On December 4, 2013 the English language daily the Arab News is reporting that the Saudi Human Rights Commission will be discussing issues related to the rights of women including the driving issue. A link to the story is here, and the text is below. The story is by P.K. ABDUL GHAFOUR
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has instructed
authorities to study some 72 proposals made by the Human Rights
Commission (HRC) on various social issues, including the granting of
citizenship to the children of Saudi women married to foreigners, said
Ibrahim Al-Sheddi, a spokesman for the HRC.
“Our proposals have also
covered the issue of male relatives exploiting their authority on
women,” the spokesman said, while emphasizing women’s right to movement
and transport to meet their daily requirements and to reach places of
work, referring to women driving.
He said the proposals were made on the basis of more than 400 complaints received by the HRC during the past five years.
In
its report presented to King Abdullah, the HRC pointed out that many
women were being wronged by their husbands, fathers and brothers who
wanted to control their freedoms and usurp their wealth.
Al-Sheddi
said that the existing law for protection against violence covers
prevention of harassment. He disclosed that a new law to prevent
violence against children would be issued soon.
“I think this is a
welcome move. Finally, a Saudi rights institution is acknowledging the
difficulties, obstacles and discrimination women face in their life on a
daily basis under the male guardianship system, which always puts them
at a disadvantage and makes them vulnerable,” Maha Akeel, a senior Saudi
journalist, told Arab News.
The fact that the HRC also addressed
the issue of women driving is courageous considering the vicious
campaign and vehement objections by members of society, she said.
“The
issue of children’s citizenship is a major problem for many families,”
Akeel said. “I hope the issues raised by the HRC are taken seriously by
authorities in order to find quick and viable solutions.”
Showing posts with label Maha Akeel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Maha Akeel. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Time for women to take the wheel
Saudi Gazette opinion piece on October 26, 2013 by Rawan AlSubaie. A link to the article is here, story below.
It's that time of year again, the days are getting shorter, desert camping season is upon us and it's time for the almost annual “were going to drive whether you like it or not and probably get arrested, fined, socially ridiculed and what-not” campaign. In other words, this season, driving is the new black.
Women's rights have been a hot topic since the 18th century, gaining political and philosophical importance throughout Europe. It was the age of enlightenment and yet many opposed the movement, including the notable French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau who considered that it was the natural order of the universe for woman to obey men. Sounds familiar? I know.
However, despite opposition, the movement gained momentum and propelled throughout the West. It took thousands of voices and 300 years before any notable change was seen. Indeed in the US, slavery was abolished before women were allowed to vote and in some countries like Switzerland women were not given the right to vote until 1971. In such a historical context, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is seen as a reformer, accomplishing in a lifetime what the West struggled for centuries to accomplish. Unfortunately, these days it takes around five years to agree on what will be the official weekend of the nation.
There have been several campaigns for women to drive in Saudi Arabia since the original 1991 effort; demonstrations have been staged and petitions have been signed, the last petition posted on the 26th of October campaign site reached 13,000 names before the site was blocked.
Meanwhile, authorities have managed to tread the thin in-between line by carefully camouflaging themselves within a wall of legal and social contradiction. Driving is not officially illegal, but authorities have prosecuted women who have attempted to drive in the past quite harshly. In addition, female driving licenses are unattainable resulting in a de-facto ban. Such obstacles within the legal system itself make it difficult for a change of attitude to take place with regard to women driving.
Many have stated “Westernization” as a cause for this delay. However, it is crucial to understand that the masses are not demanding women's rights in a Western context, far from it. Women don’t want the same rights as men, they want their own rights which have been denied by culture but are clearly stated in religion.
As journalist Maha Al-Akeel put it: "Look, we are not asking for ... women's rights according to Western values or lifestyles ... We want things according to what Islam says. Look at our history, our role models.” Moreover, lifting the ban on women driving has clear economic benefits for families that cannot otherwise afford a driver. And combined with recent reformation within the Ministry of Labor restricting the number of visas and immigrant workers, obtaining a driver will become increasingly more difficult.
