WUNRN
Women Emancipation in Saudi Arabia on the Rise
By Habib Shaikh
31 July 2007
JEDDAH — Far from being marginalised or subordinate to men, Saudi women are dynamic, according to Princess Dima bint Turki bin Abdul Aziz.
"In
the West, there is a perception that Saudi women are totally dominated by men
in all spheres of life and therefore not equal to men socially and
economically. It is also thought that they are protected by a combination of
strict Islamic laws which have militated against progress in Saudi women’s
education and employment," Princess Dima said in her address to the
Talberg World Forum in Sweden recently.
"But,"
the Princess said, "I can assure you that the reverse is true: that Islam
embraces the contributions which women are able to make. Where women in Muslim
societies have been unable to hold significant positions in the labour market,
the reason for this is to be found in culture rather than religion."
She
stressed that women in Saudi Arabia are willing and able to take on challenges
that have arisen over the past few decades and are able to achieve success in
several areas of public and social life. Princess Dima said that as per 2005
official government statistics, 56 per cent of all the university graduates in
the kingdom were female and 31 per cent of all managers and directors were
women. It is estimated that around 40 per cent of Saudi private wealth is in
female hands. In Riyadh, women own 25 per cent of real estate and in Jeddah 45
per cent. Women hold positions as deans of colleges and universities, CEOs and
IT experts and 40 per cent of Saudi medical doctors are female. There are
several Saudi women artists, photographers, film-makers, journalists, writers
and fashion designers who have achieved positive critical acclaim both at home
and abroad. "It is, of course, necessary to consider these achievements in
some historical context and be aware of how limited the opportunities in
education and employment were for Saudi women just one generation ago,"
she said.
After
the first Gulf War, some economic restructuring was necessary and as a part of
this restructuring there was an increase in the funding for women’s education
which explains the increasing number of female graduates. The steep rise in
population has led to greater competition in Saudi society making employment
outside the home a financial necessity for some women.
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