Galal Fakkar -- Arab News
JEDDAH: The Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) has set up a special club for volunteers, particularly businesswomen, to support activities promoting the city council and civic services in Jeddah.
“This club will contribute to the development of Jeddah by providing the municipal council with ideas and proposals to find solutions to the city’s problems with concerned sectors,” said JCCI Secretary-General Mustafa Sabri.
Sabri recalled the directives of Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal to initiate development programs in Makkah, Jeddah and Taif — key cities of the province — over the next five years.
Ulfat Qabbani, chairman of the Jeddah Council for Social Responsibility at the JCCI, said the club would encourage businessmen and businesswomen to voluntarily serve the community. “This club will give a real boost to Jeddah’s municipal council and will further enhance voluntary activities,” she added.
Tariq Fadaaq, director of the council, said the club would establish direct and more effective means of communication between members of the public and officials, and would help find solutions to a number of problems facing the city.
“The municipal council has so far received 140 complaints on various civic issues of which 80 percent have been resoved,” Fadaaq added.
The director confirmed that the council would deal with each complaint in 48 hours and said it had made remarkable achievements in the city’s development.
He added that the council had signed an agreement with King Abdulaziz University to initiate projects to solve certain issues facing the city.
Fadaaq said under the agreement, 50 students distributed questionnaires asking the public what they felt was required from the municipal council and how to promote the role of the youth in society.
Muhammad Abu Dawoud, a council member, said the new club would convey the opinions of businesswomen to the council to enrich civic work in the city.
Showing posts with label JCCI. Show all posts
Showing posts with label JCCI. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Saudi Arabia: Women find opportunities at job fair but skills matter
Fatima Sidiya, Arab News
JEDDAH: The four-day Saudi Labor Market Exhibition organized by the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry in cooperation with the Ministry of Labor, the Human Resources Fund and M.I.C.E. Arabia Group kicked off at Jeddah International Exhibition and Convention Center on Sunday. The job fair offered a chance to Saudi applicants to promote themselves and network with potential employers.
Over 100 companies are participating in this event and the visitors are expected to be as high as 10,000.
A number of training institutions and centers provided the opportunity for job seekers to get training courses to improve their skills and qualifications.
The CEO of the Council for Human Resources Development at the JCCI, Muhammad Al-Harbi, said this exhibition would be different from any other national effort for employment since it would provide information for people looking for jobs besides introducing them to local companies.
Elie Rizk, the CEO of M.I.C.E Arabia Group, said his company was focusing on giving any Saudi the chance to choose from various available career options.
“Saudis are talented and what they need is the right orientation,” he said.
According to Rizk, at this time they should be introduced to the market needs and thus encouraged to pursue studies in fields that would guarantee them jobs.
The exhibition has a handicap access to help disabled people make use of this opportunity. It also included a number of booths that cater exclusively to people with special needs.
Various types of jobs were presented at the exhibition. The most sought-after jobs were in administration. Women had many chances for employment in well-known companies. Jobs for women included office work, marketing, banking, sales, medicine, architecture, engineering and media among many others.
Amani Abu Al-Naja, a recruitment specialist at the Human Resources Development Fund, said many women sought accountant jobs but had English and computer skills as obstacles.
Nour Abu Gazala, a human resources coordinator at Al-Baik restaurant chain, said they offered production and managerial jobs for women. Though women are not yet allowed to drive, they are offered sales and marketing jobs at car companies, said Rasha Al-Kaaki from Haji Husein Alireza & Co. Ltd.
Noticeably absent were the persons manning the booth of the Labor Office. People were seen pulling out application forms from under the Labor Office table because there was nobody there. One Saudi job seeker at the scene expressed his frustration and accused the Labor Office of being irresponsible at a time private sector companies were doing their best.
JEDDAH: The four-day Saudi Labor Market Exhibition organized by the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry in cooperation with the Ministry of Labor, the Human Resources Fund and M.I.C.E. Arabia Group kicked off at Jeddah International Exhibition and Convention Center on Sunday. The job fair offered a chance to Saudi applicants to promote themselves and network with potential employers.
