SAUDIS WOMAN TRYING TO CHANGE THEIR CULTURE

Saudi Women Initiate Change From Within Javid Hassan & Hadeel Al-Khudair, Arab News

RIYADH, 14 March 2008 — Despite cultural taboos, a new generation of Saudi girls is fighting back to assert their role in Saudi society. Many young ladies in the Kingdom today occupy jobs in different sectors from health care and banking to media and business. The mindset of Saudi women is slowly but surely undergoing a change. Whereas once a fresh graduate would say, “I want to study dentistry, but I am afraid I won’t get married,” now a 14-year-old boldly asserts, “As long as I am sustaining my hijab, I will study medicine and become a physician.” The seeds of change are being planted in young minds at a time when the Kingdom is experiencing its second economic boom. Former Prime Minister of Norway Gro Harlem Brundtland, who visited Jeddah recently, observed, “There is no one outside that can force change on Saudi Arabia. The change should come from Saudis themselves.” Brundtland added she believes that religion is not a hindrance and does not deprive women from access to opportunities. She felt that the problem lies with tradition and culture. Change, however, is happening and young women are forcing the pace of this change, as Arab News found out. “My work has become a chance for me to progress and make changes I never thought existed. The banking sector is like a window to the world,” said Reem, a bank investment service representative. “My self-reliance has boosted greatly and I learned that it’s a blessing to learn investment rather than spend away monthly earnings.” Women are no longer willing to cave in to the restrictions imposed by culture. They are conscious of the need to separate culture from religion by working in various fields while maintaining their Islamic identity. “Almost 10 years ago, most people here in the Kingdom were against the notion of women becoming physicians,” said Danah Al-Joma’ah, a medical student. “But now, people’s viewpoints have remarkably improved. This is enough proof that Saudi society has become more aware of the significance of having the female facet in different fields... A woman should have an active role in society and her prosperity affects neither her Islamic values nor her role as a wife and mother,” she added. Interestingly, even a section of men are veering round to the idea of women working. However, the No. 1 factor that deters them from working in hospitals, banks, etc. are the long working hours and prolonged absence from home. It is encouraging to note that the government has embarked on a new initiative enabling Saudi women to work in different sectors. The Shoura Council is currently engaged in setting rules and regulations regarding women’s careers, which will ensure not only their rights but their safety as well. In this context, it should be emphasized that the 10x10 strategy formulated by the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA), which seeks to push Saudi Arabia among the 10 most competitive nations by 2010, should also envisage expanding the frontiers of their work domain. Currently, an estimated 16 percent of Saudi women — who comprise nearly 50 percent of the population — are employed. With a large segment of the Saudi population disabled by the weight of cultural traditions, one wonders whether SAGIA could home in on its 10x10 target. The problem is further compounded by the fact that many Saudi women pursue higher studies, especially in humanities, in trying to get around the restrictions that they face. As Al-Hanouf, an administrative worker at a Riyadh University observes: “With so many students applying for a medical doctor (MD) course, you would assume they were going for a bachelor’s degree course.” It turns out that this is just an exercise in intellectual embellishment as it lends prestige and weight to their personality. “Because our youth have not been well groomed for the job market, they take the easy way out and continue their studies until they are faced with nothing but the walls of their homes,” a King Saud University student told Arab News on condition of anonymity. However, their hopes are blighted when they find roadblocks in their hunt for jobs. And when they do receive job offers, they find themselves ill prepared for interviews. Their CVs are often also not in order. No wonder, according to a recent study, an estimated 66.3 percent of educated Saudi women are unemployed. Usually, those who seek higher studies are either interested in raising their level of income through a well-paying job or merely seek to enhance their knowledge in a specific field. “I just want to apply for a scholarship, acquire my MD and PhD and I don’t care then if I do nothing but sit at home,” May, a sociology student, told Arab News. “Even though most students think that they might secure better jobs with an MD, in essence they go for it as a matter of prestige,” she adds.