Bahrain: Five laws passed without changes

Gulf Daily News
MPs yesterday approved five laws passed to them by the Shura Council without discussion or amendments.

Both chambers are in dispute over several articles in the five laws but MPs decided yesterday that they could pass them without any delay because there were no major differences.

The laws will be now ratified by His Majesty King Hamad.

Among them is granting equal rights to the children of Bahraini women married to expatriates as those with Bahraini fathers.

The Shura Council decided to include a new article last month in the law.

It stipulates that children of Bahraini women have to be permanent residents in order to benefit from equal rights.

The bill allows expatriate wives the same treatment as their Bahraini counterparts in services such as government fees, education, health and an exemption from residency visa requirements.

Parliament also agreed with the Shura Council to reject an amendment among several others to the Trade Unions Law that would have allowed more than one union in the same establishment on the basis that it would create tension and division between employees.

MPs also agreed with councillors on setting up a new medical licences and services authority, after a vote to reject the Shura Council amendments was halted by parliament chairman Khalifa Al Dhahrani early this month, asking MPs to study it further.

They also approved an amended bill by the council granting GCC nationals equal rights as Bahraini businessmen when setting up businesses in Bahrain.

Parliament was also on its way to insist on its decision in regard to three other laws amended by the council but decided to postpone discussions until tomorrow's extraordinary session, which was later cancelled as MPs voted for a day off.

Parliament had earlier approved a bill to pay pensions of the deceased in the government, private and military sectors to distant relatives if they had no close family members.

However, the council rejected the bill, saying that pensions were not inheritance and could not be dealt with in the manner MPs wanted.

Services committee chairman Dr Ali Ahmed said parliament was hoping to approve all of Shura's decisions but found it difficult to approve the remaining three bills.

"I have been very lenient with councillors despite some disagreements on their approach to articles in the medical licences and services authority," he said.

"My committee liked the addition of children of Bahraini women and the ban on the formation of several unions in one establishment and according to that I recommended their approval. "But I have a huge dispute with councillors over the pension laws and parliament would have insisted on its previous decision if MPs did not decide to postpone discussing it. "Thankfully the major laws have been approved and are now in the hands of His Majesty King Hamad to ratify."

Bahrain: 15 elected to Al Wefaq shura body

FIFTEEN new members have been elected to the shura (consultative) body of Bahrain's biggest opposition group.

The 30-seat body is an influential component of Al Wefaq National Islamic Society.

The elections would have seen 30 new faces, but changes to the by-laws made it just 15, for a two-year term.

The only female candidate Ramala Abdulhameed Hassan had the third highest votes with 613 supporters.

Shura's main duty is to approve all decisions taken by the society's leadership.

It also approves members of the group's general-secretariat office and monitors their activities; questions the secretary-general and has powers to remove him from his post. It approves candidates chosen to run on behalf of the society in parliamentary and municipal council elections.

The society has a bigger presence in parliament and on municipal councils than any other political movement, with 17 MPs and 17 councillors.

A date to divide posts among new and old members hasn't been set yet.

By MOHAMMED AL A'ALI, Gulf Daily News

Saudi Arabia: Government looks to put an end to harassment of women at workplace

JEDDAH — Eve teasing and harassment of women at work is a problem everywhere. In Saudi Arabia, with the number of women in the workforce rising, the possibilities have also increased. To deal with the problem, Dr Saleh bin Humaid, president of the 150-member Shoura Council, has urged the committee for social, family and youth affairs to prepare the law as quickly as possible.

Faisal Ahmed Yamani, a member of the team involved in drafting the law, said the law would be presented to the Shoura soon for its approval. The committee of experts that includes Shoura Council members is preparing a draft to prevent the sexual harassment and molestation of women in the workplace.

Dr Saleh stressed the need for women to wear modest dress in the workplace in order to reduce the incidence of sexual harassment.