Over 100 companies are participating in this event and the visitors are expected to be as high as 10,000.
A number of training institutions and centers provided the opportunity for job seekers to get training courses to improve their skills and qualifications.
The CEO of the Council for Human Resources Development at the JCCI, Muhammad Al-Harbi, said this exhibition would be different from any other national effort for employment since it would provide information for people looking for jobs besides introducing them to local companies.
Elie Rizk, the CEO of M.I.C.E Arabia Group, said his company was focusing on giving any Saudi the chance to choose from various available career options.
“Saudis are talented and what they need is the right orientation,” he said.
According to Rizk, at this time they should be introduced to the market needs and thus encouraged to pursue studies in fields that would guarantee them jobs.
The exhibition has a handicap access to help disabled people make use of this opportunity. It also included a number of booths that cater exclusively to people with special needs.
Various types of jobs were presented at the exhibition. The most sought-after jobs were in administration. Women had many chances for employment in well-known companies. Jobs for women included office work, marketing, banking, sales, medicine, architecture, engineering and media among many others.
Amani Abu Al-Naja, a recruitment specialist at the Human Resources Development Fund, said many women sought accountant jobs but had English and computer skills as obstacles.
Nour Abu Gazala, a human resources coordinator at Al-Baik restaurant chain, said they offered production and managerial jobs for women. Though women are not yet allowed to drive, they are offered sales and marketing jobs at car companies, said Rasha Al-Kaaki from Haji Husein Alireza & Co. Ltd.
Noticeably absent were the persons manning the booth of the Labor Office. People were seen pulling out application forms from under the Labor Office table because there was nobody there. One Saudi job seeker at the scene expressed his frustration and accused the Labor Office of being irresponsible at a time private sector companies were doing their best.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Saudi Arabia: US team briefed on women’s role in chamber
Galal Fakkar | Arab News
JEDDAH: A 16-member delegation of US congressional staff members currently visiting the Kingdom was briefed on the participation of women in the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) yesterday.
Lama Sulaiman, a woman member of the board of directors of JCCI, explained to the visiting delegation about the JCCI’s Khadijah Bint Khuwailid Center, which helps Saudi women with their businesses. The center is named after Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) most enterprising wife. “The center offers immense help to pioneering businesswomen, particularly those who undertake small and medium size ventures,” Sulaiman said.
Sulaiman added that 20 percent of the 250 employees of the chamber are women. “Other chambers in the Kingdom have started giving representation to women in their boards and committees,” she said.
The delegation, which is the first from the US to visit Saudi Arabia after the administration change, was also interested to learn how elections were conducted in the JCCI. The chamber members explained its election process to them.
The delegation is also scheduled to visit the Shoura Council, the Saudi Human Rights Commission and several other organizations.
The delegation also wanted to know about the assistance the chamber offered to entrepreneurs of small and medium establishments.
JEDDAH: A 16-member delegation of US congressional staff members currently visiting the Kingdom was briefed on the participation of women in the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) yesterday.
Lama Sulaiman, a woman member of the board of directors of JCCI, explained to the visiting delegation about the JCCI’s Khadijah Bint Khuwailid Center, which helps Saudi women with their businesses. The center is named after Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) most enterprising wife. “The center offers immense help to pioneering businesswomen, particularly those who undertake small and medium size ventures,” Sulaiman said.
Sulaiman added that 20 percent of the 250 employees of the chamber are women. “Other chambers in the Kingdom have started giving representation to women in their boards and committees,” she said.
The delegation, which is the first from the US to visit Saudi Arabia after the administration change, was also interested to learn how elections were conducted in the JCCI. The chamber members explained its election process to them.
The delegation is also scheduled to visit the Shoura Council, the Saudi Human Rights Commission and several other organizations.
