There is no doubt that the status of women in Saudi Arabia has been controversial for a long time. After Sept. 11, the controversy intensified since Saudi Arabia was the main focus of blame for the attacks. Saudi women were portrayed in the US media as being abused and disrespected by an extremist religious ideology.
While we Saudis admit that the status of women in our country has not been what we would have desired, we cannot agree with the idea that Saudi women are underprivileged and oppressed. The Saudi mother is a highly respected member of the family. According to a saying by the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), “Heaven is under the feet of mothers.”
Having said that, there are certainly instances of abused women in Saudi Arabia — just as there are all over the world. At the same time, our extended family values and our Muslim heritage protect women from many abuses such as homelessness, prostitution and drug addictions. Now I would like to concentrate on what is being currently done in the Kingdom to improve the status of women. The right of women to own and run their own businesses is guaranteed in Islam; our religion assures women sole control of their inheritance and grants them property rights. Today’s new revised business laws will allow women to obtain commercial licenses which is likely to encourage businesswomen to invest their money and assets in industrial and other projects.
A recent study showed that the majority of heirs to family-owned businesses in the country are women — a fact that calls for greater involvement by Saudi women in managing business, both directly and indirectly. Many family-owned firms are among the largest in the country in terms of assets, operation and manpower. There are at least 460 such businesses; moreover, there is mounting pressure among these businesses to allow Saudi women direct involvement in business rather than obliging them to keep their money in bank accounts.
At present, there are some 20,000 firms owned by Saudi women; these range from ordinary retail businesses to various types of industry. This figure accounts for some five percent of all registered businesses. The number of women registered in local chambers of commerce and industry is on the increase. The Jeddah chamber, for example, has more than 2000 women members out of a total membership of 50,000. In Riyadh, the figure is over 2,400 out of a total of 35,000 members and this represents a fourfold increase in just ten years. Businesswomen registered with the Eastern Province chamber number more than 1,000 out of a total of 14,000.
The Jeddah Chamber of Commerce has recently established the “Khadija bint Khwailid Center” to provide services for businesswomen, facilitate business opportunities and provide guidance to encourage women to run their own business. (The center was named after the Prophet Mohammad’s wife who was the first Muslim businesswoman.)
Saudi businesswomen acknowledge the efforts of the government as well as the local chambers of commerce for supporting them and providing them with service but more needs to be done. Due to an increase in the number of Saudi businesswomen, the government has had to revise its 30-year-old labor laws and business proceedings to include women. In addition, society’s attitude toward businesswomen has also changed.
According to economists, women have substantial assets in real estate, jewelry, precious stones and metals. The new opportunities offered to women will include media and marketing, IT, banking and investment. As foreign companies enter the market after Saudi Arabia joins the WTO, new jobs will be created for women. A businesswomen’s committee has been formed to discuss government policies and procedures that will help women participate in nation-building.
Women account for 55 percent of Saudi graduates but they constitute only 4.8 percent of the work force. At present only 5.5 percent of an estimated 4.7 million Saudi women of working age are employed.
With the support of private and public agencies, efforts are being made to establish women-only projects that will employ 70,000 qualified Saudi women. The new projects will help solve the problem of increasing unemployment among Saudi women. The government has also allocated land for industrial projects that will employ women. Plans are also under way to establish an Industrial Training Institute for Women in Jeddah; the institute plans to train Saudi women in the manufacture of readymade dresses.
Granting women a more significant role is essential for the nation’s progress and its economy. Saudi economists stress the need for employing women and both political analysts as well as economists believe that the Kingdom is on the right track with different types of structural reforms, both economic and social. Ultimately, women will participate in all major economic activities and will be a vital part of reform. The government recognizes that without these human resources that have been marginalized for too long, no serious economic growth can take place. Economists estimate that by the end of this year, women will comprise some eight percent of the public sector workforce. The main reason for the increase is the effort being made to replace expatriates with Saudis. There are plans to create more than 817,000 jobs by the year 2005. This is part of the Saudization drive that aims at reducing reliance on foreigners and forcing businesses to hire a minimum number of Saudis.
The idea of Saudi women’s limitations is starting to change. Women today are active in several civil institutions. One is the newly formed National Human Rights Association. It is a nongovernmental organization, which will promote women’s rights and contribute to social justice.
The government recognizes the association’s objectives and is prepared to support women and implement the committee’s recommendations. Members of the committee say that the association will be permitted to seek explanations on decisions related to women’s legal rights. Another important development is the participation of women in the National Dialogue. National debates were initially encouraged by the government in order to foster the idea of dialogue that has been missing from Saudi society. The Center for National Dialogue was formed to bring about constructive change and to take peaceful action supported by the state. Citizens’ civil rights in addition to the right of men and women to participate in public affairs were among the recommendations made by the First National Dialogue Forum held in Makkah in December 2003. At the second dialogue, participants adopted recommendations combating extremism, calling for public involvement in the decision-making process and establishing civic institutions. The third dialogue held in Madinah in June gathered 70 male and female thinkers and researchers to discuss women’s rights and duties in the Kingdom. The meeting lifted a virtual ban or taboo that has existed for years about discussing women’s issues. It initiated a social dialogue and triggered and renewed interest in women’s rights and women’s roles in the future of Saudi Arabia. Of course greater efforts are needed. The dialogue reflected the Saudi leadership’s opinion that women are an integral part of the reform process. It conveyed the message very clearly that both men and women are partners in reform.
In the media, Saudi women journalists and writers have been prominent in voicing their opinions concerning incorrect attitudes, traditions and ideas which are not based in Islam but which are responsible for many problems women face in Saudi Arabia. The media has also been instrumental in promoting and projecting a positive image of today’s professional women. Awareness campaigns are conducted in an effort to inform women of their legal rights and of matters concerning family and health. The government has approved a new educational strategy to steer the country’s educational system toward meeting the requirements of the local job market. In order to raise the standard of education for women and to improve the qualifications of all Saudis, the government has set up a body to oversee higher education in addition to a national center to review the educational system. In conclusion I stress the significance of the role of women in the Kingdom’s reforms, bearing in mind that Saudi Arabia’s population growth rate is among the highest in the world. It surpasses the national economic growth. Sixty percent of the population is below the age of twenty. More than fifty percent are women. These statistics are crucial and impose the need to improve the status of women and secure equal treatment for all citizens in accordance with Islamic principles of justice and nondiscrimination. In order to accelerate these reforms, however, both stability and national unity are required. Islamic scholars are actively advocating tolerance and moderation. Hard-liners have been removed in an effort to protect Saudi society from extremist ideologies, narrow-mindedness and discrimination against women.
— Samar Fatany is a radio journalist based in Jeddah.
