JEDDAH, 28 March 2008 — Lama Hani, a 20-something Saudi property consultant at a Jeddah real estate company, would like her clients to know that she is not interested in receiving flowers, mobile phones or other gifts. She’s not interested in going out on a dinner date, either.
What she wants is to sell property. “I hear many inappropriate comments from clients,” says Hani. “Businessmen should be more professional.”
Hani, like many Saudi workingwomen, says that she faces a constant stream of harassment from some clients. While some behave appropriately, others do not.
Tahani Omar, an assistant investment relationship manager at the same company who is also in her 20s, says being harassed is just another hurdle for Saudi women. But in some cases, men feel free to make offensive propositions with impunity. Omar describes one instance where a man openly offered her a job in exchange for sex.
“I gave a presentation for a client in the meeting room. He tried to offer me a job as an executive manager at his company,” she added. “I tried to change the subject by going on with my presentation. Then, he told me that he would do anything I wanted if I agreed to sleep with him.”
Rana Tahir, another real estate agent, says that comments and dinner invitations are normal when she deals with men. “After I exchanged business cards with one client, he sent me a text message the next day asking me to go out for coffee. I told him he is welcome to have coffee with me at the office,” said Tahir. “He insisted we meet outside of work. After ignoring his messages a couple of times, I sent him a message saying that I don’t go out with clients. He replied that he would not buy anything unless I went out with him.
Tahir complained to her boss, who called the client and told him to stop harassing his employee.
A mother of three children whose husband is currently unemployed — she didn’t want her name published — says that the lack of workplace sexual harassment laws empowers men to behave obscenely with impunity. “Unfortunately, our society still has not accepted the idea of a women working in sales. I face harassment every day,” she added.
The working mom wears a veil on the job and doesn’t wear makeup lest she invite unwarranted propositions. Still, she says, men make comments about her eyes and ask her out on dates.
“I believe that Saudi Arabia is still not ready for saleswomen,” she said. “Men should appreciate workingwomen and they should change their view about us. Instead of helping us or treating us as their sisters, daughters and mothers, they look down at us as if we are a commodity.”
A director of an investment company, who requested anonymity, said that his company is strict when it comes to the women meeting clients by themselves at off-site locations. The company employs 14 women who all cover their hair and dress modestly.
“Although this is a conservative society, it wasn’t hard to recruit them,” he said. “Actually, it was much easier because they are more capable and work harder than men.”
If one of the saleswomen must meet a client outside the office, the company usually sends a male colleague.
“If the client is a relative or a well-known businessman, the saleswoman is allowed to meet the client outside the office,” he added, adding that the company has a strict “no gifts-in-kind” policy; all gifts sent to the employees are sent back to clients.
Tahir, the real estate agent, says that most problems occur when she is meeting clients outside the office. Professions, such as real estate, marketing, and other sales-driven jobs, are more prone to sexual harassment.
“I like my job,” she said. “It pays well and I get to meet a lot of people. The work atmosphere is great and I would never consider changing my job. However, the only disadvantage is sometimes we meet disrespectful clients.”