The new law defines sexual harassment and explains its various types and conditions. It defines the responsibility of the employer and his role in preventing improper behaviour in the workplace.

“The law also includes punishments as well as administrative and judicial measures to be taken against workers involved in sexual harassment,” Yamani explained.

“Molestation includes words or suggestions or movements that would hurt a person, whether man or woman. It also covers unwanted sexual advancements and suggestions, causing uneasiness and humiliation or mental pressure to a person, whether man or woman,” he said.

The law covers not only sexual harassment but also actions aimed at demoralising a person and worsening his condition in the workplace and so negatively affecting his rights, honour and health.

Yamani said that the new law protects women as well as men and added that there was a pressing need to set out regulations in order to prevent the sexual harassment of women in the workplace and provide them with a safe and secure atmosphere in which to work.

“If we study the Holy Quran and Sunnah, we find that Islam has addressed the issues of sexual harassment and demoralisation. We are not creating any new law,” he said.

Dr Mazen Baleelah, a member of the Shoura who raised the issue of harassment of women in the workplace, emphasised the importance of the new law in regulating the relations between men and women in the workplace. He was reported as saying that sexual molestation in workplaces must be monitored and those guilty must be given deterrent punishment.

He said that “the Saudi Labour Law protects both men and women from vocational hazards and urges employers to provide their workers with health insurance. But it does not mention the protection of the honour and chastity of women in the workplace. According to him, there should be regulations to maintain respectful relationships between men and women in the workplace.

By Habib Shaikh, Khaleej Times

Saudi Arabia: Islam 'does not forbid women from working'

Riyadh: A senior Saudi scholar is in the forefront of those who made a fervent appeal to the Saudi public and private sectors to create more job opportunities for qualified young Saudi women.

Shaikh Abdul Mohsen Al Obaikan, a member of the Shura Council and adviser to the Ministry of Justice, ruled that Sharia does not prevent women from working as long as they do not mix with unrelated men.

"We cannot see any religious scriptures that forbid women from being engaged in duty together with men at work places. Islam permits women to mix with men even while performing Tawaf and Sa'ai. Similar is the case with shopping at markets," he said.

In his speech at the first day of the Seventh National Dialogue Forum in Buraida City in Qaseem Province on Tuesday, Al Obaikan said: "We cannot say that a woman in Islamic dress in the workplace is in a state of khulwa [mixing with unrelated men], which is prohibited by Islam."
Islam bans such mixing if it involves any fitna or seduction. "All mixings are not prohibited. But only those involving fitna," he said.

However, he also pointed out that the basic duty of women is at home and bringing up children. He also called for opening separate sections for working women at companies and offices.

The first day's session of Dialogue Forum, with the theme of 'Labour Sectors and Employment: A Dialogue Between Society and Labour Institutions', is mainly devoted to problems faced by Saudi women in the local employment market. As many as 70 figures, including academics, thinkers, writers, businessmen as well as officials from the ministries of labour and civil service are attending the two-day forum.

Those who addressed the forum stressed the need for more job opportunities for Saudi women and implementation of resolutions on women's employment.

The discussion was being held in the wake of a recent report of the Ministry of Economy and Planning saying unemployment among Saudi women soared to an alarming rate exceeding 60 per cent.

The first day of the forum was conspicuous by the participation of women. Nadiya Al Dossari, one of the participants, emphasised the need to provide training to Saudi graduates to meet job market requirements, while Dr Muneera Al Shaikha spoke about another key problem of transportation faced by women.

Saleh Al Hosain, president of the forum, said the meeting would discuss various aspects of women's employment, including its motives. He highlighted the importance of national dialogue, saying that discussions on controversial topics would give momentum to the dialogue process.

Dr Khalid Al Sultan, president of King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Dhahran, moderated the session.

