http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=83615&d=12&m=6&y=2006&pix=kingdom.jpg&category=Kingdom
Monday, 12, June, 2006 (16, Jumada al-Ula, 1427)
New Opportunities, Old Challenges Await Aspiring Women Lawyers
Razan Baker, Arab News
JEDDAH, 12 June 2006 - More women in Saudi Arabia are
pursuing careers in law, yet face many obstacles, according to a legal expert.
Their inability to travel abroad without permission from a
male guardian and the stigma of interacting with the opposite sex are two
issues that women face if they want to become lawyers, Jeddah-based lawyer
Khaled Abu Rashid said in an interview with Arab News.
Abu Rashid said women would be in some way more qualified
than men in this field, yet, "they would be risking their social life."
There are no women licensed to practice law in the Kingdom
yet, even though Jeddah's King Abdul Aziz University recently enrolled 55 women
in its Islamic Studies Department and Umm Al-Qura Women's College reported an
increase in its intake.
As Abu Rashid points out, Islamic studies is important
because law in the Kingdom is based in Shariah. "They need the background in
Islamic law," he said.
While the Ministry of Justice has not yet granted any
licenses for women lawyers, the Kingdom is in the process of studying the
implementation of family courts. Once implemented - possibly sometime this year
- family courts would open the way for women lawyers to enter areas of law that
would address divorce, domestic abuse and child custody. Furthermore, family
law would be more likely to involve women clients, providing a more socially
acceptable woman-to-woman lawyer-client relationship.
"Saudi women still don't like to discuss private issues with
unrelated men," said Abu Rashid. "Thus the availability of women lawyers with
whom women clients can speak freely is becoming a demand."
Currently women students who pursue law become legal clerks
or consultants or take government jobs as legal analysts.
Law intern Jehan Gurban, who recently graduated from Umm
Al-Qura University with a bachelor's degree in Islamic studies, said she has
noticed a marked increase in women students pursuing law.
"The purpose of these women joining the field is no longer
simply to teach Islamic studies in schools or colleges," she said. "They want
to practice, not just teach."
Since the general field of law in Saudi Arabia is dominated
by men, entering the practice can be a challenge for pioneering women. Families
may still believe that law is a risky field for their daughters to enter, but
Gurban said that her family has been supportive.
As legal consultants - currently one of the few non-teaching
career choices for aspiring women lawyers - women spend three years in
internship studying case law and specializing.
Abu Rashid says that now is a good time for women to begin
seriously considering their future as lawyers. "Current legal consultants have
the advantage of becoming the pioneers as Saudi women lawyers," he said.
Gurban agrees. "We are doing our best to meet the
expectations and learn about rules and regulations of every sector," she said.
A decade ago, the Kingdom loosened up restrictions on women
providing legal counsel to clients in a court of law. Though technically not
lawyers, they have been able since then to be so-called "legally appointed
agents" of women litigants. This helped pave the way for more grievances being
filed by women, particularly in domestic abuse, divorce and custody cases.
Young aspiring women lawyers like Gurban are optimistic that
the time has come for them to step in as full-fledged lawyers.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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