Thanking Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah for his initiative to raise the profile of Saudi women, Dr. Aisha Netto, CEO of Eye-2-Eye optics and member of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said women should continue this drive by pushing for representation in the Council of Ministers, the Shoura Council and the country’s municipal councils.
“Now you can see women in the position of deputy minister and as active members of the boards in organizations,” she told the audience, referring to Nora bint Abdullah Al-Fayez, deputy education minister in charge of female students.
Netto added that she would like to see more support from organizations, businesses and the public sector.
“All (of the progress) we see from the experience so far is an individual effort; it does not receive the full support of government agencies,” she said.
Netto also thanked her husband, Hamid, for his support while she completed her studies.
Jeddah-based columnist and radio journalist Samar Fatany — who co-hosted the event with Netto and Lina Almaeena, who founded Jeddah United sports company in 2006 — told the audience she was optimistic in the face of the challenges to the empowerment of Saudi women.
“My enthusiasm will continue in the face of challenges that obstruct the empowerment of Saudi women to have a leading role representing Muslim women in an honorable way and which makes them good examples for our daughters and the Muslim world,” she said.
Fatany cited the attempts to reinvigorate the Kingdom’s literary clubs, particularly by promoting the role of women in these organizations in order to “spread awareness and education, the development of thought and the exchange of views among women for the development of the community and for building a prosperous future for our sons and daughters.”
Lina Almaeena focused her talk on the controversy regarding the lack of physical education programs for girls in the Kingdom, attributing such prohibitions to cultural traditions rather than to Islam, which does not prohibit women from forming athletic organizations or participating in physical education programs. Through Jeddah United, Almaeena works to promote athletic programs for women and girls.
“The establishment of a women’s sports team, which started in 2003, faced many criticisms from those who described it as a Satanic act that promoted Western customs and traditions, and that we have turned away from our traditions and morals,” she said.
Almaeena reiterated that after perseverance and unity of effort, the Jeddah United women’s basketball team now has international sponsors and officially cooperates with sports federations around the world.
“I am very happy that I was able to show a different picture of Saudi society in numerous conferences and meetings abroad,” she said. “And to highlight the positive role played by Saudi women.”
The event, titled “Your Success is Our Inspiration,” is part of Binzagr Unilever (Unilever’s official partner in Saudi Arabia) corporate social responsibility efforts and is the first of a series of dialogues that will take place in the future.
Tawfeeq Al-Akhrass, director of food and beverages at Unilever Arabia, said the program is aimed at empowering Saudi women and girls.
“We share today with Saudi women and girls from different generations the opportunity to achieve success in various aspects of life through getting knowledge on the experiences of our guests and their contributions to serve their nation and their community,” he said. “We will do our best to continue to provide all forms of support with a long-term strategy that extends to all cities in the Kingdom.”
Unilever, one of the world’s largest consumer products companies of global leading brands such as Lipton and Dove, has deep roots in the Kingdom. Binzagr Unilever Ltd., a joint venture between Unilever Overseas Holdings AG and Abdullah & Said M.O. Binzagr Company, was established in 1978 to locally produce global Unilever household and personal care brands for Saudi Arabia. Currently, the factory has 350 permanent employees and a 45 percent Saudi work force.
