Spotlight on Saudi women's rights

Sixteen papers dealing with the position of women in society will be presented during the next session of the National Dialogue Conference opening in Almadina Almunawwara on June 12, according to the conference chairman, Dr Abdullah Omar Naseef .

Speaking to Gulf News Dr Naseef said the conference will deal with four main issues – rights of woman under the Sharia Law, woman and work, woman and education and woman's social reality. He said, "Around 60 scholars and leading personalities, including scientists, politicians, economists, cultural and information experts and religious leaders will take part in the conference. Half of the participants will be women." He said, "A special media centre will be set up to co-ordinate the activities of the meeting."

Dr Naseef said: "It will discuss traditional and religious perceptions which affect women. The participants will exchange views on how women can demand their rights using Sharia platforms."

Dr Naseef said: "The meeting will discuss present regulations governing the employment of women and survey areas of work which are most suitable to women. The participants will discuss how they can open up new employment opportunities for Saudi women and how to assign wider areas of employment to them."

Also, the conference will also try to find out if existing educational establishments for women are adequate enough to meet their needs and how to give Saudi women wider areas of specialisation in academic and occupational fields. The experts will review areas of women's specialisation in general and university education and the programmes and curricula of women's schools to find out whether or not they meet their need to prepare for a better future. However, he observed that "of all the topics to be discussed in the conference, the place of woman in the society will be the most controversial." Obstacles faced by women in their daily lives will also come up for discussion.

The meeting will exchange views on best ways and means to overcoming obstacles in the way of creating a new generation of Saudi women who are prepared to meet the challenges and to give Saudi women a more effective role in improving their contributions to social services for their women folk and their duty towards the family and the society.

Speaking about the proposed conference Suhaila Alhamad, a noted writer and a human rights activist said, "Opening the question of Saudi woman and elaborating on her problems and worries calls for organising more than one session of the National Dialogue Conference."

"More is needed if there are serious efforts to come up with decisions and recommendations leading to an end to the sufferings of the Saudi woman, to change her status in the society and to give her all her rights as provided for by Islam."

She noted that enemies of the kingdom are using the negative stand of the society towards woman as a stepping stone to interfere in the country's internal affairs. They even went as far as to demand the imposing of economic sanction on the country while questioning its human rights record. Suhaila recalled that "during the first session of the conference, she raised the issue of human rights and wrong perception about the authority of a guardian over women and how women are denied what they were given by Islam."

Another noted writer Kazim Shabeeb, said one should pay serious attention to the environment in which a woman lives right from birth through childhood, youth and adulthood. One must study woman as a sister, wife, mother or even a grandmother."