We often blame others who reject the role of women in our society, but we have to admit that women in media are partly to blame because of their failure to enlighten the Saudi woman about her changing role in our nation’s social, economic and political progress.
Roa women’s magazine last month held a meeting to discuss the role of women in media at Okaz headquarters. It was a great pleasure to participate, and I commend the initiative to frame with a strategy for women in media to address the many challenges facing Saudi society today.
Misinterpretation of Islamic concepts and the dominance of some decision-makers who confuse cultural traditions with the laws of Islam continue to damage women’s hopes for progress.
Such missteps have led many to believe that women cannot participate in our nation’s building and should remain inside their homes with no role to play in the country’s future beyond childbearing.
The challenges are many, and media needs to adopt a strategy that raises the level of awareness among Saudi women and develop their potential to better serve both the nation and humanity.
To begin with, we have to acknowledge media’s notable achievements in supporting the role of working women, both through wide coverage and investigative reports that address the challenges of women’s integration into the work force.
The media also has been successful in its campaigns to project women’s achievements and contributions. It is the media that has made many women in our society well known, such as Dr. Nahid Taher, our first woman bank CEO; Dr. Nadia Baashen who heads the Women’s Center at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Dr. Noura Al-Asheikh, head of the Women’s Department at the Ministry of Social Affairs; along with Jowhara Al-Anqari and Dr. Suhaila Zain Al-Abideen, both prominent members of the National Society for Human Rights; and Dr. Hanan Al-Ahmedi, head of the Women’s Department at the Saudi Management Society. The media has highlighted government efforts to integrate women into the work force and has detailed policies created to remove obstacles to progress.
Moreover, reportage of the activities and services of women’s organizations and governmental agencies has played an important role in the societal and cultural development of women. These include the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Ministry of Culture and Information, Khadeeja Bint Khuwailed Center, National Society for Human Rights, the King Abdul Aziz National Dialogue Center and Saudi Management Society.
There is also the media focus on training and educational programs at institutes and colleges that help increase the expertise of working women. The services of these institutions also contribute to the empowerment of women and improve women’s conditions both at home and in the workforce, which is yet another form of support.
Despite these achievements in projecting the role of women in society, we need to admit that women in media have failed to address many continuing challenges.
The majority of society appears to lack trust in the capacity of women to lead. As a result, many still hold onto the restrictions imposed on women to safeguard the Muslim identity of women as well as family values that they fear could be lost in the process of change.
The only way to address these concerns is to lead by example and for the media to continue to project the ongoing, valuable achievements of qualified and capable professional women. We also need to devise new strategies and more effective campaigns to support the empowerment of our women.
Some of these new strategies could be:
• Introduction of Saudi women into Arab, Gulf and international women’s organizations and the creation of a support network for women throughout the Middle East.
• Reportage of national and international forums that seek to enlighten women and support their efforts for success, progress and a better life.
• Introduction of international initiatives to empower women and achieve peace, such as UN Resolution 1335 that stipulates that women be involved in peace processes. That initiative was launched in the Arab world in 2002 by Suzan Mubarak. The Geneva— and Cairo-based International Women for Peace was designed to empower women across the Arab region and women in war-ravaged areas. Saudi women are part of the global village and should learn to build bridges of understanding between nations.
• Enlightening women at the international level about challenges facing Saudi and Muslim women and confronting smear campaigns that seek to tarnish the image of women in Islam. The issue of discrimination against women in Saudi Arabia becomes a weapon against Islam. Unfortunately, the failure to empower Saudi women reinforces existing stereotypes.
• Emphasizing the importance of Saudi women participating in international and regional forums or Islamic organizations. Such participation in official delegations to foreign countries would highlight their role in the international community and correct misconceptions about Saudi women while strengthening the Kingdom’s leadership role on the global stage.
• Empowerment of Arab and Muslim women would eradicate a lot of the obstacles they now face. Saudi women should work together with women of the region to share experiences geared toward progress and prosperity.
The time for women to participate and play a more active role has come. A political decision has been made to adopt a new policy of reforms toward the status of women in society. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has reiterated on several occasions that nation’s leadership holds women in high esteem. It is our duty now, through the media, to support Saudi women and project their active role in the country’s development and to educate the public on their vital role in creating a new future for Saudi society.
— Samar Fatany is a radio journalist. She is based in Jeddah.
