Bill Gates’ visit to Saudi Arabia last week was important not just in economic terms. The visit had political and cultural dimensions as well. It’s true that Gates succeeded in making many business deals with several public and private institutions that will make his company gain billions of dollars. But we too stand to gain by attracting one of the best companies in the field of information technology and software today.
Gates caught my attention when he said something during a meeting with a number of Saudi women details of which were published in many newspapers. During the round table discussion Gates discussed the importance of information technology and competitiveness in the development of any nation; he also questioned the idea of developing the information technology sector in Saudi Arabia where, according to him, women are isolated behind partitions and prohibited from working.
Of course he made these comments seeing the community from the outside. There is a relationship between this gender discrimination — not to be confused with religious or social segregation — and restricting the women’s role to a limited circle of jobs in comparison to the large number of jobs available for men.
Undoubtedly, work opportunities available for women are very limited in spite of the fact that they could work and achieve more. There are some Saudi women who have succeeded in overcoming this obstacle, but they don’t comprise the majority.
We hope that information technology and Internet will give the Saudi woman the chance to have appropriate jobs possibly working from their homes. There is plenty of work that could be accomplished from home such as marketing, conducting studies and project planning.
There are many other businesses women could do anywhere anytime and communicate with their employers via the Internet or phone. In addition, there are many other things women could do in the field of business. For instance, they could participate in the telephone sector, make airline or hotel reservations via the Internet or phone. Women could work actually either from the women’s section in the work premises or from their household.
Some companies could benefit from women’s work without having them attend and compete with men in the work place. For example, printing and designing companies and other jobs that rely mainly on computer designs could implement this idea.
We just need to think of the proper techniques and methods that could help women work without having to limit them to a few work options.
I don’t really know the reasons behind scuttling the project of employing women in the shopping centers and malls the minister of labor announced a while ago. The decision was lost in the middle of problems created by some men who probably see no need for women to work. They didn’t think of poor families supported and financed by women who have no jobs but selling and buying. To stop women working in shops and malls some men pointed to problems that didn’t exist. They are transforming the woman indirectly into an evil force or a seductress even when she is buying and selling things from and to women.
Bill Gates didn’t offer anything new in his observations and comments. People believe his comments were bold because they are not used to clear and direct speech about their problems and issues. Gates comes from a totally different background believing in the value of women’s work in society, so it is to be hoped that he would contribute in training a number of Saudi women on programming and marketing his company’s products. It should definitely open the door for women to work in the technology field and give them a broader space to move and contribute to the economic life of their country.
It is essential to have conditions in the contracts signed with Bill Gates that he train a number of Saudi men and women in the field of technology and computers.
People acquainted with Gates and his positive views toward developing communities and contributing to the betterment of their economic, educational and cultural status would know that he is capable of designing many programs to help Saudi women in this field. Gates is considered one of the most important voices in supporting the poor in Africa.
He also has other initiatives to increase the level of literacy in many parts of the world such as India and China. He is never restrained or hindered by political, cultural or religious considerations when it comes to helping countries or communities. He has a humanitarian vision; so when he earns more he gives more in return.
We, in Saudi Arabia, wish that different sectors where women work such as education and health had asked for technical programs, projects and equipment from Bill Gates.
- Maha Al-Hujailan is a medical researcher at King Khaled University Hospital in Riyadh.
