JEDDAH, 5 April 2004 — The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) has launched two projects to boost the role of women in Saudi Arabia, with a third one in negotiations.
Dr. Mona Al-Munajjed, a Saudi sociologist who is the First Social Affairs Officer at ESCWA, is in charge of social development projects for Saudi Arabia.
The first project is called “Activating the Role of Women Welfare Associations” and the second “Enabling Saudi Women to Join the Labor Market Through Training the Trainers.” Both projects are funded by Abdul Latif Jameel Company Ltd.
“This is the first time that the private sector in Saudi Arabia is funding UN projects,” Dr. Mona told Arab News during a visit to launch the projects, which she also designed.
The main fields of work for ESCWA, headquartered in Lebanon and consisting of 13 Arab member states, are social development, gender issues, human development, population, agriculture, transport, technology, natural resources, economic development issues, and policies, finance and trade.
“Saudi Arabia is one of the major countries in ESCWA; it is in the development process and it is open to working with international agencies for development,” she said.
The first project will work in close coordination with the Ministry of Social Affairs. Its aim is to increase capacity building and improve the level of output of NGOs and build work relations, according to Dr. Mona.
Two workshops have already been completed, one on event organizing and the second on how to start your own business.
The second project aims to prepare trainers in “income-generating skills” in rural areas. It consists of courses lasting between three and four months in skills like cooking, tailoring, hair and makeup.
ESCWA also hopes to launch a new development project with the Prince Sultan Foundation. Dr. Mona has met with Director General Dr. Majid Al-Qasabi, who was “very welcoming of the project.”
The project’s goal is to provide vocational training and improve job opportunities for people with special needs, to be conducted at the Prince Sultan City for Humanitarian Services.
Dr. Mona has been working with UN agencies on projects related to child labor, women and development in Arab countries as well as undertaking various field missions in the Arab region.
She has published two books — “Women in Saudi Arabia Today” and “Significance of Arabic Girls’ Names” — and is bringing out a third, based on interviews with 20 remarkable Saudi women.
They were selected for their education, professionalism, social and economic impact and positive contribution to society. “The book is meant to enlighten Western people about the valuable role played by Saudi women and counteract misconceptions,” Dr. Mona said.
“I spent a number of years studying and working in the West and felt uneasy about their critical opinion of Arab women and the distorted image of Saudi women there. So I wanted to present a positive image,” she added.
