http://www.arabnews.com/?page=7§ion=0&article=131668&d=23&m=1&y=2010&pix=opinion.jpg&category=Opinion
Saturday 23 January 2010 (07 Safar 1431)
Need for gender equality
Khalid Alnowaiser | Arab News
Equality for women in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is still one of the
most difficult and complex issues to be discussed. Although everyone has the
freedom to talk about all matters of life freely and easily (no matter how
sensitive the issue may be), the subject of women's rights is entirely
different and always needs to be considered carefully.
Ignoring a frank and honest debate on this very important subject,
though, has led to the exclusion of women from playing an active and effective
role in the development of Saudi Arabia, especially when women comprise half of
society.
It is undisputed that a woman's status in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is
not very enviable. Due to ingrained cultural traditions, Saudi women are not
treated equally with men, and this is acting as a major impediment to the
Kingdom's development plans. As a consequence, confusion and chaos have ensued,
so that it has become very difficult to distinguish between what is religiously
mandated and what is required due to Saudi social customs and traditions.
The Islamic religion clearly appreciates women and their role in life and
work. Indeed, Islam does not advocate the old rigid social customs and obsolete
traditions that relegated women to the status of second-class citizens.
Unfortunately, customs and past practices purporting to be based on Islam have
actually distorted the Muslim faith throughout the world.
In reality, Islam treats men and women as equal in many things. As the
Qur'an says, "O mankind! We created you all from male and female, and made you
into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other. Verily, the most honored
of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. And Allah has full
knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things)." What we can understand
from this verse is that women and men are equal in everything, and the only
thing that can differentiate them is piety in Allah. In fact, a fair reading of
the Qur'an and Hadith proves that the problem is not with Islam, but it is in
cultural stereotypes that have dominated the Saudi society for decades.
The absence of a clear boundary between religious and secular thinking
has led to the exploitation of the wrong habits and traditions by men and, by
extension, the entire society. Although purporting to be based on Islam, men
have used Islam as a tool to belittle the role of women in Saudi society.
THE strange thing is that men thought that by marginalizing and
repressing women, they would elevate their status in society, when in reality
all it does is increase their duties and burdens in life. Men have become
solely responsible for all these challenges, when they are actually in need of
assistance and contributions from women. As a consequence, the development of
this male-dominated society has resulted in an unfortunate increase in the
number of divorce cases, immorality, domestic violence, mental illness and
greater health problems among men.
In Saudi Arabia today, women are still suffering from the rigid
constraints society has placed upon them, where men can control them
physically, psychologically, and mentally. For example, a woman is limited to a
narrow range of jobs, which she is allowed to perform, in spite of substantial
efforts the government of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has
instituted to expand employment opportunities for women.
EVEN though women work, they are still isolated and controlled in all
their actions and behavior by men, and Saudi society remains divided into two
categories in sharp contrast to all other societies in the world, male and
female, although Islam has neither excluded nor restricted women from work.
Unfortunately, male control of women has caused the latter to be ignorant
of their rights such as the rights to marry, divorce, dowry, custody,
inheritance, travel, and a right to drive. It is absurd that Saudi women still
cannot operate a motor vehicle without employing foreign drivers to drive for
them.
They have also been prevented from working as sales girls even in shops
selling their clothes, while men are permitted to do so. What is the rationale
for such a contradiction? Is there any reason other than to keep men and women
entirely separate culturally?
Certainly, most Saudi women believe that allowing women to drive a car is
not among the most important rights, but the lack of decisive action to resolve
this issue and allow half of Saudi society to freely move around the country is
disappointing. This issue deserves immediate attention and quick resolution by
the government.
There is no doubt that outmoded customs making women subservient to men
in the Kingdom has dominated Saudi society and allowed men to exploit this
inequality in order to control women, confiscate their rights, destroy their
self-esteem, and kill their pride as human beings entitled to equal rights and
opportunities.
So what is the solution to this problem that threatens to destroy the
future progress of Saudi Arabia? First, no solution will be achieved without
the full participation of women, and the Kingdom is no different from any other
country that strives to become more civilized and to march forward as a society.
Therefore, it is now time to create a special independent body composed
of women to discuss ways of helping women to live, work, and express their
opinions as fully as men. This body would strive to spread a culture of women's
rights, defend and assist the appropriate authorities to regulate and create
laws to ensure women's rights are preserved, and protect all legal, civil,
social, and family rights. It is up to each one of us to push for Saudi women
to be treated equally with men in all aspects of the functioning of our
society.
The establishment of a body charged with this responsibility is an
indispensable first step.
- Dr. Khalid Alnowaiser is a Saudi lawyer and columnist based in Jeddah.
He can be reached at [email protected]
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