The delegation also wanted to know about the assistance the chamber offered to entrepreneurs of small and medium establishments.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Saudi Arabia: Plight of Women Gets Deserved Attention
Recent national initiatives increased public awareness among women and addressed misconceptions that lead to regulatory discrimination against Saudi women. The media is also keeping pressure on by exposing violations and outmoded attitudes about women. There is a genuine effort by all to keep the public informed about social concerns and government directives that are influencing change and reinforcing reforms.
The Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) should be commended for its vigorous campaign to raise the level of awareness among women about their legal rights. The chamber’s Center for Law and Arbitration launched an initiative to spur research on divorce and custody laws. The initiative included research on three major categories, divorce under Shariah, the rights of divorcees in Islam and the custody rights of children in Islam.
To encourage researchers to participate, a cash award will be offered to the best, and the best nine studies will be printed in a book that will be distributed to the public free of charge. It is hoped that such studies will help bring about solutions for many unresolved divorce and custody cases and address the suffering of many women and children who are victims of injustice or misinterpretation of the Shariah law.
Meanwhile, the Khadija Bint Khuwailed Center for Businesswomen hosted a lecture by Al-Jawhara Al-Angari, vice chairman of the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR), on the legal, social, political and civil rights of women in Islam. Al-Angari addressed unimplemented laws and regulations that favor women and criticized the deficiencies in other regulations. The human rights advocate recommended that a civil family code be distributed with every identity card issued to a woman in order to inform her of her rights.
She then addressed the issue of business representatives imposed on women conducting business in the Kingdom. She said women should take advantage of the legal assistance provided by the Khadija Bint Khuwailed Center. The center, she said, could assist by drawing up specified powers of attorney that do not give absolute power to such representatives.
Al-Angari also urged women to be more active in promoting change. In her lecture, she noted that ignorance about their legal rights and under-appreciation by society are the reasons for the current plight of Saudi women.
The chamber publicized the event well and ensured that many women attended. Transportation was provided from every charity organization in Jeddah. Flyers were posted at colleges and universities along with SMS message and e-mail campaigns. As a result, 600 enthusiastic women showed up and used the opportunity to discuss issues that affect their lives. The lecture was an eye-opener for many women who had lost hope in government or society providing any protection or support.
The center presented Maha Fitaihi, wife of Jeddah’s mayor, lecturing on “Women in Islam.” She stressed the importance of recognizing women as a source of strength and pride, and she said that we should concentrate on building the character of our young girls and women to allow them to serve their country and religion. It is important, she said, to define the true Muslim identity of the Saudi woman so that she can take her rightful place in the international community and contribute toward global prosperity. Women left the hall inspired with a sense of pride in their identity and history.
Meanwhile, in Riyadh a group of Saudi legal and medical experts appealed to scholars at the Board of Senior Ulema and the Ministry of Justice to enact a law that bans child marriage. They highlighted many negative reports about this rural phenomenon and related many instances of abuse against child wives, in which judges citing Shariah law ruled against the victims. The experts urged the launch of an intensive awareness campaign to highlight the destructive effects of this practice. They called for an end to child marriage and stressed that those who indulge in this practice should face criminal penalties.
Arab News recently reported about women being locked up in their homes with their children when their husbands go to work. This practice is always discouraged by the police and Civil Defense officials as most Saudi homes lack fire-escape routes and almost all have iron security bars. Civil Defense officials continuously point out the dangers of such practices and urge against locking any family member or servant in the house. Police remain helpless because they cannot intervene without an official complaint. “If the wife consents willingly the law cannot interfere,” one official said. This is another example of how lack of awareness among women leads them to stay passive and accept such dangerous and demeaning situations — not only for themselves but for their children as well.
These efforts to raise awareness and the extensive campaign to enlighten women about their rights must continue in order to provide every woman with an opportunity to live in dignity.
Many women remain resistant to change out of fear of the unknown or distorted views of their culture and faith. It is the duty of every sociologist, government official or employee and every educated citizen, man or woman, to improve the welfare of our sisters, mothers and daughters. We have a responsibility to help our society evolve and recognize the need to support women who may be isolated and unaware of a better way to live. Moreover, our educated and progressive women should accept a greater responsibility to lead by example to remove the suspicions of those who are against modernization and progress. We all — men and women — need to work together to devise laws and regulations that maintain respect and protect women both at home and in the workplace.
