Saudi Arabia and Women

Gender Roles

Women in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is religiously and socially conservative. There is a relatively high level of cultural homogeneity inspired by tribal and Islamic factors. In these circumstances, it is not easy to differentiate between Arabic and Islamic cultures in these circumstances. Some cultural beliefs including the view that women should not be lawyers or engineers have nothing to do with Islam but have increasingly become part of the cultural values of the communities which happen to be largely Islamic. The function of women in the wider society is restricted. Saudi Arabia, thus, has one of the lowest numbers of women in public work places; especially those who are graduates. The government has recently embarked on gender sensitization programs aimed at discouraging gender-based discrimination. Stake holders have also undertaken to make sure that there is more participation of women in education. They seek to increase the number of Saudi Arabian women that have access to higher education. The movement that seeks to reinforce women's rights to have access to leadership and education is not just a Saudi Arabian initiative, it is a global effort to change political systems that discriminate on the basis of gender (Yahya Al Alhareth, Yasra Al Alhareth, & Ibtisam Al Dighrir, 2015).

Role of Women

According to principles of Islam, both men and women have similar duties and similar rewards. Muslim women do not drop their names when getting married. Islamic law provides women with economic independence. Muslim women are allowed to keep their ownership rights to property whether they are single or married. Islam grants women the right to choose their spouse too. No marriage contract is valid before she accepts such an arrangement. Saudi Arabia has also developed a reputation of restricting the movement of women and active life compared to other Arab countries. This latter fact is associated with the implementation of Islamic principles. Many Saudi Arabian women take part in the creation of such culture even as they remain invisible in public forums (Shakir Ahmed Alsaleh).

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