Saudi women fill out applications during a government sponsored job fair in Riyadh. [Stringer/Reuters]
The Saudi Labour Ministry announced last week a new long-term plan to increase the number of women working in the public sector.
The plan, announced May 9th, will involve a survey of industrial, service and public administration jobs across the country to find those suitable for women, according to deputy labour minister Dr. Fahd al-Takhifi.
"It is important that the ministry's plan includes the preparation of field studies that aim to develop regulations organising women's work and that involve all relevant parties," said Ali al-Bawardi, a human resources specialist at the Gulf Training Company in Riyadh.
Al-Bawardi told Al-Shorfa that it is crucial the studies focus on the challenges and obstacles standing in the way of employing Saudi women in the public sector, and propose recommendations and solutions.
Promoting job opportunities for women must be done in accordance with sharia law, be accompanied with more inclusion in all job sectors, and create the right climate for working women through laws and regulations, he said.
Noura al-Rajeh, head of the Higher Technical Institute for girls in Medina, underscored the importance of co-ordinating efforts to promote women in the public sector.
One proposed effort would be the formation of a joint team comprised of representatives from the Labour Ministry, the General Organisation for Technical Education and Vocational Training, and the Human Resources Development Fund, she said.
"This proposed team would conduct field visits to the targeted sectors with the aim of gathering relevant information and data on the current workforce as well as jobs that can be 'feminised', and [determining] the necessary technical, training and rehabilitation requirements," al-Rajeh told Al-Shorfa.
Al-Rajeh said the Labour Ministry had adopted 13 previous initiatives to increase women's participation in the private sector. The initiatives included controls on workplace ethics and protection of female workers from any transgressions in the private sector.
"These initiatives can be amended so that female Saudi job seekers can join the public sector," she said.
Al-Rajeh said the new plan should also provide means of comfort for working women in the public sector, including the provision of services such as transportation and child care services.
Journalist Tariq al-Imam said he is not too optimistic about the new plan due to perceived reluctance of some to implement the employment strategy issued by the Saudi cabinet in 2009.
"Some ministries, authorities and institutions are still absent when it comes to the role they have been assigned in that strategy," he said. "This is due to several reasons but bureaucratic procedures top the list."
The Saudi employment strategy ratified in 2009 sought to develop and advance the national workforce, increase productivity, and provide jobs that add value and offer a sufficient number of job opportunities with adequate pay, al-Imam said.
That strategy aimed to employ Saudis from all parts of society and create a competitive edge for the national economy, he said.
"Several auditing reports have shown that government authorities have not done their job in implementing that strategy for different reasons, such as bureaucratic administrative procedures, lack of allocated funding and neglecting to put successful plans in place to implement the strategy in certain sectors," al-Imam told Al-Shorfa.
He said it is unlikely the new plan will be more successful.
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رائد حمدي
2012-6-6
The Saudi woman became open to the world thanks to the availability of the mass media and the internet, which spreads new cultures around the globe quickly. We can search for all rights and enlighten the Saudi woman about them to fight for her rights in getting colleges and universities with many other sections and departments to satisfy the need for learning in all possible fields. The Saudi woman abroad is excellent and there are other women who created many inventions and raised the name of the kingdom around the world. One day, the women in the kingdom will get their rights in all fields in this closed society, which does not acknowledge the existence of the woman, which is crucial to our existence. All the officials must realize that the woman is the society as a whole, not its half. She has the patience and she can run projects. The Saudi government must not belittle the situation of the woman in the Saudi society so as not to cause many troubles, which may destabilize the whole society at all levels. The Saudi woman is not strong but she is not weak and she can get her rights in the society without any orders from anyone in the society. The Saudi woman will play an effective role in the construction of the society even if all people refused to admit this.
شكر احمد
2012-6-6
The Saudi woman is very introverted in her dealings with society and she is unaware of what is happening in the other states, where the woman receives extra care, even better than the man does. In addition, the woman in the other states is highly ambitious and she has a prominent role in all the fields of life. The woman plays a political and administrative role in all the scientific fields and she gets her rights. On the other hand, the Saudi woman does not play any political role or even participate in the elections. She is lifeless or even worse. This is not only the fault of the government, but this is also the fault of the woman who keeps subservient and behaves passively in the face of the repeated crises, while she should be brave and reject the injustice that is imposed upon her, and the other political and social pressures. If we considered the life of the Prophet, peace be upon him, we would see that he paid special attention to the woman and he recommended that the men be kind to the women. He also used to treat his family and women kindly and with all love and respect. Why does the Saudi government not respect the woman in implementation of the recommendation of the Prophet, peace be upon him? Unfortunately, the Saudi government rejects the role of the woman in developing any sector, because it bans intermixing between men and women, ignoring the fact that the woman can protect herself very well. The companies and government institutions must provide jobs to the woman in all fields, and Saudi Arabia has many ambitious and hard-working girls who do their best to improve their culture. Hence, many families send their girls abroad to learn and get the best academic qualifications and be acknowledged in all countries. However, when they return to their home and start raising the awareness of the other women about their rights that are available in other states in the world, they face neglect.
