MAKKAH: Three businesswomen contesting elections to the board of directors of Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) have withdrawn their candidacies accusing chamber officials of not cooperating with them.
Areej Justaniyah, one of the four businesswomen who had submitted nominations, told Arab News that the chamber did not provide an appropriate atmosphere for women’s participation in the elections.
“This was my first experience in the elections, but I didn’t find the necessary ambience and that is why I am withdrawing,” Justaniyah said. “When all doors are closed in your face you have no option but to withdraw.”
Amina Zawawi and Sameerah are the other two businesswomen who withdrew their nominations.
Justaniyah claimed that chamber officials were hesitant to provide the women candidates with the election plan. “Is this acceptable when there is only one day left for the elections?” the businesswoman asked.
More than 5,000 registered members of the chamber, including about 800 businesswomen, will elect 10 members to the MCCI board of directors tomorrow out of 29 candidates, including one woman.
Justaniyah criticized the chamber officials for not making sufficient preparations for the election of women and said that they were not willing to welcome businesswomen to the chamber’s board of directors.
“Even in other matters, businesswomen are being marginalized. The chamber is not informing us about lectures and seminars it organizes which may help improve our performance,” she said.
Justaniyah had lamented the inability of Fatimah Center, the women’s section of MCCI, to provide necessary services to businesswomen.
“The center makes empty promises. It claims it is launching new schemes and initiatives for women. But they are never translated into reality,” Justaniyah, a distributor of imported lingerie with a shop in Makkah, told Arab News in an interview a couple of months ago.
Justaniyah did not cite any reason for the hostile attitude of the chamber officials. She, however, expressed her hope that the media would encourage businesswomen by highlighting their grievances. She also hopes that Commerce Minister Abdullah Zainal would consider her name when he selects appointed members to the board.
Zahra Qadah, the only remaining woman candidate, expressed happiness over her candidacy. “I am happy to compete regardless of the outcome; it doesn’t matter whether I win or not,” she said, adding that she will run again next year if she did not make it this time.
Qadah said the chamber provided the women candidates with a CD-Rom containing the names, addresses and telephone numbers of 800 women voters but they were not able to contact them because much of the data was not updated.
“It is obvious that the chamber does not want any woman element in its board of directors,” she said, implying that the male lobby was dominating the elections.