Higher Education of Women in Saudi Arabia

Women Education in Saudi Arabia

In an analysis on women's education in Saudi Arabia, Roudi-Fahimi and Moghadam suggested that education is the key to improving individual well being and society's economic and social development. In the Middle East, access to education has improved drastically in the last few decades. Women's education is also on the rise and the gender gap in education has disappeared with more and more people likely to enroll in universities than in the past. Despite the optimistic progress in attitudes towards women's education, there are many hurdles, including mindsets and government policies.

Al Rawaf and Simmons noted that the Government in Saudi Arabia provides free education to all up to the secondary school level. In 1990, more than 29000 men and 25000 women graduated secondary school and at any time, there are more than a million men and women attending school. This would suggest that women in Saudi Arabia have equal opportunity in education when compared with men.

Yet the statistics change when higher education is considered and the differences among men and women are profound at the University level. Only 5.5% of the total female population are in paid employment and 5% attend university or higher level education. There was no concept of formal education for women before the 1960s and it is only after 1960 that women's education became a social and political issue in Saudi Arabia. There was lukewarm reception to the news that girls would be able to attend schools and most households were reluctant to send their women to attain formal education. Women's role in Saudi Arabia was seen at home as social attitudes do not encourage a public role for women.

There are however several changes expected as reformists have been demanding political, social, educational and economic change in Saudi Arabia. There is a growing demand to implement comprehensive structural reforms and this includes educational reforms with equal rights of education for women. However real reforms would only be possible when women have equal rights to work. Women's rights to work could redefine labor market dynamic and this is important as labor force is closely related to economic growth of a region. Lincove analyzed the link between labor market participation and economic growth. The study focused on the intervening relationship of female education in facilitating labor force participation and economic growth. The study suggested that investing in female education could help in economic growth as more women will be available for work when equipped with the right skills. Saudi Arabia needs more women in the workforce and investing in women's higher education could help in revitalizing the economy.

Women's position in Saudi Arabia can be understood from a historical socioeconomic and political perspective. Saudi society is now under increased scrutiny as the persistent exclusion of women from public life remains a controversial social policy. Although higher education is now open to women, University women can study only those subjects which would not require them to interact with the men. Several studies have emphasized on the achievement of women in Saudi Arabia although higher education and paid employment opportunities are not always available to women and discrimination remains a major deterrent in the progress of women's education, graduate-level learning opportunities, and employment.

Doumato highlighted the plight of women who remain unemployed despite attaining higher education in Saudi Arabia. Doumato argued that it is in the interest of the government to keep women economically marginalized and in control of men, as this has political implications and broad public appeal. With low state subsidies and higher education, women have become more demanding about their opportunities to work. Saudi reformists and writers have been vocal about women's participation in law as judges and advocates and women have been increasingly employed in healthcare as medical technicians and physicians.

Women have been strictly segregated and the segregation has become more conspicuous in recent times as this has led to the development of female sphere of activities. The Saudi government has been allowing freedom to women by segregating them and as Le Renard argued, women not only remain spatially segregated, but are also legally discriminated. Women activists who are more aware and educated, have been challenging the government and status quo, demanding equality in the family and society, calling for women's economic, political and social empowerment. This trend is visible even in relatively conservative nations like Saudi Arabia.

In a paper on Saudi higher education, Prokop discussed the influence of religion in shaping the Saudi educational system and attitudes towards women. The evolution of education in Saudi Arabia is expected to preserve the religious foundations of the regime and women are marginalized educationally and economically because they are considered lesser mortals in the Islamic tradition. By religion, women are not entitled to equal rights or opportunities. This attitude prevails in all section of Saudi society and women remain significantly deprived of opportunities in education and employment, despite their abilities.

This thesis on the higher education and employment opportunities for women relates to the legal, social, political, religious and economic environment in Saudi Arabia. Despite significant changes in attitudes towards women, there are religious and social deterrents that prevent women from enjoying complete freedom to attend work or University in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. This thesis looks at several dimensions of the problem and analyzes the reasons why women continue to remain deprived in education and employment with inadequate opportunities. A broader analysis with an extensive literature review is necessary to examine the educational and social reforms in Saudi Arabia to understand how women could seek equal opportunities at employment and higher education despite the social obstacles. The next section will consider review, analysis and study of research papers, journal articles and reports on women's education and employment in the Middle East as also the social and legal implications of the findings.

Bibliography:

Al Rawaf Haya Saad and Simmons Cyril. The Education of Women in Saudi Arabia Comparative Education. Vol. 27, No. 3, pp. 287-295

Doumato Eleanor Abdella. Women and Work in Saudi Arabia: How Flexible Are Islamic Margins? Middle East Journal. Vol. 53, No. 4, pp. 568-583

Hamdan, Amani. Women and Education in Saudi Arabia: Challenges and Achievements. International Education Journal, v6 n1 p42-64

Jacobs Jerry A. Gender Inequality and Higher Education. Annual Review of Sociology Vol. 22, pp. 153-185

Le Renard. Amélie "Only for Women:" Women, the State, and Reform in Saudi Arabia Middle East Journal. Vol. 62, No. 4, pp. 610-629

Lincove, Jane Arnold. Growth, Girls' Education, and Female Labor: A Longitudinal Analysis The Journal of Developing Areas .Volume 41, Number 2, pp. 45-68

Prokop, Michael. Saudi Arabia: The Politics of Education. International Affairs (Royal Institute of International Affairs) Vol. 79, No. 1, pp. 77-89

Raphael Nimrod. Demands for Reforms in Saudi Arabia. Middle Eastern Studies. Vol. 41, No. 4, pp. 517-532

Roudi-Fahimi Farzaneh and Moghadam Valentine M. 2005. Empowering Women, Developing Society: Female Education in the Middle East and North Africa.

Population Reference Bureau United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Arab Human Development Report (New York: UNDP): 54.