صادق
2012-6-6
Before judging the situation of the Saudi woman as to her condition and jobs, we have to see the strategy of the Saudi government regarding the religious and political rules that are imposed on the Saudi woman. Woman in general must enjoy the culture and knowledge of all that is new in life in general. However, what the Saudi government offers to the woman is way behind international progress, because the Saudi woman suffers from many complications that are imposed by the Saudi government and rulers on her at all levels and sectors. The intermixing between men and women is banned, even in the field of high education. The only field that is open to her is teaching, and the College of education is the only viable college for the Saudi woman.
وسام كرم
2012-6-6
I do not see anything that hinders the work of women in Saudi Arabia, especially after the diversity of the areas within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Some of them work in the press and some are doctors and teachers, and in some other functions within the Kingdom. This is due to the expansion and diversification in the areas and cultures. The developments of life, which we are experiencing now in the modern life, enable the Saudi women to continue and make sure to maintain her privacy and social situation and to keep up with the occurring or even the anticipated leaps in light of the low levels of working, administration, and education costs. The current data and future developments in the Kingdom have a great role and now they are required more than ever, as it was in the past, that the woman should stay at home and home is only done for women, but now it has become a necessity to arm them with higher education and modern rehabilitation for the possibility of a continuity of life and dealing with it perfectly and appropriately, according to the role of women in the Arab and global societies. The educational and media sides should do their duty to raise and develop the level of the true concept of women's work and to highlight the positive aspects that she is able to handle and give to the community and the obligation of carrying out studies that will get the women involved, and where she can show the appropriate areas for the work that she can offer, particularly to the community because there are groups trying to make a woman tied and compliant as she was before, as long as she does not defy Allah’s law.
منجد
2012-6-6
We must seek to open new opportunities and methods for women's work and meet the national needs to provide them to the communities and reduce the risks of the foreign workers and their economic and social effects. The success of the economy represents a large part of the success of that process in the role of women, and to cope with the local and international communities, especially as the state can provide those opportunities to achieve the aspirations of women and they are able and willing to do the task. The development of the role of women in society, especially in terms of involving them in working in order to activate their role in the development process, the entry of women into the labor market seems clear in many Arab countries, although it started only recently, including Saudi Arabia in the field of education, medical and administrative services. As for her contribution to the production sector, it is very limited in Saudi Arabia and this is due to several factors, including educational reasons related to the high proportion of illiteracy among the girls and the lack of vocational schools for them, and to other cultural and social factors.
صلاح احمد
2012-6-6
Women's work contribute to building the families who participate in the development processes, which is one of the important roles in the society that is not included in the statistics that calculated that effort, as now there are no means to measure its size or the size of its contribution to GDP, but the argument of the Saudi husband or the Saudi government is in terms of the negative aspect of the role of the women's work outside the home. This may lead to the disintegration of the family for leaving her children without care and adequate education, especially if the absence of the father and the mother is concurrent. As well, there is the physical fatigue of the women as she may perform actions that do not fit her physical abilities and the work might cause the increase in the proportion of divorce as a result of the women‘s negligence of her house and children, leading to the emergence of marital disputes.
صدقي ياسري
2012-6-6
The Saudi women do not represent any development for the future of the Saudi economy at this present time because her scope is limited to education and medicine; rather, even her representation in the medicine sector is very limited. The women in Saudi Arabia, so far, have no right to vote in the election or any other leading role. The role of the women is marginalized to some limited areas in addition to their role in the family. I hope that I would see, in the future, a role for the women especially in economic development or industrial progress or in the area of politics in the near future and this is what we want the Saudi government to do something for.
امين صالح
2012-5-30
It is a fact that, among the reasons for the lack of the contribution of the Saudi women in the labor market, is her focus on limited areas such as education and social services because these professions are accepted by the society, and it has became necessary to find appropriate solutions for the situation of the Saudi women in the national labor market, and delving into the problems and obstacles that object to her work, and trying to put some suitable alternatives that will make her contribution a concrete phenomenon, which can be done through the following: The call of the scholars to shed more light on the attitude of the Islamic religion on the issue of women's work, highlighting the different aspects of their work according to what is stated in the Quran and the Sunnah in order to remove a lot of ambiguity or confusion towards women's work; Increasing the scientific disciplines for women at universities and colleges; Finding the widest scientific fields for women either in the governmental positions or organizations that women have to go to; Working on finding solutions to the problem of transportation experienced by the working Saudi women; Working on reducing the distance between the woman’s place of work and her house through appointing and setting her in places near the residential areas as much as possible; Clarifying some of the privileges provided to the working women so that she would feel reassured about her children, through creating custody centers and care places for their children; Creating training opportunities for the working women to raise her efficiency and capability, and to prepare her to meet the requirements of the work.
