DAMMAM/JEDDAH, 9 June 2003 — It is a newspaper for women, about women and by women. Initially a weekly, from Jan. 1 next year it will be a daily, focusing on women’s issues. Donya, the Eastern Province-based paper, hit the newsstands recently and has been received with enthusiasm across the country.
At present there are men involved both in the newspaper’s editing and administration. According to plans, however, it will eventually be run, managed and edited by women only.
The newspaper has already established a record of a sort with a team of 50 female correspondents spread over the country. Most of these correspondents are Saudis. There are also some correspondents based in other Arab countries.
It is owned by Al-Sharqiyyah Publishing Company which launched the first Saudi women’s magazine, Al-Sharqiyyah, 30 years ago.
Motaz Al-Quwaizi, Donya’s deputy editor in chief, said the editing staff of Donya was preponderantly male but the process to replace them with women had already begun. “And very gradually they will replace us,” he said.
So far the newspaper has three editorial supervisors who are Saudi women, in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam.
Talking about the newspaper’s editorial policy, Al-Quwaizi said that Donya would discuss and highlight all issues related to women. He said the paper would take up women’s rights issues in line with Islam. Initially the newspaper would limit its coverage to women’s issues in the Kingdom but would later expand its coverage to the regional and international arenas.
Male readers will find one page devoted to them. The page, called “Adam,” will highlight male prejudices and double standards. “It will be a mirror reflecting the evils of a male-dominated society,” Al-Quwaizi said. “There is no revenge involved. Men are covered by millions of newspapers and other periodicals around the world. All national and regional newspapers focus on male-related issues. We think that it is about time the focus shifted to women, who have long being ignored,” he said.
Financially, the newspaper has had a modest beginning. It will probably be the only newspaper in the country with an annual budget of only SR1 million.
Hoda Al-Mohawwas, Donya’s editorial supervisor in Dammam, has 18 years’ experience in journalism. She told Arab News that the newspaper was aimed at producing a new generation of female writers and journalists. “Most of our journalists are new graduates who couldn’t get a job in the media elsewhere.”
Hoda said she was receiving very encouraging feedback from readers as well as officials. “Our circulation figures are also very encouraging,” she added.
There will be a special focus on health, fashion, interior decoration, unemployment and childcare. The newspaper will also highlight social issues. It is slated to address controversial and sensitive issues which are often not discussed elsewhere in the Kingdom’s media.
Layla Al-Jowher, Donya’s editorial supervisor in Jeddah, urged the government to set up a new department of journalism and media for women in Saudi universities and colleges. “We suffer from a dearth of Saudi women professional journalists,” she said.
She admitted, however, that recent graduates were excited about their new profession. “They have shown a great deal of interest in a career in journalism and we’re very happy with such enthusiastic young women.”
She said there were good reasons for publishing a newspaper specifically for women. “A newspaper for women can concentrate on issues that are of particular interest to women. But that doesn’t mean that women can’t read other newspapers,” she added.
She said the reaction to the newspaper’s first issue had been very encouraging. “We had a lot of inquiries from women and many of them have told us they liked the paper and its content.”
Saudi Arabia has a number of women’s magazines such as Sayidaty and Hiya, sister publications of Arab News.
