I.

INTRODUCTION
Background
In Saudi Arabia, female literacy is estimated to be at 50 percent, and male
literacy at 72 percent (UNDP, 200!" It #as also been statistically pro$en t#at %5&
of 'omen in Saudi Arabia are #ouse'i$es and only around 7& are employed"
(ducation is not yet a le)al ri)#t in Saudi Arabia" In fact, t#ere are many rural
areas in Saudi '#ere not#in) #as c#an)ed for 'omen for t#e past t#irty years"
*emales in Saudi Arabia are se+,se)re)ated from an early a)e" In 200 fifteen )irls
lost t#eir li$es and many more 'ere in-ured after t#e reli)ious police pre$ented
bot# t#e )irls from escapin) t#e burnin) colle)e buildin) and t#e firemen from
enterin) it" .#is 'as due to t#e fact t#at t#e )irls 'ere not 'earin) t#e proper attire
enforced by t#e /eli)ious police and t#e Saudi )o$ernment" .#is case is $ery
pitiful in t#e sense t#at it is t#e most ridiculous reason I #a$e e$er #eard for not
sa$in) a life out of a burnin) buildin)" Is attire t#en as important as life 0
.#e concept of c#oosin) #i)#er education and a career o$er family life and
c#ildren is $irtually un1no'n" .#e main reason many 'omen )et educated is
because t#ere is a 'ide #eld belief t#at education increases t#e marria)eability of a
)irl2 but, at t#e same time, too muc# mi)#t #a$e t#e opposite effect" .#is means
t#at t#eir main )oal of )ettin) #i)#er education is to )et a boyfriend 3 #usband,
only minority 'ant to #a$e #i)#er education for t#eir career"
4any says t#at it5s t#e Islamic la' or S#aria# t#at #as been used and
practiced by t#e )o$ernment of Saudi Arabia on 6omen, #o'e$er, t#e fact is t#at
as t#e la' is mostly un'ritten, lea$in) -ud)es 'it# si)nificant discretionary po'er
'#ic# t#ey usually e+ercise in fa$or of tribal customs"
Issues to be discussed
.#e issues to be discussed in t#is paper is about t#e education of ma-ority
of Saudi Arabian 'omen and also t#eir 'or1 field " .#is #as muc# to do 'it# t#e
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role of t#e Saudi Arabian 'omen, t#e status 8 9uo of Saudi Arabian 'omen and
'#et#er t#ey are satisfied 'it# t#e status,9uo"
II. MAIN CONTENT
Education for woen in !audi Arabia
(ducation is pro$ided for free of c#ar)e by t#e )o$ernment to all Saudis
and c#ildren of Arabic,spea1in) residents, #o'e$er, it is not compulsory" .#e )oal
of t#e Saudi educational system is to pro$ide reli)ious, moral and intellectual
trainin) 'it# t#e purpose of creatin) citi:ens '#o are 1no'led)eable in t#eir ri)#ts
and t#eir obli)ations to'ards society" All of '#ic# can be clearly and easily seen
in t#e curriculum of bot# )irls and boys sc#ools" *rom t#e fact t#at it is free of
cost, t#e 'omen s#ould be more ent#usiast to )o to sc#ool because ma-ority of t#e
reason '#y people from de$elopin) and de$elop countries does not )o to sc#ool is
because t#ey cannot pay t#e cost of education" ;o'e$er, in Saudi Arabia t#e more
conser$ati$e parents refused to send t#eir dau)#ters to sc#ool because of t#e fear
t#at t#ey mi)#t lose interest in t#e traditional #ome,based roles of 'omen and
'ould later abandon t#e culture" It must be noted t#at t#ese conser$ati$e attitudes
to'ards )irls5 education did not arise out of t#e influence of Islam but out of t#e
traditions t#at formed around it" In a ;adit#, t#e ;oly Prop#et 4u#ammad
(P<U;! said= > Ac9uirin) of 1no'led)e is obli)atory to e$ery 4uslim male and
female?" .#is indicates t#at 1no'led)e is not mar)inali:ed by )ender"
.o )i$e a brief #istory, )irls5 public education in Saudi is less t#an fifty
years old"
.#ere 'ere no forms of public education for 'omen in Saudi before 7%@02
#o'e$er, t#ere 'ere a fe' pri$ate institutes for t#e dau)#ters of t#e pri$ile)ed"
.#e first pri$ate sc#ool for middle class )irls 'as establis#ed in 7%A7 by
immi)rants from Indonesia and 4ala'i '#o came to Saudi for pil)rima)e and
