Press Review of the week
21st November 2011
Sweeping reforms are being introduced in Saudi labour market. More than 85% of the national workforce is made up of men even if women’s participation rate in the Saudi national labour force has nearly tripled, from 5.4% to 14.4% since 1992 : the UAE’s national female participation rate is 59%, Kuwait’s is 42.49%, Qatar’s is 36.4% and Bahrain’s is 34.3%.
Last month, Saudi King Abdullah has given the KSA’s women the right to vote for first time in nationwide local elections and to run as candidates in municipal polls. Last Monday, the Council of Ministers decided to implement a new regulation to support employment opportunities for Saudi women job seekers. ArabNews said that the payment of this unemployment allowance activates existing laws and regulations1.
But changing mindset is not easy. In June 2011, a campaign to end an anomaly under which only men could sell lingerie to women in Saudi Arabia has been won after a women media campaign on FaceBook2 and a direct intervention by the King. Whereas conservatives remain against female shopkeeper, this feminization shift will reduce unemployment ratio among Saudi women (28 percent owing Saudi labor ministry) and into the bargain “provide women with a better atmosphere to shop in and fell secure”.
