“THE Council of Ministers approved the new labor law that allows women to work in all fields that suit their nature and raises the rate of Saudization of jobs in companies to 75 percent.” The news published in all the Kingdom’s papers on Tuesday carried a message for unemployed people that they would find a place in one of the country’s many companies. It also carried a confused concept of what fields women should — or would be allowed to — work in.
The phrase “that suits their nature” is ambiguous and it makes us wonder who will decide what “suits their nature.” In fact, what is a woman’s “nature” and what jobs does that “nature” qualify her for? This deserves an open public debate on what the law means by the word “nature.”
The striking thing is that no matter what words are used, the fact is that women in Saudi Arabia at present have limited choices when it comes to jobs. Thus, the idea of limiting their work choices to those that suit their “natural” capacities seems to limit even more whatever jobs might be available to them.
Last month another news story said that women should not be allowed to work night shifts. That of course created confusion among women doctors and nurses. If a woman wants to work as a doctor, she should take full responsibility for that work and if she wants to be paid the same as male doctors, she should also have the same duties and working hours. This is of course speaking hypothetically; what we have to remember is that women will never be hospital managers. Because they will not, perhaps that is a good excuse to discriminate against men by giving them all the night shifts while — surely it is clear — women get the other end of the stick since their “nature” obviously does not allow them work at night. The argument against women working at night begins and ends with their responsibilities as wives and mothers. Critics say it is wrong to make them stay away from their homes at night. Well. as far as the law is concerned, I think they need to add an explanatory clause clarifying exactly what the “nature” of women is and what jobs are compatible with that “nature.”
Women in Saudi have always been limited to certain fields — such as teaching and medicine. In the past 10 years, however, more jobs have become available and more women now work in a wider variety of jobs and have also proven themselves capable of being productive in those jobs. Of course, however, limitations on women still exist in certain areas — law, engineering and some top managerial positions.
In an online debate on the labor law, some voices were angry at the inclusion of women in that law with some saying that women are competing with men and that they are taking jobs away from them.
Others naturally repeated the eternal excuse that women are different from men and that their “nature obligates them to stay at home.” I wonder why women who are divorced, who don’t have children, who are single or who have adult children have to stay at home? And if there is a chance for them to earn money and help themselves and their families, what is in any way wrong with that?
This said, there are still some hysterical voices screaming that these new job opportunities will lead to the mixing of sexes which will lead to the utter dissolution of morals and rank depravity! What nonsense!
Without any need go overboard or stress the fact that women have limited choices, I think all we have to do is remember that in Saudi Arabia no woman would work as a construction worker, no woman will work as a street cleaner — and — this is important — no Saudi man would either. Perhaps we should add a clause to the law that says men have to do only those jobs which are compatible with their “nature.”
It is strange to read the comments from Saudi businessmen who say that they do not want to employ Saudi men because they are uncontrollable and will not conform to the system. For those businessmen, a non-Saudi worker is obliged by his contract and the Kingdom’s strict residency laws to work — and the employer knows that.
I think we need to define what the word “nature” means in our Saudi context and also what the word implies. Maybe then we could start to understand what our men and women can and cannot do. And who knows? Maybe then men will give up certain jobs and women will take them. The whole thing deserves a study rather than legistlation.
In the Spirit of the Month
Ramadan is almost upon us and the air is beginning to be filled with the spirituality that the month brings. Every year, it comes back and with it all the festivities and traditions that have marked our memories since childhood. In Ramadan, especially for those living in Jeddah, people often go to Makkah to pray in the Holy Haram and, for them, that makes the month more memorable and more significant.
Around the Grand Mosque in Makkah, however, in addition to the pilgrims and all kinds of vendors, there are also pickpockets and the self-appointed religious know-it-alls. This is the place where each person feels the right to chide others and criticize them in public. Around the Holy Kaaba, there is always someone who follows women around, telling them to cover themselves and to walk away from men. Sometimes they issue judgments branding a person as not religious enough or even as being a “kafir.” (an atheist or an unbeliever). Somehow these things pass us by as being part of the whole scene in Makkah during Ramadan. But to some it can be both insulting and nerve-wracking.
A friend told me that while she was performing Umrah, she tried to get closer to the Kaaba and since there were not many people around, she felt it was the perfect chance to take her son closer so that he could get a sense of what it means to be so near the House of God. A man in plainclothes told her in an insulting voice to cover her face and he called her a “kafir.” She felt so stunned that it that it took away her spirituality and all she could do was to say to the man: “I am not going to answer you.” But he repeated the insult, and there was nothing for her to do except finish her “tawaf” and feel that she had been grossly violated.
That man is sadly not alone in his behavior. Some of the guards who are stationed around the holy places treat people with contempt and disrespect, especially women.
It is sad enough that we in Saudi Arabia have, over time, become used to this — but what about those who come from distant lands to perform their religious rituals? What excuse can we offer them when they are treated so rudely them and the whole point of their spiritual journey is spoiled?
