LAST week it was announced that businesswomen would be allowed to vote for Jeddah Chamber of Commerce board members. This is a first for businesswomen in Jeddah; businesswomen in Riyadh, however, participated in their first elections several months ago.
Voter turnout was not large in the capital and observers were disappointed. When the announcement was made in Jeddah, most businesswomen felt it was right for them, as members, to vote for who sat on the board. Others were quick to point out that it was long past the time when women should have been allowed to run as candidates for board members as well.
The reasons for their feelings are obvious. As one of the women pointed out, men and women pay the same subscription fees in order to become members of the chamber; if the chamber thinks the sexes are equal when it comes to payments, then it is only logical that they should be equal when it comes to making decisions. Another businesswoman asked if those in favor of sexual segregation would not allow women to stand for office, then why is the women’s center within the chamber allowed to have five male members on its board?
To return to reality, we in the Kingdom do not usually do what is logical. Nonetheless, couldn’t we think just a little bit more about what we are doing? If, during the municipal elections earlier this year, women’s participation was allegedly ruled out for logistical reasons, the situation is different in the chamber of commerce. These same logistical reasons are not applicable to the chamber of commerce where the number of women members is relatively small. In order to initiate change, ten businesswomen said they wanted to run for election but their applications to do so were rejected. The chamber never produced a logical explanation for its action.
Perhaps the chamber ought to look at the Saudi Journalists’ Association. Last year the association had its first election and women journalists were allowed to stand as candidates for the board and also to vote in the election. Some women were in fact elected to the board and — take note — the sun is still rising every day and the world did not collapse. So why are we delaying women’s full involvement in civil and commercial life?
Women have proven themselves capable of serving in a variety of jobs and positions. Why would allowing them to vote be any different?
Let us remind the members of the chamber that Lubna Al-Olayan is not only a board member of the Saudi Hollandi bank but she is also regarded as one of the top 50 women in the Arab world. Up to this point, we have heard no comments that her being a woman has hampered her in her job or reduced the quality of her work or her commitment in any way.
***
The comments of Prince Sultan ibn Salman this week on the demolition of the Hijaz railway bridge last week came as a relief to many people who felt genuine frustration and anger at its destruction. The prince promised to rebuild the bridge and also demanded to know who was responsible for the decision to demolish a structure which dates back to the late Ottoman period and which was much loved in and around Madinah.
He said that SR25 million had been spent on maintenance of the bridge only five years ago. Were those who gave the order for its destruction unaware of that fact?
This news came simultaneously with another item in the local press pertaining to the historical area in old Jeddah. In order to preserve the area, the municipality has decided to allow families to move into the old buildings for a reasonable rent. The idea is that this will prevent the destruction of old houses and the building of commercial property in their place.
I applaud the idea and will be interested to see how it works. At the same time, however, I wonder if that is the only thing old Jeddah needs? What about the condition of many of its streets? To say nothing of the infrastructure! If we are serious about preserving old Jeddah, houses will have to be renovated, streets put in order and water and sewage be brought up to acceptable standards.
Judging from what happened to the Hijaz railway bridge, when bad things happen, those responsible seem to fall out of sight and we normal people are left to cope and adjust to whatever has been done — whether we like it or not.