— Arab News, Samar Fatany is a Saudi radio journalist based in Jeddah
The Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) should be commended for its vigorous campaign to raise the level of awareness among women about their legal rights. The chamber’s Center for Law and Arbitration launched an initiative to spur research on divorce and custody laws. The initiative included research on three major categories, divorce under Shariah, the rights of divorcees in Islam and the custody rights of children in Islam.
To encourage researchers to participate, a cash award will be offered to the best, and the best nine studies will be printed in a book that will be distributed to the public free of charge. It is hoped that such studies will help bring about solutions for many unresolved divorce and custody cases and address the suffering of many women and children who are victims of injustice or misinterpretation of the Shariah law.
Meanwhile, the Khadija Bint Khuwailed Center for Businesswomen hosted a lecture by Al-Jawhara Al-Angari, vice chairman of the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR), on the legal, social, political and civil rights of women in Islam. Al-Angari addressed unimplemented laws and regulations that favor women and criticized the deficiencies in other regulations. The human rights advocate recommended that a civil family code be distributed with every identity card issued to a woman in order to inform her of her rights.
She then addressed the issue of business representatives imposed on women conducting business in the Kingdom. She said women should take advantage of the legal assistance provided by the Khadija Bint Khuwailed Center. The center, she said, could assist by drawing up specified powers of attorney that do not give absolute power to such representatives.
Al-Angari also urged women to be more active in promoting change. In her lecture, she noted that ignorance about their legal rights and under-appreciation by society are the reasons for the current plight of Saudi women.
The chamber publicized the event well and ensured that many women attended. Transportation was provided from every charity organization in Jeddah. Flyers were posted at colleges and universities along with SMS message and e-mail campaigns. As a result, 600 enthusiastic women showed up and used the opportunity to discuss issues that affect their lives. The lecture was an eye-opener for many women who had lost hope in government or society providing any protection or support.
The center presented Maha Fitaihi, wife of Jeddah’s mayor, lecturing on “Women in Islam.” She stressed the importance of recognizing women as a source of strength and pride, and she said that we should concentrate on building the character of our young girls and women to allow them to serve their country and religion. It is important, she said, to define the true Muslim identity of the Saudi woman so that she can take her rightful place in the international community and contribute toward global prosperity. Women left the hall inspired with a sense of pride in their identity and history.
Meanwhile, in Riyadh a group of Saudi legal and medical experts appealed to scholars at the Board of Senior Ulema and the Ministry of Justice to enact a law that bans child marriage. They highlighted many negative reports about this rural phenomenon and related many instances of abuse against child wives, in which judges citing Shariah law ruled against the victims. The experts urged the launch of an intensive awareness campaign to highlight the destructive effects of this practice. They called for an end to child marriage and stressed that those who indulge in this practice should face criminal penalties.
Arab News recently reported about women being locked up in their homes with their children when their husbands go to work. This practice is always discouraged by the police and Civil Defense officials as most Saudi homes lack fire-escape routes and almost all have iron security bars. Civil Defense officials continuously point out the dangers of such practices and urge against locking any family member or servant in the house. Police remain helpless because they cannot intervene without an official complaint. “If the wife consents willingly the law cannot interfere,” one official said. This is another example of how lack of awareness among women leads them to stay passive and accept such dangerous and demeaning situations — not only for themselves but for their children as well.
These efforts to raise awareness and the extensive campaign to enlighten women about their rights must continue in order to provide every woman with an opportunity to live in dignity.
Many women remain resistant to change out of fear of the unknown or distorted views of their culture and faith. It is the duty of every sociologist, government official or employee and every educated citizen, man or woman, to improve the welfare of our sisters, mothers and daughters. We have a responsibility to help our society evolve and recognize the need to support women who may be isolated and unaware of a better way to live. Moreover, our educated and progressive women should accept a greater responsibility to lead by example to remove the suspicions of those who are against modernization and progress. We all — men and women — need to work together to devise laws and regulations that maintain respect and protect women both at home and in the workplace.
