The discussion, titled “Charge Up Your Life,” was attended by Saudi women who have excelled academically and professionally.
The forum was held for the third time under the supervision of Princess Sita bint Abdullah and was organized by Orbits of Development for Empowerment Consultants (ODECO).
Lamia Qazza, a member of the Dar Al-Hekma faculty, welcomed participants.
“Our aim is to support the Saudi woman and boost her role in the international and local scenes,” she said. “This can be done by offering job opportunities for women and launching academic programs that gather both international experts and skillful Saudi women.”
Hana'a Jamjoum, deputy student affairs coordinator at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, spoke to the audience about the changes that have occurred recently in lives of Saudi women.
“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 Deputy Education Minister Nora bint Abdullah Al-Fayez, the first Saudi woman to ascend to a ministerial-level position.
Lubna Al-Ghlalini, event organizer, underscored the importance of holding such panel discussions in order to encourage young Saudi women to participate in making their future.
“We are aiming to develop programs and strategies in order to boost women's role in society and the Saudi job market,” she said. “Here we present many successful stories of individual effort.”
The Saudi woman should be a citizen who has positive feelings toward her society, she added. She should participate and influence in the future positively by following strategies and development plans.
Salwa Al-Hazza, head of the Ophthalmology Department at King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh, attended the panel discussion.
“A woman should know that she may start from zero or sub-zero,” she said. “To achieve success, the woman should know that she is in the minority and she should work 10 times harder than the man to prove her worth.”
According to Al-Hazza, all women from Gulf, Arab and European countries are facing the same obstacles because they are in the minority, but women can overcome the obstacles with patience.
Arwa Alaama, vice mayor of Jeddah, and Arwa Mutabaghani, the first female member of the Saudi Equestrian Olympics delegation and first member of a sports union in Saudi Arabia, spoke to the audience about their experiences and how to have a positive attitude.
“I believe that my attitude determines my success,” she said. “That’s why I accepted a position in the Jeddah Municipality. It was a great risk, but I accepted it because I wanted to make changes in my society. I also tried to create several job opportunities for Saudi women, and I did. Every one of us should think about making changes and leaving positive changes in this society.”