By Mariam Al Hakeem

Saudi Arabia: Shura Council Recommends Allowing Saudi Women to Drive With Limitations

On March 17, 2008, Alarabiya.net reported that the Saudi Shura Council has recommended allowing women to drive. The recommendation follows recent efforts by Saudi women rights activists headed by Wajeha Al-Huwaidar and Fawziya Al-Uyuni.

Ten days ago Al-Huwaidar marked the International Women’s Day, March 8, 2008 by driving her car in Saudi Arabia appealing to the minister of interior, Prince Nayef to allow women to drive. Her driving was posted on Youtube and received international attention.

[To view the clip translated into English see MEMRI TV clip No. 1712, visit http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/1712.htm ]

The following is a summary of the Saudi Shura Council recommendation.

The Recommendations

A source in Saudi Arabia's Shura Council reports that the council has submitted a recommendation to senior elements in the country to permit women to drive vehicles, with the following stipulations:

• The woman driver must be under 30.
• The woman's driving is conditional upon the permission of a relative [father, husband, brother, or son].
• The woman driver must obtain a driver's license from the center for teaching women to drive.
• The woman driver must be modestly dressed.
• The woman driver will be permitted to drive alone in the cities, but outside the cities she must be accompanied by a relative.
• The woman driver will be permitted to drive Saturday through Wednesday between 7:00 AM and 8:00 PM.
• The woman driver must have a cell phone with her, so she can call for help in an emergency.
• The woman driver must pay a certain sum when her license is issued; this sum will be set aside for car repairs.

The Shura Council also ordered the following:

• The establishment of a special women's transportation department; this department will collect the fees.
• The establishment of a telephone emergency center.
• The establishment of transportation centers for women in the cities, which will be under religious supervision.
• The council stipulated that a woman driver who violates these rules will have her license revoked.

In the framework of this recommendation, the Shura Council is required to impose a one-month prison sentence and a fine on anyone talking with a woman driver from another car, and an eight-month prison sentence and a fine on anyone who sexually harasses a woman driver.

A transportation administration source reports that the Shura Council has as yet issued no guidelines for establishing a women's transportation department.

From MEMRI.org

Saudi Arabia: Shoura to Draft Law on Women’s Rights at Work Places

RIYADH - The Shoura Council has taken up the issue of protecting the rights of women at the work places. A resolution to this effect was moved in the House on Monday by Dr. Mazen Baleela who maintains that the Kingdom lacks a clear-cut law safeguarding working women's rights.

Dr Saleh Bin Humaid, Speaker of the Shoura Council, directed the Social Affairs, Family and Youth Committee at the Shoura to urgently draft a law on the issue.
Dr Al-Humaid underlined the desirability of the law and stressed that it should also include a dress code for the working women.

The issue of working women was raised recently by the Minister of Culture and Information, Iyad Madani, in which he referred to the long working hours for women in TV studios and on channels.

This prompted Dr. Baleela to present a proposal for issuing a legislation governing women's and men's relations in the work place.

In his proposal - which many of the Shoura members have supported including the speaker - Dr Baleela says that the Kingdom's labor law ensures the safety of workers from any damage while on duty regardless of their gender. Besides the law also encourages the health insurance. "But it has not yet promulgated laws protecting women's dignity while they are at work," he said.

He added that the law which should be applicable to men and women alike should clearly define the relationship between men and women at work and whoever violates the law either by words or deeds should be penalized.

Dr. Rashid Al-Kathairy, head of the Family's Committee at the Shoura, expressed the committee's readiness to come up with such such a law.

Al-Kathairy pointed out that the law will be flexible on the veil issue because there are some schools of thought in Islam that allow the uncovering of the face.

By Amal -Al-Zahrani, Saudi Gazette

Saudi Arabia: Shoura Panel Drafting Law to Protect Women in Workplace

wJEDDAH, 6 February 2008 — The Social, Family and Youth Affairs Committee at the Shoura Council is currently drafting a legal system for protecting women’s rights in the workplace, including sexual-harassment laws.

