Historic reforms to empower women put Saudi Arabia top of global list, UN hears
Package of reforms includes mobility, workplace, entrepreneurship
Abu Dhabi: The giant leaps that Saudi Arabia has made in implementing historic reforms have put the Kingdom on top of the list of 190 countries that are most advanced and reformed in the areas of empowering women and strengthening their role in building society, the United Nations heard.
Addressing the first regular session of the Executive Council of UN for Women virtually on Monday, Mona Alghamdi, a member of Saudi Arabia’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, said women’s empowerment, economic advancement, and gender equality are at the forefront of these reforms.
Alghamdi reiterated the Kingdom’s full commitment as an effective partner of UN to work closely and constructively, in line with internal regulations and policies, to advance women and empower them as an effective partner in building societies, especially during these difficult times the world is witnessing due to the pandemic, and over the coming years.
“Despite the great challenges that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and its negative effects on all aspects of life, the Kingdom continued to move toward its goals and ambitions pertaining to the economic empowerment of women. The Kingdom is witnessing major reforms and transformations,” she said while citing the report of the World Bank titled “Women, Business and the Law 2020.”
Saudi Arabia, she said, has worked on adopting a package of legislative reforms and introducing regulations and policies toward the advancement and empowerment of Saudi women, specifically in the areas of their mobility, workplace, entrepreneurship, and pensions.
“The Kingdom has taken strict decisions towards criminalising sexual harassment at workplace in the public and private sectors,” Alghamdi said.
Alghamdi added Saudi Arabia encouraged women to compete in the entrepreneurial sectors by introducing legal amendments aimed at protecting women from discrimination in the work sectors, including a ban on gender discrimination from accessing financial services, and sacking of women during their pregnancy and maternity leave.
“Equality in the retirement age is one of the most important reforms, which contributed to extending the period of their effective contribution to the advancement of the national economy,” she added.