JEDDAH: A seat in the Council of Ministers was among the most pressing demands made by Saudi women who attended a special function held on Saturday night by the Jeddah Literary Club to honor a number of Saudi women for their outstanding accomplishments on the occasion of the International Women’s Day.
Deputy Chairman of the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) Al-Jawhara Al-Anqari disagreed with the system having gender segregation in schools and in the administration of education.
She said that since education is a human right for all there is no need for such separation. “Women were consulted during the early days of Islam. Such authority was acceptable then,” she said.
In her speech after being decorated, Al-Jawhara called on Saudi women to strongly defend all God-given rights.
“Do not accept half-solutions,” she added.
Saudi columnist Aziza Al-Manie presented a working paper in agreement with Al-Jawhara’s views.
The paper highlighted the achievements realized by Saudi women, the most recent being the appointment of Noura Al-Fayez as deputy education minister for girls’ affairs.
The men who attended the lecture did not hide their unhappiness over the views expressed in the paper, particularly that it pointed accusing fingers at them as being responsible for the loss of the rights of the Saudi women in society.
Renowned Saudi poet Halemah Mozzafar, who moderated the function, tried her best to reduce the number of interruptions during the speech.
Saeed Al-Ghamdi joined the forces calling for coeducation. He underlined the importance of coexistence between the two genders at the elementary-school level.
Supporting the idea, Khadeeja Al-Sabban, a teacher at a local college of education, called for a clear-cut distinction between khulwa (illegal seclusion of a man and a woman behind closed doors) and coexistence.
Dalal Aziz Dia, deputy director of Jeddah Radio, downplayed the women-versus-men debate by saying women are not in a race against men.
She referred to the support she had received from her father and brother in her career development.
Poet Thuraya Al-Areedh concluded the function by reciting a number of her poems.
“Forgive me for being sleepy,” she begged the audience.
The Literary Club honored a number of pioneering Saudi women who have excelled in various fields, including poetry, art, social work and medicine.