“The concept of women working in mixed environments is legally undefined according to Shariah and is understood in compliance with social norms,” said Mazen Balilah, Shoura member at the Cultural and Informational Affairs Committee, who proposed the idea of legislating the system during the council’s meeting on Monday. “It was a must to seriously consider a legislated system that governs the relationship between men and women in the workplace.”

The Research and Women Empowerment Department at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Khadija bint Khuwailid Center conducted a study about the problems that hinder the work of businesswomen. The department examined the Eighth Development Plan along with agreements the Kingdom has signed with international bodies and then organized a workshop for a group of businesswomen to discuss hurdles and difficulties they face.

“For women to contribute to the development of the country in all fields, problems that occur in the business world must be solved. There has to be a defined law that protects the rights of men and women in the workplace,” said Nashwa Taher, board member at JCCI. “For instance, an all-woman establishment isn’t allowed to run without having a director or chairman who is a man. This has to change. Women have proved to be professional and efficient in running their businesses.”

Maha Al-Hujailan, a medical researcher at King Khaled University Hospital in Riyadh, wrote an article in July 2007 discussing the problem of sexual harassment women undergo when hunting for jobs.

“Many Saudi women complain about sexual harassment when they apply for jobs or when they work in mixed environments,” said Al-Hujailain in her article. “A Saudi woman fears scandals and defamation even if she’s tyrannized ... There are no clear strict laws that prohibit sexual harassment against women regardless of their circumstances. This legal gloominess opens the door for violators and makes the Saudi woman an easy prey.”

When asked about statistics for sexual harassment cases in the Kingdom, Balilah told Arab News that current studies would collect qualitative, not quantitative, statistics through contacting companies, banks and organizations that employ women and suffered from similar problems.

“We’ve been receiving sexual harassment complaints every now and then from human recourses officials in different companies or reading about such cases in local media reports,” said Balilah. “Sexual harassment laws exist everywhere around the world in communities where women are part of the labor force such as in America and Europe. Once the law is discussed and drafted, the committee will present it to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah for approval and implementation.”

- Hassna’a Mokhtar, Arab News

Saudi Arabia: Students Welcome Decision on Unions

The Shoura Council has passed a new University Law that allows the formation of student unions at Saudi universities. The unions will have a representative on the university council, the law said. The members of the unions will be elected by secret ballot and can serve for more than one term. Financing will be from the university budget, donations, gifts and revenue from their activities.

University students and teachers have welcomed the decision to form student unions and said it would improve educational standard and create a healthy environment on campuses. “It’s a very important decision,” said Dr. Abdul Ilah Saaty, vice dean of the Community College at King Abdulaziz University (KAU). “The union will help students raise their voice and express their wishes.” Saaty proposed election of a member from each college to the student union in order to have proper representation.

Abdullah Abdul Jawad, a university student, was excited hearing the news and said the unions would make Saudi campuses more lively and engaging.

Malekah Bakash, a KAU home economics student, commended the Shoura decision and said it would have great impact on student life in campuses. “It will enable students to participate in extracurricular activities in order to show off their skills and capabilities,” she added.
The promotion of dialogue between students and teachers is another major point in favor of student unions. “The unions will break down the barriers between students and faculty members,” Saaty said. He also urged authorities to make student unions an important body at universities to allow students to participate in the decision-making process.

Dr. Hassan Felemban, vice dean of KAU’s Faculty of Science for development, commended the new law passed by the Shoura which will give students a pivotal role in the university system. “The proposed student unions will help in developing responsible students.”

Felemban said unions would also provide a good place for students to achieve practical experience before entering the job market, especially in the area of taking up responsibilities with efficiency.

Professor Muhammad Ismail Abdussalam at KAU’s College of Engineering, described the move to establish student unions as a progressive decision, adding that it would stimulate educational development. “Unions will also help us stay aware of the quality and impact of our educational products and make continuous assessment, keeping in view student views and demands.”

- Arab News