Empowering women: Kingdom leads the way

“I believe strongly in the rights of women. My mother is a woman. My sister is a woman. My daughter is a woman. My wife is a woman,” said Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah in an interview with Barbara Walters on American television station ABC in October 2005.

Saudi women have taken remarkable steps toward successful achievements thanks to King Abdullah’s full support in various areas.

On the occasion of the seventh anniversary of King Abdullah’s accession to throne, Saudi activist for children and women’s rights and member of the National Society of Human’s Rights’ executive board, Suhaila Zain Al-Abideen, said: Following the king’s decision in September 2011 to allow women to become members of the Shoura Council as well as vote and contest the municipal councils, Saudi women have been given a powerful political right.

“Political participation is one of the most significant rights that Saudi women have gained from our beloved king. Saudi women are more successful than ever because our king believed in us and gave us our rights,” she said. “Saudi women have proven they are qualified to hold leading positions and becoming fully involved in both Shoura and municipal councils helps them gain their social, political and civil rights,” she added.

“Saudi women are now lawyers, engineers, scientists and successful businesswoman and we are asking for more. Now that women do not need permission from their male guardians to apply for a job or start a business, we also ask that we be given other benefits that do not need the authorization of our male guardians like going on a scholarship for female students and going to the Saudi courts, where women need to accompanied by male guardians,” said Al-Abideen.

Naila Attar, businesswoman and founder of the Baladi (My Town) initiative calling for women to be able to vote and participate in the municipal council elections, said all Saudi men should follow their king and make him their role model when it comes to wise leadership and empowering women.

“We are living now in the golden age for Saudi women because we are witnessing a huge number of successes among us that has never seen before in the Kingdom,” she said.

“We are looking to be part of the political process in the municipal council and our initiative is to help those women gain experience and education to be decision makers. We have sent a report to the minister of municipal affairs demanding to start a female voluntary committee in municipal councils around the Kingdom to make sure women get the proper awareness, rehabilitation and training,” she added.

Columnist at Al-Watan newspaper and professor of linguistics at King Abdulaziz University’s girls’ college Amira Kashgari said she believes King Abdullah empowered Saudi women in so many different areas.

“This is notably the case in the political arena and there are so many other areas where women have been empowered in the Kingdom in the last seven years intellectually, socially, economically and politically,” she said.
“This political empowerment has transformed women’s ideas of themselves and the social balance in Saudi Arabia. To be part of the Shoura Council and to be able to vote and contest for the municipality councils is a major milestone in Saudi women’s lives because it will not only empower women but society as well,” she added.

“When you empower women, you empower the whole society because it reflects on the economic development of the Kingdom. Women’s participation is a must in all areas,” said Kashgari.

Women teachers retire early to escape pressures of change

An increasing number of women teachers have applied for early retirement. Some have applied between five up to 10 years before reaching the regular age of retirement. According to a Girls Education Administration’s 2011 report, 96 percent of women teachers want to retire early.

Elham Abdullah, 54, a teacher who applied for early retirement six years before she was eligible for a regular retirement pension, said the reason was mainly work pressures and the change of curriculum. 


“I don’t think a teacher at my age that has been teaching the same subjects and curriculum for long years has the capacity to comprehend the changes that are happening now and succeed in conveying the curriculum content the way she used to. To do this successfully takes effort and research and there are no incentives that encourage an old teacher to overcome difficulties and exert more effort,” she said.

Teacher Fatima Al-Mirghalani, 46, retired early because she “could not cope with the developments in education, especially the changed curriculums.” She said she wanted to be free to start a business. 

“When I applied for early retirement I knew I would be done with the long working hours and exhaustion that I suffered when I was a teacher. I think any teacher that has the courage and some financial capacity to start a business would not hesitate to make the decision to retire. But they should compensate the portion of their pension that they lost by retiring before their regular time.”

Sadiya Al-Muwallad, 48, another early retired teacher, said the reason for her decision to retire was the desire to take care of her children and home. “I wanted to have time to what I had been to busy for while teaching,” she said.

Al-Muwallad still has 13 years left to complete her service and receive a full pension. “But the fact is that my family needs me. Also, I didn’t have enough energy to continue educating and coping with the new changes in the field,” she said.

Al-Muwallad said she is now living a relaxed life away from the distractions she had before. “Money is not everything. Taking care of my home is way more important. I don’t regret it, actually, I feel reborn,” she said. 
Arwa Al-Bandar, 40, said she applied for early retirement because of the changes in teaching methods and the constant performance evaluations. “It is a very wearying field, especially when you’re getting older.” She said she was unable to keep up with the development researches that the ministry requires. “Lately I felt nervous every time a pupil asked a question. I became unable to convey the curriculum content as I used to.” Because of this, she decided to do without the salary that used to represent a large support.