Change must be driven by necessity - pun totally intended - and with the recent reform throughout the country, women will come to realize that it is time to adapt and take the wheel. History repeats itself, and as demonstrated throughout history, the right to vote seems to have preceded all other reformation within the law that supports women’s rights. The right to vote gives women a voice to demand change and a political means by which to accomplish it.
– Rawan AlSubaie is a researcher at the Brain Genome Lab in King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC).
It's that time of year again, the days are getting shorter, desert camping season is upon us and it's time for the almost annual “were going to drive whether you like it or not and probably get arrested, fined, socially ridiculed and what-not” campaign. In other words, this season, driving is the new black.
Women's rights have been a hot topic since the 18th century, gaining political and philosophical importance throughout Europe. It was the age of enlightenment and yet many opposed the movement, including the notable French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau who considered that it was the natural order of the universe for woman to obey men. Sounds familiar? I know.
However, despite opposition, the movement gained momentum and propelled throughout the West. It took thousands of voices and 300 years before any notable change was seen. Indeed in the US, slavery was abolished before women were allowed to vote and in some countries like Switzerland women were not given the right to vote until 1971. In such a historical context, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is seen as a reformer, accomplishing in a lifetime what the West struggled for centuries to accomplish. Unfortunately, these days it takes around five years to agree on what will be the official weekend of the nation.
There have been several campaigns for women to drive in Saudi Arabia since the original 1991 effort; demonstrations have been staged and petitions have been signed, the last petition posted on the 26th of October campaign site reached 13,000 names before the site was blocked.
Meanwhile, authorities have managed to tread the thin in-between line by carefully camouflaging themselves within a wall of legal and social contradiction. Driving is not officially illegal, but authorities have prosecuted women who have attempted to drive in the past quite harshly. In addition, female driving licenses are unattainable resulting in a de-facto ban. Such obstacles within the legal system itself make it difficult for a change of attitude to take place with regard to women driving.
Many have stated “Westernization” as a cause for this delay. However, it is crucial to understand that the masses are not demanding women's rights in a Western context, far from it. Women don’t want the same rights as men, they want their own rights which have been denied by culture but are clearly stated in religion.
As journalist Maha Al-Akeel put it: "Look, we are not asking for ... women's rights according to Western values or lifestyles ... We want things according to what Islam says. Look at our history, our role models.” Moreover, lifting the ban on women driving has clear economic benefits for families that cannot otherwise afford a driver. And combined with recent reformation within the Ministry of Labor restricting the number of visas and immigrant workers, obtaining a driver will become increasingly more difficult.
Change must be driven by necessity - pun totally intended - and with the recent reform throughout the country, women will come to realize that it is time to adapt and take the wheel. History repeats itself, and as demonstrated throughout history, the right to vote seems to have preceded all other reformation within the law that supports women’s rights. The right to vote gives women a voice to demand change and a political means by which to accomplish it.
– Rawan AlSubaie is a researcher at the Brain Genome Lab in King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC).
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
The Saudi women brain drain
Saudi writer Maha Akeel has penned this opinion piece that first appeared in the Arab News. She deals with the driving issue, among others. Maha is a former staff writer for the Arab News who is now managing editor at the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). You can link to the article here and the text is pasted below.
The Saudi women brain drain
By MAHA AKEEL
Published: Dec 27, 2011 00:40 Updated: Dec 27, 2011 00:40
Wherever I travel East or West, I meet Saudi women who have chosen to live far away from home. Some have been there for decades, they were exceptions at those times, deciding to make a career abroad when there were few graduate and post graduate Saudi females and even fewer job opportunities.
Today, there is a plethora of female graduates in diverse fields of study, but the opportunities remain limited. It is no surprise therefore, with doors being shut on their faces here, to see so many decide to pack and leave toward the doors opening up for them outside. There are the Saudi women scientists, the researchers, the academicians, the teachers, the doctors, the media professionals, the businesswomen, the engineers, the lawyers, the artists, and others in almost every other field.
What a loss. A brain is a brain whether it is in the head of a man or a woman. So much money is invested in the education of girls, yet the return on that investment is minimal. Why let the fruits of that investment grow in foreign soil even if it is a neighborly country?
It is not just the limited job opportunities, but also having a real career. Abroad, the Saudi women are appreciated for their knowledge, skill and talent. They are given, in general, equal opportunity to advance in their career, paid a good salary and work in a comfortable work environment despite it being “mixed.”