— Arab News, Samar Fatany is a Saudi radio journalist based in Jeddah
Monday, May 19, 2008
Saudi Arabia: Al-Angari Blames Ignorance of Rights for Women’s Plight
Ignorance, lack of awareness about their rights and lack of appreciation by society are why Saudi women are in their current situation.
This was emphasized by Al-Jowhara Al-Angari, vice chairman of the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) on Saturday night at a meeting organized by the Khadijah Bint Khuwailid Center at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI).
Basmah Omair, the center director, introduced Al-Angari and requested that all mobiles be placed on silent mode.
Al-Angari’s wide-ranging discussion covered most aspects concerning women and she exhorted them to take an active role in making a difference. “When a door is locked, it is not going to open on its own. You’ve got to bang on it, on and on for it to open,” said Al-Angari. “Women are afflicted with ignorance. We can’t claim our rights unless we know them.”
Al-Angari said that women in Islam have legal, social, political and civil rights. Islamic tolerance should not be confused with social norms and traditions. Women in early Islam were recognized as individuals with rights and voices and they acted accordingly. She illustrated this with examples from Islamic history. Citing that history, she questioned where, in comparison, women are today.
“Women pledged allegiance to the Prophet (peace be upon him). During the Al-Hudaybiya Treaty, the Prophet asked his wife Umm Salamah for advice which he later took,” added Al-Angari. “Asma bint Abu Bakr (daughter of one of the Prophet’s companions) carried food and water on foot alone to the Prophet and her father when they took refuge in Thawr Cave, outside Makkah,” she cited as another example of women’s initiative during the Prophet’s time.
She urged the almost 600 women present to know their rights and ask for them.
As Al-Angari continued with the discussion, more women – one or two with their children – continued to join the session. As she spoke, every now and then “Bless her” or “May Allah give her life” could be heard among those seated. The discussion drew women from all levels of society.
In the middle of the discussion, a couple of mobiles rang and Basmah Omair repeated her request that all mobiles be put on silent mode. At this point in one of the front rows, an elderly woman whose mobile was disturbing the meeting fumbled briefly with the phone before asking those around her to silence her ringing mobile. A mother continuously rocked her infant to keep her quiet throughout the session in order to benefit from the discussion. Women sitting beside her were seen to help her in her attempt to keep the child quiet.
All the women heard Al-Angari mention how Saudi women’s contributions and merits were further reinforced by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah’s inclusion of women in delegations during his state visits. The king continuously meets with Saudi women from different fields to discuss various issues. This is nothing new as far as Muslims are concerned. During Umar ibn Al-Khattab’s reign in 634 AH, Muslim women took the lead in different ways. He appointed Samra bint Nuhayk Al-Asadiyya as a market inspector in Makkah and Ash-Shifa bint Abdullah as an administrator of the market in Madinah. Later, Ash-Shifa was appointed as the head of health and safety in Basra, Iraq.
In comparison, the current status of Saudi women is far behind the times. But the situation of women and the discrimination they endure worldwide is much the same. “One in four women in the world suffers from physical abuse. One in three women is illiterate and one in two women suffers from poverty,” said Al-Angari. “Women are not paid the same as men for doing the same job in different parts of the world.”
While Saudi women are paid the same as men – this is a law – they cannot be released from prison without a legal male guardian despite a Saudi law which states otherwise. “The law says that it is prohibited to delay the procedure of releasing the prisoners,” Al-Angari said, adding that a prisoner – man or woman – must be released immediately after completing their sentence.
Al-Angari went on to mention other forms of discrimination Saudi women are subjected to.
Inheritance laws are not applicable to Saudi women married to non-Saudi men and their non-Saudi children. Her family, excluding her husband and children, inherits her assets. Additionally, Saudi women cannot donate their organs after death without the consent of legal guardians.
Another major problem is that regulations and laws pertaining to women are not implemented.
