A prominent Saudi female activist and winner of an international award has called for the establishment of a special ministry for empowering women and tackling their issues. “We need a ministry for women,” said Maha Al-Munif, director of the family security program.

Al-Munif, who was the only Arab among 10 winners to receive the International Women of Courage Award from the US State Department on March 4, urged authorities to enact laws to punish individuals who harass females. “We have to spread a culture of rights and eradicate family violence,” she told the sabq.org electronic newspaper.

Maha Akeel, a senior Saudi female journalist and editor in chief of the OIC Journal, welcomed the proposal to establish a women’s ministry. “It’s a good idea to have a ministry to focus on issues concerning women and set out policies and programs that support and empower women,” Akeel told Arab News.

She said the proposed ministry should work in coordination with the ministries of justice, education, health and labor to implement its policies and programs and follow up on them.

“Our society is structured in such a way that women's issues are always handled separately and the participation of women is needed in the decision making,” she pointed out.

However, Akeel feared having a separate ministry would further marginalize women and restrict their participation to a limited area. She called for efforts to empower women within each ministry, giving them equal opportunity and broadening their participation in the nation-building process.

Abdelelah Saaty, dean of the College of Business in Rabigh, said the formation of a separate ministry for women was not practical.

“In my opinion, the existing ministries should exert greater efforts to resolve women’s issues and protect their rights,” he told Arab News. “Establishing a new ministry will not solve the problem. It will only add to our bureaucratic institutions,” he said.