The same cannot be said about their work here, especially in the private sector where they are discriminated against in salary, bonuses, training, career advancement and almost every aspect of their work. And being segregated from their male colleagues at the work place does not mean they are safe from harassment. Moreover, the segregation puts them at a disadvantage because they are removed from the decision-making places and process, which is of course male-dominated.
Even the education sector, which employs the highest percentage of women, most of the decisions concerning girls’ education and schools are made by men who have never set foot in a girls’ school. Appointing a woman as deputy minister for girls’ education corrected that a bit, but it is not enough.
And let us talk about driving. Yes, it makes a difference, for any woman let alone a workingwoman. Why should a chunk of a woman’s salary go to a driver? Why should a financially independent woman remain at the mercy of the whims of a man to drive her places? For many of the Saudi women working abroad being free to drive their own cars or use public transportation is enough reason.
How about being able to conduct their business without a male manager, which is a requirement here? I know several businesswomen who took their businesses outside because they found it much easier to work there rather than deal with the hassles and harassments in a country that claims to protect and care for its women (I hesitate to say citizens because legally we are not, we are constantly asked to be identified, represented and permitted by our male guardians).
In addition to the tens of thousands of high-school and university graduates searching for jobs suitable to their qualifications, there is a flock of young women who will be returning from their studies abroad with high expectations, new ideas and dreams of making a difference in their society. What will they find? Brick walls and concrete ceilings. I hope we can offer them the opportunities they desire and deserve.
The Saudi women brain drain
By MAHA AKEEL
Published: Dec 27, 2011 00:40 Updated: Dec 27, 2011 00:40
Wherever I travel East or West, I meet Saudi women who have chosen to live far away from home. Some have been there for decades, they were exceptions at those times, deciding to make a career abroad when there were few graduate and post graduate Saudi females and even fewer job opportunities.
Today, there is a plethora of female graduates in diverse fields of study, but the opportunities remain limited. It is no surprise therefore, with doors being shut on their faces here, to see so many decide to pack and leave toward the doors opening up for them outside. There are the Saudi women scientists, the researchers, the academicians, the teachers, the doctors, the media professionals, the businesswomen, the engineers, the lawyers, the artists, and others in almost every other field.
What a loss. A brain is a brain whether it is in the head of a man or a woman. So much money is invested in the education of girls, yet the return on that investment is minimal. Why let the fruits of that investment grow in foreign soil even if it is a neighborly country?
It is not just the limited job opportunities, but also having a real career. Abroad, the Saudi women are appreciated for their knowledge, skill and talent. They are given, in general, equal opportunity to advance in their career, paid a good salary and work in a comfortable work environment despite it being “mixed.”
The same cannot be said about their work here, especially in the private sector where they are discriminated against in salary, bonuses, training, career advancement and almost every aspect of their work. And being segregated from their male colleagues at the work place does not mean they are safe from harassment. Moreover, the segregation puts them at a disadvantage because they are removed from the decision-making places and process, which is of course male-dominated.
Even the education sector, which employs the highest percentage of women, most of the decisions concerning girls’ education and schools are made by men who have never set foot in a girls’ school. Appointing a woman as deputy minister for girls’ education corrected that a bit, but it is not enough.
And let us talk about driving. Yes, it makes a difference, for any woman let alone a workingwoman. Why should a chunk of a woman’s salary go to a driver? Why should a financially independent woman remain at the mercy of the whims of a man to drive her places? For many of the Saudi women working abroad being free to drive their own cars or use public transportation is enough reason.
How about being able to conduct their business without a male manager, which is a requirement here? I know several businesswomen who took their businesses outside because they found it much easier to work there rather than deal with the hassles and harassments in a country that claims to protect and care for its women (I hesitate to say citizens because legally we are not, we are constantly asked to be identified, represented and permitted by our male guardians).
In addition to the tens of thousands of high-school and university graduates searching for jobs suitable to their qualifications, there is a flock of young women who will be returning from their studies abroad with high expectations, new ideas and dreams of making a difference in their society. What will they find? Brick walls and concrete ceilings. I hope we can offer them the opportunities they desire and deserve.
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