For example, Al-Angari said, according to Saudi law, a 45-year-old woman can travel without the presence or the consent of a legal male guardian. Not only is this not implemented, it is not even publicly known. “The reason why women are so ignorant of their rights is because they are not taught their rights in schools,” said Al-Angari.
Aside from the lack of implementation and knowledge of the laws, she attributed problem areas to some of the regulations themselves. “33.60 percent of the civil status issues that we receive in NSHR show that there is a deficiency in some regulations,” Al-Angari explained.
“A mother of four girls went to her husband who was in jail for drug abuse and possession. She wanted his consent so she could get a job. The husband refused. She then went to the judge, filing for ‘khula’ (divorce by redemption). The judge ordered that she return the dowry,” said Al-Angari, wondering aloud how the woman could get the money for the “khula” when, in the first place, she was in search of a job because she had no money.
During the discussion, one woman raised the issue of men using the family card to buy shares and conduct business projects in the name of their wives without the wives’ knowledge. To that, Al-Angari said: “A civil family code should be established and handed to every woman when her identification card is issued in order to inform her of her rights. This is a system implemented in many Arab countries.”
When a woman touched upon the issue of many holding premium accounts in banks, Basmah Omair responded that for a woman to invest, she must appoint a male representative who has power of attorney. Unfortunately, there are many cases when the power of attorney is abused; hence many women prefer to keep their money in their bank accounts. She then emphasized that the Khadijah Bint Khuwailid Center provided legal assistance for women investors in drawing up a specified power of attorney which does not give absolute power to the representative.
Another woman said that she had many friends formerly married to educated and open-minded men. However, their husbands deprived the women of their children – custody and visitation rights – after divorce. “Islamically, this isn’t correct,” she said and then quoted a verse from the Qur’an: “No soul shall have imposed upon it a duty but to the extent of its capacity; neither shall a mother be made to suffer harm on account of her child, nor a father on account of his child, and a similar duty (devolves) on the (father’s) heir.”
Throughout the meeting, Al-Angari emphasized the responsibility and obligation women have to themselves and each other. The meeting ended with many women asking that men also be educated about women’s rights.
-- Hassna’a Mokhtar, Laura Bashraheel & Somayya Jabarti, Arab News
This was emphasized by Al-Jowhara Al-Angari, vice chairman of the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) on Saturday night at a meeting organized by the Khadijah Bint Khuwailid Center at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI).
Basmah Omair, the center director, introduced Al-Angari and requested that all mobiles be placed on silent mode.
Al-Angari’s wide-ranging discussion covered most aspects concerning women and she exhorted them to take an active role in making a difference. “When a door is locked, it is not going to open on its own. You’ve got to bang on it, on and on for it to open,” said Al-Angari. “Women are afflicted with ignorance. We can’t claim our rights unless we know them.”
Al-Angari said that women in Islam have legal, social, political and civil rights. Islamic tolerance should not be confused with social norms and traditions. Women in early Islam were recognized as individuals with rights and voices and they acted accordingly. She illustrated this with examples from Islamic history. Citing that history, she questioned where, in comparison, women are today.
“Women pledged allegiance to the Prophet (peace be upon him). During the Al-Hudaybiya Treaty, the Prophet asked his wife Umm Salamah for advice which he later took,” added Al-Angari. “Asma bint Abu Bakr (daughter of one of the Prophet’s companions) carried food and water on foot alone to the Prophet and her father when they took refuge in Thawr Cave, outside Makkah,” she cited as another example of women’s initiative during the Prophet’s time.
She urged the almost 600 women present to know their rights and ask for them.
As Al-Angari continued with the discussion, more women – one or two with their children – continued to join the session. As she spoke, every now and then “Bless her” or “May Allah give her life” could be heard among those seated. The discussion drew women from all levels of society.