حسني محمد
2012-5-30
Recently, many changes occurred in the work of women, including the call for overcoming the obstacles that prevent her from working, whether the obstacles were in the expansion of the types of the available jobs to them or the development of her skills and capacities for success. As for the participation of women in the labor market in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, their participation is low when compared with those in the other Arab countries. The government after many pressures and attempts from inside and outside, including management and organizational improvements that licensed the Saudi women to work in specific areas and functions, including: Administrative jobs in all areas which women have to deal with, such as courts, municipalities, court writers and communication and others• The establishment of factories run by women and only women work there, for food and craft materials, fabrics, and carpets, and clothing and fashion design and gold jewelry… Interior Design & Furniture• The establishment of centers of computers and working with them.• A female legal researcher or investigator for women and juveniles• The establishment of commercial markets for women and work in them• Expanding the establishment of women's libraries and research centers and work in them• The establishment of universities for women and providing job opportunities for them•
كمال بدري
2012-5-30
Work is a natural need sought by every human being whether man or woman and in the past, the women's work was limited to household chores and it is the man who goes out to bring food for his family. With the changes in the living conditions and the provision of the means helpful for women in their work and their high educational level, there emerged a desire on her part and with encouragement from the community about her participation in the work as the man, although some of the demands of women's work is the result of a need or circumstances that forced the women to work outside her house.
معيد علي
2012-5-30
There are many obstacles which are facing women, including the backward vision of men towards women in the tribal and rural communities, the vision of women of themselves, the lack of self-confidence in terms of their personal mental, cultural and scientific abilities as well as the nature of family relationships. In addition to that, the audio, the visual and even the written media are drawing a different image for women in advertisements as a décor or a consumer of make-up. Besides, the school and university curricula always portray women in the kitchen or cleaning the house. Their role is confined only to pregnancy, giving birth, bringing up children and providing assistance only in their upbringing and education. Furthermore, movies and TV serials portray women as a source of pleasure, temptation, seduction and a source of crime and moral lawlessness. Women are also portrayed as victims of poverty, poor education, the lack of community participation and lack of self-confidence in their capabilities or they are relied on for public and community work. Thus, I wondered whether the latter is due to a problem in the political system which has marginalized all the social classes or it is due to the backwardness and poverty which are spread among the different social classes. The dilemma is associated with the work in the public domain, which consists in the fact that women may be more successful than men in the field of volunteering, charitable initiatives and addressing the problem of street children as well as female-headed households and others. In fact, this could trigger the feelings of jealousy and competitiveness with some men although women are excelling in these areas and this does not affect men in anything.
عمر فلاح
2012-5-30
The existing system of Saudi Arabia is the basis for many of the problems that occur within them and these charges, which the West makes against the Saudi regime. I am really all for the women to getting their chances to work, but with the Saudi regime, which wants to protect them, especially as they grew up in an environment that is different from other environments, an environment in which women cannot mix with men and do not know how to deal with them and therefore they find that they are socially unable to confront the men in any dialogue whatsoever. But with the spread of the media, the situation has changed which in turn caused the ethics of young people in general to change, not only in the Kingdom, but also in many Arab countries. The Kingdom and the holy places where they are practicing the Islamic sharia law was supposed to contribute more to the development of their ideas, not in delaying it to this extent. It is the country of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and where the Islamic religion came down. That is the eternal religion and the seal of religions and our religious teachings are supposed to contribute to the development of women's knowledge and education and not delay them and make them go backward to become marginalized to this extent.
ابو مازن
2012-5-30
The government should provide women with proper care that they deserve, especially the women do not get all their rights as obtained by the men and this makes them suffer a lot of psychological and moral fatigue, which affects their whole life. The woman is a sensitive human being and is affected very fast by the factors to which she is exposed.
عامر
2012-5-30
I agree that the government provides work for many of the women in the Kingdom, but in limited and certain sectors it is as if these opportunities do not exist. The true meaning of activating the role of women is their presence in the workplace that develops their ability and does not break them mentally and would benefit from anything in the composition of its future. The Saudi woman has many requirements that the Saudi government did not work to implement, and this is the stalling of the opportunities. The Saudi government should study more accurately the demands of women in all honesty and justice and achieve what is in line with the policy of the Kingdom, and make a lot of efforts in order to carry them out on the ground so that the women could see that their voices are heard by the government and its ruler so that they can make a lot of safe generations, which will raise the flag of the Kingdom high. We do not forget the role of women in our existence and their right to a lot of generations is large. They are the mothers that resulted in the ascent of the kingdom to this level of progress in order that they made generations. May God reconcile the government and the rulers to walk at a fixed pace to achieve the development that all Saudis wish for.