JEDDAH, 15 May 2006 — In many ways, women in Saudi Arabia can be their own worst enemies when it comes to issues regarding their changing role in society. A look at the economic statistics and the important role that women have to play for this society to progress makes many of the challenges obvious, but the obeisance many women pay to the status quo and long-standing cultural traditions exact a price on the pace of progress in Saudi Arabia and the acceptance of a new reality that we can embrace and watch our children flourish or reject and watch both our society and standard of living crumble. Ironically, in the worst-case scenario for the future, we would struggle even to feed or clothe our children, let alone defend our culture or traditions.
It is a harsh appraisal and one that I might not have seen fit to voice had I not been asked to present a paper regarding the role of women in the media to inform society about the vision for Saudi women in the future at the first-ever Forum for Women in Media held April 16 in Riyadh. Held under the patronage of Princess Adelah bint Abdullah, the forum addressed issues concerning women in media.
At the end of my lecture there were many who criticized my comments, but at the same time there were many others who shared my views and appreciated my efforts to raise a critical issue that remains one of the greatest obstacles in the way of women’s empowerment in Saudi Arabia. Allow me to share with you some of the points that I raised to those ends. Discord exists between women of differing viewpoints all over the world. In Saudi Arabia, perhaps because of the extreme levels of conservatism held by some women, the discord seems to be more prevalent.
It is unfortunate to note, but women often oppose their Saudi sisters who call for change and development. For Saudi policy-makers and government officials this creates a major problem. An example of this would be the move to issue separate identity cards to women, which was met with rejection and obstruction of work at government offices and banks as a form of protest. Because of the importance of this change for the march of progress in the Kingdom, the government had to impose the change upon them.
Women’s reluctance to embrace the change and opportunities extended to them also is demonstrated by the refusal of women to vote for women candidates running in chamber elections in the Eastern Province, which resulted in failure. Even in Jeddah it was the men’s vote that put women on the board — not the limited support of their sisters.
Across the range of reforms sought to empower women to give Saudi Arabia a much-needed competitive edge in the global marketplace, from schools and workplaces to hospitals and highways, women often are the ones raising the roadblocks to change.
Some women object to the participation of students in dramatic and literary activities at schools for girls. Without demands by schoolteachers for change, public school girls continue to be deprived of all literary activities.
Despite psychological, hygienic and security concerns about the niqab (veil) raised by doctors and hospital officials, it is women who exert pressure to keep in place this trend. Some female doctors and nurses refuse to heed to these concerns thus compromising their level of efficiency and professionalism and subjecting patients to needless discomfort.
There is a large number of women who oppose women driving in Saudi Arabia. This stand has caused countless problems both for working and nonworking women. As a result, the ban on driving still holds, even though there is nothing in religion that justifies the ban and literally millions of Saudi riyals get taken out of the economy because of the nation’s imagined need for drivers, most of them expatriate workers. Women also are to blame for the absence of physical education in schools. Women hard-liners pay no heed to the alarming increase in obesity and diabetes among young Saudi girls that researchers report and that threatens the health of generations to come.
Many women call for the strict enforcement of our strong segregation laws. This culture of isolation applied to women within the family creates social and psychological problems, not the least of which is the fact that depression runs rampant for young boys and girls unable to share the joy of social life with all members of the family.
Extremist religious practices and resistance to modernization by Saudi women have earned the disdain of many women worldwide and especially from women in Arab and Muslim countries.
Many Muslim women in other countries lament the ignorance of Saudi women, both in terms of Arab and Islamic issues, which compromises the ability of women throughout the Arab world to move forward and do the best for their families and themselves. Instead of being a source of strength to the Muslim world, the position of Saudi women has compromised what should be Saudi Arabia’s leading role in the international arena. During the lecture, I made 10 recommendations to remove the obstacles to empowerment of women in Saudi Arabia.
1. Project the correct Islamic teachings on the role of women in order to dispel the hodgepodge of antiquated tribal customs and traditions that get improperly mixed in with the words of God. The world is populated by men and women who are partners in everything from raising a good family and ensuring a bright future for their children to building an economically and politically strong society.
2. Invite enlightened Islamic scholars to help guide the public back to Islam’s declared position on women in the light of the Holy Qur’an and Sunnah, emphasizing the need to protect the Islamic identity of Saudi women while rejecting excesses and deviations.
3. Encourage civil institutions to fight discrimination against women and the tragic problem of domestic violence.
4. Highlight successful Saudi women who have proven their excellence in education, social service, business, media, health and other sectors in order to encourage women to take a more active role in shaping the nation.
5. Take up women’s issues and present a true picture of their problems and suffering to officials so that they get a real picture of the challenges, which will help decision-makers set the right course.
6. Raise the levels of education and awareness among women. Women make up half of our society, and they should be empowered to play effective roles in the nation’s development and share in the decision-making process.
7. Increase the international role of Saudi women to bring nations closer and promote world peace while encouraging their participation in global conferences and organizations.
8. Allow Saudi women to help correct the widespread misconceptions about Muslim women.
9. Allow Saudi women to promote Arab solidarity by fostering friendly relations and cooperation between the people of the Arab countries.
10. Saudi media has to work to promote the true moderate Islamic culture and report on current Islamic trends that honor women and respect their rights. In order to uplift Islamic civilization, we need to find a way to embrace the advancements of modernity rather than rejecting them out of hand.
We need to find a way to end our hatred of change and differences. The media can play an important role in making the case for change, and Saudi women need to play an ever-increasing role in that media. While other societies are forging ahead, we continue to discuss whether progress is a good idea, and each day we fall a little farther behind our contemporaries.
The Forum for Women in Media provided the opportunity for media professionals to discuss the way forward. Media should not be underestimated. Women in media should be both trained and encouraged to mobilize the national base toward reform.
It is important because women have to play an equal role in the decision-making process that will transform our society into a model for other peoples around the world. If we don’t make a strong case for change, our society is likely to languish.
Shaping the domestic debate toward positive attitudes and global thinking is a cornerstone of the transformation. It is time for Saudi women — all Saudi women — to realize that they already are making important contributions to the national debate. Whether those contributions will be positive, and speed up the pace of reform, or negative, and send our society and our children closer to a future of poverty, is something all Saudi women need to understand. The global village is watching; whether it will wait for us is another question.
— Samar Fatany is a radio journalist. She is based in Jeddah.