In the middle of the discussion, a couple of mobiles rang and Basmah Omair repeated her request that all mobiles be put on silent mode. At this point in one of the front rows, an elderly woman whose mobile was disturbing the meeting fumbled briefly with the phone before asking those around her to silence her ringing mobile. A mother continuously rocked her infant to keep her quiet throughout the session in order to benefit from the discussion. Women sitting beside her were seen to help her in her attempt to keep the child quiet.
All the women heard Al-Angari mention how Saudi women’s contributions and merits were further reinforced by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah’s inclusion of women in delegations during his state visits. The king continuously meets with Saudi women from different fields to discuss various issues. This is nothing new as far as Muslims are concerned. During Umar ibn Al-Khattab’s reign in 634 AH, Muslim women took the lead in different ways. He appointed Samra bint Nuhayk Al-Asadiyya as a market inspector in Makkah and Ash-Shifa bint Abdullah as an administrator of the market in Madinah. Later, Ash-Shifa was appointed as the head of health and safety in Basra, Iraq.
In comparison, the current status of Saudi women is far behind the times. But the situation of women and the discrimination they endure worldwide is much the same. “One in four women in the world suffers from physical abuse. One in three women is illiterate and one in two women suffers from poverty,” said Al-Angari. “Women are not paid the same as men for doing the same job in different parts of the world.”
While Saudi women are paid the same as men – this is a law – they cannot be released from prison without a legal male guardian despite a Saudi law which states otherwise. “The law says that it is prohibited to delay the procedure of releasing the prisoners,” Al-Angari said, adding that a prisoner – man or woman – must be released immediately after completing their sentence.
Al-Angari went on to mention other forms of discrimination Saudi women are subjected to.
Inheritance laws are not applicable to Saudi women married to non-Saudi men and their non-Saudi children. Her family, excluding her husband and children, inherits her assets. Additionally, Saudi women cannot donate their organs after death without the consent of legal guardians.
Another major problem is that regulations and laws pertaining to women are not implemented.
For example, Al-Angari said, according to Saudi law, a 45-year-old woman can travel without the presence or the consent of a legal male guardian. Not only is this not implemented, it is not even publicly known. “The reason why women are so ignorant of their rights is because they are not taught their rights in schools,” said Al-Angari.
Aside from the lack of implementation and knowledge of the laws, she attributed problem areas to some of the regulations themselves. “33.60 percent of the civil status issues that we receive in NSHR show that there is a deficiency in some regulations,” Al-Angari explained.
“A mother of four girls went to her husband who was in jail for drug abuse and possession. She wanted his consent so she could get a job. The husband refused. She then went to the judge, filing for ‘khula’ (divorce by redemption). The judge ordered that she return the dowry,” said Al-Angari, wondering aloud how the woman could get the money for the “khula” when, in the first place, she was in search of a job because she had no money.
During the discussion, one woman raised the issue of men using the family card to buy shares and conduct business projects in the name of their wives without the wives’ knowledge. To that, Al-Angari said: “A civil family code should be established and handed to every woman when her identification card is issued in order to inform her of her rights. This is a system implemented in many Arab countries.”
When a woman touched upon the issue of many holding premium accounts in banks, Basmah Omair responded that for a woman to invest, she must appoint a male representative who has power of attorney. Unfortunately, there are many cases when the power of attorney is abused; hence many women prefer to keep their money in their bank accounts. She then emphasized that the Khadijah Bint Khuwailid Center provided legal assistance for women investors in drawing up a specified power of attorney which does not give absolute power to the representative.
Another woman said that she had many friends formerly married to educated and open-minded men. However, their husbands deprived the women of their children – custody and visitation rights – after divorce. “Islamically, this isn’t correct,” she said and then quoted a verse from the Qur’an: “No soul shall have imposed upon it a duty but to the extent of its capacity; neither shall a mother be made to suffer harm on account of her child, nor a father on account of his child, and a similar duty (devolves) on the (father’s) heir.”
Throughout the meeting, Al-Angari emphasized the responsibility and obligation women have to themselves and each other. The meeting ended with many women asking that men also be educated about women’s rights.
-- Hassna’a Mokhtar, Laura Bashraheel & Somayya Jabarti, Arab News
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