Aren't the tribal traditions the problem that is holding women back? Will all the recent gains for women the kingdom will they really help overall? What will be the next major gain for women? http://www.latimes.com/world/global-development/la-fg-global-princess-lamia-qa-2017-story.html Q&A Saudi Arabia's women are misjudged and don't need others to speak on their behalf, says Saudi princess. Here's why. Saudi Arabia's Princess Lamia bint Majed Al Saud is secretary-general of Alwaleed Philanthropies, a charitable organization that helps with women's training, education and empowerment. Ann M. Simmons Ann M. SimmonsContact Reporter In the West, they are largely viewed as being oppressed — second-class citizens who are forbidden to drive, must cover themselves in public from head to toe and need permission from a male “guardian” to travel abroad or get married. But Saudi Arabia’s Princess Lamia bint Majed al Saud insists that the status of her country’s women is misunderstood and that although challenges remain, women are making significant social strides and slowly breaking down barriers. “It is really important to stress just how much progress has been made to empower women all over the kingdom,” said the princess, who serves as secretary-general of Alwaleed Philanthropies, a charitable organization that provides women with legal training, educates them about their rights and teaches them how to face challenges independently. Last month, the group gathered women from all over the world in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, for a women’s empowerment conference, the first of its kind in the ultraconservative Arab state. The princess shared some views on how far Saudi women have come and the lengths they have to go. The interview, conducted by phone from Riyadh, has been edited for length and clarity. Participants attend Saudi Arabia's first global conference on women's empowerment, which was held in the Saudi capital of Riyadh in March. (fahd /) Why was it necessary to host a women’s empowerment conference? It was the perfect timing for us in Saudi Arabia. We have a lot that we [want] to highlight from a perspective of the achievement and development of the importance of the role of Saudi women inside the Saudi society and … how this role is very effective in our community. It was the first conference that was really dedicated to women and the achievement of women and how we can collaborate with each other to help women and girls achieve their dreams inside their country. They do not have to depend on opportunities related to a scholarship [or] traveling abroad. I’m not saying that studying abroad ... is something bad, no. We are [just] trying to highlight the opportunities inside [our] country. We wanted to create role models … [for] the new generation. It was important for us to have had a big number of very successful women [at the conference] to tell girls in Saudi Arabia that … whenever you want to look up to someone, there are Muslim women in Saudi Arabia whom you should know about. It was also important for us, because we think that we as Saudi women are misjudged by the world. People keep speaking on our behalf, but [they] don’t know us. We have knowledge. We are well-rounded. Do Saudi women want Western values? Do they want traditional gender roles to change? This may be the cause of the misperception [about Saudi women]. If you understand our culture, our tribal traditions and our tribal mentality, which we’re very, very proud of, [you will understand that] our gender roles are part of our tradition. It’s our heritage. Western values are not related to us. Maybe we might like to explore, just as a Western person might like to explore … to understand more about the Arabian heritage. At the end of the day, I’m not saying [one way] is wrong, or [one way] is right. But I want to highlight one thing. Ladies in Saudi Arabia do succeed and they do achieve, and they do reach very high-ranking positions in government, and even in the private sector. RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA On Dec. 12, 2015, women went to the polls for the first time in Saudi Arabia. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) How are you countering the perception in the West that Saudi women are oppressed and don’t have rights? This is really annoying. Just do a Google search, you will find that we had our first municipal council elections for women [in 2015]. Second, almost 30% of active members of the Shura Council, which is the equivalent of Congress, are women. Third, in our country whenever we have a job opportunity and there is a lady and a gentleman applying for the same job, the woman will not take [a lesser salary]. By law, a man is the provider for the family, and if he does not provide [his wife] can take him to court. So yes, we do have some obstacles. But we do have a lot of rights. You have to keep in mind that we are a very young country. We’re only 85 years old. And … the tribal mentality is very hard to [break]. It’s not that easy to have all of these changes in 85 years. How do you respond to reports that the guardianship system is forcing some Saudi women to secretly desert their country? There is no doubt that some women have faced challenges with the male guardianship law. I cannot sit here and tell you that everything is perfect. But it is important to understand that laws such as these are rooted in strong tribal traditions, a strict interpretation of religion, and our history of collective decision-making. It will take time for us to achieve a balance between respecting these traditions, and ensuring that women have the freedom and autonomy they deserve. But it’s not like before. Before it was more of a very strict tradition. Now it’s more flexible. The government waived the need for women to have their guardian’s approval for certain types of work in 2012. What are some specific achievements with regard to Saudi women’s rights in recent years? They are doing amazing in the banking sector. [In February], women were appointed to head up two banks in Saudi Arabia, and the kingdom’s stock exchange. We have a lot of [female] doctors in the health sector. We now have more women attending our universities than men. In 2015 alone, over 51% of university graduates were women. There are signs of progress all around us. We just need to keep working. Are there still areas of employment where progress needs to be made? Of course, there is much that we still have to achieve. There is a lot of room for progress. But before making these opportunities available, you have to train those women to understand the importance of their collaboration. There is a huge number of women, who are educated, but they still don’t understand the importance of their collaboration in developing the community. They believe that being a mother and raising their kids is more important than [getting] a job, which I also totally respect and really support.
