains for female investors but there are numerous others which could help advance the Saudi economy if they were open to women and women’s resources.
“What is needed is a network between the universities and the work force,” clarifies Dr. Taher. At university level, she recommends that the senior year be spent in internships which would give girls fundamental training rather than repetitive research. Education should cater to the needs of the private sector and instruction given in areas with the highest demands. “The government should give corporate incentives for hiring more women just as is done with Saudization. Steps should also be taken to reduce the problems and difficulties women encounter.” She added that a higher level of English, which should be taught from an early age, and computer training courses would be a great assistance in preparing young women for their careers. “Two major problems facing women are culture and speech. English is needed in the fields of math, science and technology; we must have it if we are to be competitive.” Dr. Taher opposes the current methods of teaching in many Saudi schools. “Education is too involved with memorization and there is no real learning and no problem-solving.”
As an economist, Dr. Taher is interested in contributing to people’s general well-being and finding ways to improve people’s living standards. This includes studying how financial, labor and trade markets are organized and how they interact with, and depend upon, each other. For example, she says “Equal pay has been and remains an issue that needs to be addressed by our society.” The greatest misconception is how Islam is misunderstood. She was emphatic, “Islam does not promote the oppression of women.”
Dr. Taher is a good illustration of the egalitarianism advocated in the Holy Qur’an. Changing misconceptions will require the culture to look within Islam itself, rather than through a lens, not their own, as foreign critics might desire. In doing so, they will find that promoting women’s rights does not mean compromising and surrendering to the “West.” Dr. Taher advocates promoting women’s rights is consistent with the commitment to the message of Islam which Muslims, male and female, support.
Any society that professes to enforce Shariah (Islamic law) must be aware that the essential purpose of Shariah is to guarantee to every citizen all his rights extending to all aspects of human life. These include the rights to life, learning, family and property. These mirror the fundamental freedoms as they have been articulated in the major human rights documents of the 20th century. The right and obligation of every Muslim to education is spelled out by Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, in his insistence that Muslims must seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave and in his emphasis of divine rewards specifically for those who educate their daughters.
At the same time, Dr. Taher also shows how the transition into the modern world has been slow for Saudi women. On one hand, the high rate of female fertility shows that women’s primary role continues to be childbearing rather than income-generating. “Resistance to female education stems from the conviction that women should be supported by their husbands, but times have changed. Not all women are well-provided for; work has become a necessity for some in order to guarantee dignity, independence and respectability,” she observes. “The role of Saudi women is very important to the economy. My students constantly ask me, ‘Do you think I will find a job? Will society accept me acting as a contributor?’”
Dr. Taher treasures teaching her students and puts her efforts in “enhancing their way of thinking and receiving information.” “I enjoy lecturing, I feel I can help students onto the right track. The problem is time; there isn’t enough of it. I do not want my students to feel that they are less important to me than my work at the bank.”
Dr. Taher is following in more than one way in the footsteps of her father, also a chief economist. “Raise your children, educate them, share your life and work with them. Let them know what is going on in the world. This is what my father did with me; he would put me on his lap and allow me to share his world.” Dr. Taher credits her success and her position at the bank to the manner in which she was brought up. “It did not happen overnight.” Essential to her upbringing was the encouragement her parents gave and the way they built her self-confidence. “My father discussed economic issues with me from a very young age and asked for my opinions. This enabled me to analyze and assess situations.” This is perhaps why Dr. Taher feels that inductive reasoning is far more crucial and vital to education than mere memorization.
As a mother of three, she does not feel that a career precludes motherhood. “A woman who works is likely to be more organized, better able to prioritize, more sophisticated and better informed. My career has enabled me to enrich the lives of my children, and helped me to educate them.” Dr. Taher firmly believes that children of two-income households are healthier, more well-rounded and better connected to society so they can therefore give more back to their country.
Words of wisdom for young Saudis: “Work hard, put goals for yourself, don’t wait — you can make things happen.” The perfect example of generation passing on to generation is Dr. Taher’s 16-year-old daughter who dreams of “making a difference.” As an information systems student at Dar Al-Hekma College, Rawan believes there is more for women than the latest fashions and coffee shops. She feels that in the field of Internet technology women can really make their mark in Saudi Arabia and she hopes to lead the way.
The challenges facing Dr. Taher are many but she says, “I try to overcome difficulties and not let them get me down.” She feels fortunate for the role her husband played in her life, it was he who encouraged her and stood by her through it all. “I married him after I finished high school, and since then he has supported me in every possible way to finish my studies.” And she points out, “When things are at their worst, I do not despair; I pray and God opens doors for me.”