decided to stay" Soon pri$ate )irls5 sc#ools founded by Saudis be)an to appear in
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4ecca, Bedda# and /iyad# in t#e late forties to mid,fifties" .#is s#o's t#at all t#at
'as needed 'as an incenti$e to set t#e policy in motion"
4ale lecturers are not allo'ed to lecture at 'omenCs classes" Since t#ere
are fe' female lecturers, some uni$ersities use $ideoconferencin) to #a$e male
professors teac# female students 'it#out face,to,face contact" .#is is not effecti$e
in t#e sense t#at t#e female students cannot as1ed 9uestions directly to t#e male
professors" It is also #ard to )et more 1no'led)e '#en it is #indered by se+es"
4a-ority of t#e professors in Saudi are man and by )i$in) )ender boundaries li1e
t#is 'ill only limit t#e 1no'led)e of 'omen"
.#is is an eye opener t#at education is t#e basic tool for t#e de$elopment of
a country, if only t#e man are responsible for t#e de$elopment of t#e country, t#en
does 'omen #a$e no si)nificant role in t#e de$elopment of t#e country0 And if
only men can #a$e education t#en #o' can 'e -ustify t#e ;adit# re)ardin) t#e
obli)ation of 4uslim male and female to attain 1no'led)e 0
"orking for woen in !audi Arabia
4any of t#e 'omen in Saudi Arabia 'or1 in t#e field of teac#in), nursin),
medicine or c#arity 'or1" *emale unemployment is seen as a problem and t#e
Saudi )o$ernment #as ta1en steps to increase -ob opportunities for Saudi females
in ne' areas and apart from t#e traditional roles" .#at is because economic
necessity #as pus#ed many 'omen in to t#e 'or1 field, so muc# so t#at teac#in)
positions are so o$er filled t#at many teac#ers are bein) sent to remote parts of t#e
Din)dom" .#e Eeneral Fi$il Ser$ice tried to place 'omen in employment2
#o'e$er, it 'as not successful because many 'omen 'ere reluctance to 'or1 far
from t#eir current area of residence" .#ey do not #a$e t#at muc# moti$ation to
'or1 far from t#eir #ome because t#en it is #ard for t#em to ta1e care of t#eir
family '#en t#ey 'or1 too far a'ay from t#eir #ome" .#e society also plays a role
in t#is unemployment because accordin) to us, t#e conser$ati$e citi:en of Saudi
Arabia 'ould not )i$e t#at muc# respect to 'omen '#o try to do t#e men5s -ob
(t#at is 'or1in) beside t#e #ouse#old 'or1!"
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In t#e ne's recently, t#e Saudi Arabian )o$ernment is plannin) to increase
-ob opportunities for 'omen" It is proposin) a 'omen,only :one in one of its ne'
industrial cities near ;ofuf" .#is is a )reat c#an)e, #o'e$er, it #as )otten a lot of
criticism from t#e conser$ati$e people in Saudi Arabia" ($en if t#e Saudi society
is conser$ati$e but at t#e same time t#e practicalities of life #a$e forced a lot of
'omen to ret#in1 t#e 'ay t#at t#ey li$e and 'e t#in1 t#at a lot of 'omen 'ant to
)o out into t#e 'or1force"
Dri#ing for "oen in !audi Arabia
Dri$in) for 'omen in Saudi Arabia is not allo'ed, t#at is '#y many of
t#em #a$e dri$ers, #o'e$er, t#is is only limited to t#e 'ealt#y family '#o can
afford dri$ers" .#is case is a problem for 'omen '#o 'ant to dri$e" .a1e t#e case
of 4anal al,S#arif, '#o #as become t#e face of an under)round 'omen5s ri)#ts
mo$ement" S#e posted an online $ideo of #erself dri$in)" .#ou)# s#e too1 pains in
t#e $ideo to proclaim #er loyalty to 1in) and country, #er assurances 'ere to no
a$ail" Fonser$ati$e reli)ious leaders condemned #er as promiscuous and immoral2
#er family 'as #arassed, and s#e 'as -ailed for nine days"
Dri$in) for 'omen in Saudi Arabia is still $ery #ard to be implemented
because t#ere are still people '#o demand t#at t#e ban on 'omen dri$in) ne$er be
lifted, and t#at t#e )o$ernment implement policies t#at 1eep 'omen at #ome and
