JEDDAH, 20 December 2005 — While unemployment is high among men it is much higher among women in Saudi Arabia. Unemployment among women was put at 21 percent, according to government statistics. Women represent only 5 percent of the total work force in Saudi Arabia with the majority being in the public sector especially in the education and medical fields. The high percentage of unemployed women is a financial and human resource waste. However, just like with men, employing women is not only about finding them jobs but providing adequate training.
Earlier this year, the Ministry of Labor launched a campaign that aimed to employ 200,000 women. Some of the jobs that have been identified for Saudization for women are receptionists, tailors, wedding-hall employees, nutritionists, governesses, marketers, photographers, beauticians, caterers and hospitality and amusement park employees.
With the Council of Ministers decision to open women’s sections in all government ministries and administrations, and employing Saudi women in shops selling women’s wares, in the next two years, more job opportunities would be available for them. Some ministries already announced the opening of women’s sections in all their branches. The chambers of commerce also opened women’s sections. More and more companies are taking the step of employing women, taking into consideration providing them with the appropriate workplace environment in accordance with the specifications made by the Ministry of Labor.
All of these women seeking employment and about to be employed are in need of training. During the past few years, many training centers for women have opened, but their status is still ambiguous and their training levels are not standardized or supervised.
Samia Filimban, head of women’s training programs unit at Khadija bint Khowailid Center for businesswomen at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), said that these training centers do not have an official umbrella except for those offering computer and English diplomas, which fall under the Ministry of Education.
All the others offering training in various other fields, such as cosmetology, photography and culinary arts, which are in high demand by women, are not under any certifying body that make their diplomas official. The General Organization for Technical Education and Vocational Training (GOTEVOT) is supposed to take charge and organize these centers, which are currently supervised by charity organizations helping women find jobs, but has not done so yet.
Although GOTEVOT has not included women in its technical and vocational training institutes before, it took the first step in October of establishing a higher technical institute for girls in Madinah, which would accommodate 1,200 students. Ali Al-Ghafis, governor of GOTEVOT, said that 41 other girls’ technical and vocational training institutes would be available around the Kingdom during the next five years.
The training administration for men at JCCI began around 20 years ago, for women it started about eight years ago.
“The initial goal is to develop skills for new job seekers. One of the problems we have with the new graduates, whether high school or university, is that they have no knowledge or background about what they need to do to find a job, get a job, hold on to a job,” Filimban told Arab News.
That was at a time when English and computer skills were becoming more necessary. The training unit began by offering the Employability Skills diploma in computer, English and administrative skills. Many training centers offered similar training programs, so the unit decided rather than compete with them to support them. “These are hands-on courses for preparing the graduates to work in the private sector after they had become competent in computer and English, because it is not a choice anymore,” said Filimban.
The courses train the girls in soft skills such as communication, presentation, and work ethics. The first courses were conducted over the summer to 150 college graduates.
Another area of training for women is in secretarial and accounting. The women’s training unit at JCCI has initiated three training centers for this.
A new initiative has been taken to offer training in sales, especially now that there is a demand of women to take over sales positions in stores selling women’s wares. However there is resistance by women to work in sales and as sales representatives. Among the reasons for that is lack of transportation and the negative reputation associated with the job.
The unit also offers career counseling to guide women on the best jobs suitable for their personality. And for the first time, they offered a women’s leadership program in cooperation with the Global Opportunity Fund from the British government that aimed at building future capacity of women leaders and empower women with skills needed for upper management level in the public and private sector.
“There is increased demand for women employees in the private sector,” said Filimban, and women are taking the opportunity and accepting the challenge.