Azzah Al-Harithi, an educational information supervisor at the Ministry of Education, said that many of the women who retire early have a long experience. She said that many complained about the constant evaluation. “The evaluation is necessary and important for the success of the educational process. Unfortunately, it seems that it has been applied in an environment that was not ready for it yet,” she said, adding that maybe the early retirees thought it would be faster and easier to escape the many extra-curricular activities and classes. 
Munira Al-Masoud, another educational supervisor, said she did not agree that change was the real reason for early retirement. “We compelled teachers, principals and school officials to train for using computers in teaching. 
For instance, they would learn how to put homework on CDs and correct them on the computer. They benefited from the experience and thought it was great, including those who disagreed with the idea of change.” 
Psychology and educational consultant Nizar Ramadan said women might think about early retirement for several reasons. “A woman could have other responsibilities at home that put more pressure on her. Another reason is psychological. 

When a woman reaches her late 30s or 40s, especially when her children have married, she might feel that it is time to rest. She would want to be free for hobbies, to exercise at sport clubs and enjoy her life in general.” 
Some would feel that they have not been fulfilling their duties toward families so they retire early to compensate, he added.

10 Saudi women take fight against breast cancer to Mount Everest

RIYADH: Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan and the Zahra Breast Cancer Association launched a campaign on Tuesday where 10 Saudi women will climb to the Mount Everest base camp in May.

The 10 climbers include Jude Al-Aitani, Asma Al-Sharif, Mashael Alhegelan, Mona Shahab, Noura Bouzo, Raha Al-Moharrak, Lina Almaeena, Samaher Mously, Hatun Madani, Alya Al-Sa’ad, Reema Al-Saud, and Marie Green. They will be accompanied by a filming crew.
The campaign, titled “A Woman's Journey: Destination Mount Everest,” will raise awareness about breast cancer and is being held under the patronage of the Saudi Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education.

Under the banners of Alf Khair (the CSR arm of Alfa International Limited “Harvey Nichols”) and Al-Bidayah Breastfeeding Resource and Women's Awareness Center, Princess Reema is heading the campaign.

Explaining the aims of the campaign, the princess said: “Alf Khair and Al-Bidayah are leading advocates for women's causes in the Kingdom and we want NGOs, schools, universities, activists, the government, and media to be part of this campaign to form a network that not only builds awareness but helps us achieve our vision of having healthier and cancer-free Saudi women. I am honored and proud to lend my voice to this collective group effort.”

The campaign, which was organized by Princess Reema and Dr. Modi Batterjee, highlights awareness on breast cancer prevention through adapting healthy lifestyle habits and staying physically active.
This is based on extensive research published in major scientific journals worldwide indicating that physically active women have a lower risk of developing breast cancer than inactive women.
In a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, investigators found that the amount of activity needed to achieve a 23 percent reduction in risk of breast cancer was roughly equivalent to 3.25 hours of running or 13 hours of walking per week.

Due to the 8,000 cases of breast cancer being discovered annually in Saudi Arabia according to the Saudi Cancer Registry at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, making it the most common type of cancer in Saudi women, this campaign seeks to encourage Saudi women to spread awareness about breast cancer and its early detection.
“The campaign's goals are threefold: Spread awareness, encourage greater participation, and promote healthier lifestyles. The Zahra Breast Cancer Association is privileged that Princess Reema has taken up such a noble cause and we hope this May Saudi women will join us when we climb Mount Everest, and walk for 15 minutes a day in support of the climbers and help spread awareness about this deadly disease,” said campaign spokesperson and breast cancer survivor Ola Abbass Al-Marzouky, who is also general supervisor for Zahra’s Makkah office. Besides promoting exercise, the campaign focuses on early detection, since 50 to 60 percent of cases in Saudi Arabia are diagnosed at a late stage.
Dr. Muna Baslaim, a breast surgeon at King Fahd General Hospital in Jeddah, urges women to have routine checkups. “Breast cancer is on the rise in the Kingdom and early detection can prevent cancer. Women aged 40 and above should have an annual mammogram screening. Women in their 20's and 30's should be aware of their health and how their breasts feel so they can seek medical advice early,” she explained.

Princess Reema and Batterjee were inspired by their previous success in breaking the Guinness World Record on behalf of Zahra in 2010 by forming a human pink ribbon chain in Jeddah.