t#at 'omen suc# as 4anal al,S#arif s#ould be #eld accountable for t#eir
6esterni:in) 'ays"
.#e main reason '#y dri$in) for 'omen is pro#ibited in Saudi Arabia are =
Dri$in) a car in$ol$es unco$erin) t#e face"
Dri$in) a car may lead 'omen to )o out of t#e #ouse more often"
Dri$in) a car may lead 'omen to #a$e interaction 'it# non,
ma#ram males, for e+ample at traffic accidents"
6omen dri$in) cars may lead to o$ercro'din) t#e streets and
many youn) men may be depri$ed of t#e opportunity to dri$e"
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Dri$in) 'ould be t#e first step in an erosion of traditional $alues,
suc# as )ender se)re)ation"
.#ere are many critics on t#is la' t#at says t#at it is not supported by
t#e ;oly Guran" .#e ot#er reason is t#at it $iolates t#eir la' t#at is t#e se+,
se)re)ation customs, by needlessly forcin) 'omen to ta1e ta+is 'it# male dri$ers,
and t#ere is a possibility t#at t#ese male dri$ers can e$en do se+ual #arassment to
#is master" Anot#er supportin) reason is t#at it is a financial burden on families,
and Islam teac#es us to be more economical and not spend our money la$is#ly"
Upto today, debate on t#is issue is still on,)oin)"
Are !audi Arabian "oen satisfied wit$ t$e status%&uo '
4any 'ould t#in1 t#at 'omen li$in) under t#ese conditions 'ould lon)
for liberty, independence, and ci$il ri)#ts" 4any do ,, as t#is yearCs dri$in)
campai)n ma1es clear" ;o'e$er, itCs -ust not t#at simple" 4illions of ot#ers are
still not sure t#ey are ready for c#an)e" Some e+plain t#eir indecision as a fear t#at
t#ey mi)#t #a$e to assume responsibilities t#ey are incapable of underta1in)"
.#ese 'omen are still scared of facin) t#e outside 'orld because t#eir
culture #ad not tau)#t t#em t#is" .#ey are used to stayin) at #ome and run t#e
#ouse#old 'it#out 1no'in) '#at to do '#en t#ey )o outside t#ese boundaries"
.#ere are some '#o are not only passi$ely #appy 'it# t#e status 9uo but also loud
in t#eir resistance to any form of c#an)e"
In spite of t#is, t#ere are still 'omen '#o are #un)ry for self,determination
,, 'omen '#o #a$e reali:ed t#at t#ou)# liberty and ri)#ts come 'it#
responsibility, it also )i$es t#em and t#eir dau)#ters t#e autonomy to pursue t#eir
#appiness" .#ere are #undreds, if not t#ousands, of Saudi 'omen '#o are fi)#tin)
for t#eir ri)#ts ,, and t#e 'ell,co$ered dri$in) campai)n is -ust one of many
battles, from fi)#tin) for t#e ri)#t to mana)e t#eir o'n businesses to bein)
allo'ed to freely lea$e and enter t#e country 'it#out t#eir )uardianCs permission"
.#is clas# bet'een t#e conser$ati$es mind and t#e contemporary mind is
still an on,)oin) debate" ($en upto today, no one really 1no's '#at t#e Saudi
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Arabian 'omen 'ant" <ut '#ate$er it is, it s#ould uplift t#e ri)#t of 'omen and
t#ey s#ould not be force somet#in) t#at t#ey do not 'ant to do"
III. CONC(U!ION
It is ob$ious t#at Saudi 'omen #a$e real issues to deal 'it#" .#e role of
'omen is still a contro$ersial issue in Saudi society" ;ard,liners still insist t#at t#e
'oman5s place is in t#e #ome"
.#e sub8topic of t#is paper is some'#at related" *irst, is t#e education t#at
is t#e basic t#in) in assistin) us to t#in1 critically li1e '#at is )ood and bad and
'#at s#ould be done and '#at s#ould not be done" Secondly, t#is education #elps
us to t#in1 '#et#er 'or1in) and dri$in) is somet#in) t#at is ban in Islam or not,
because 'e t#in1 t#at t#is is not somet#in) t#at s#ould be restricted and our
reli)ion does not say t#at 'omen s#ould not 'or1 and dri$e"
.#e last sub,topic is t#e most important one because it #i)#li)#t '#et#er
t#e 'omen 'ant a c#an)e or not and t#e ans'er is t#at, it is sub-ecti$e" ($ery
'omen in Saudi Arabia #as different $ie' on '#at t#ey 'ant in life"
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