Mobility is a “main issue” for Saudi Arabia’s working women, according to a prominent businesswoman from the kingdom.
“In Saudi Arabia, mobility is a main issue [for working women], along with expectations to get married,” said Dr Asma A Siddiki, senior director for Special Projects at Saudi’s King Abdullah Economic City, at the Arabian Business Women’s Forum on Tuesday.
“How did I manage? One of the major support system is the family,” she said.
Women’s freedom of movement is limited in the kingdom. They are not supposed to leave their houses without the company of a ‘mahram’, a close male relative. However, out of necessity, many women leave the house alone and often have contact with unrelated men to conduct business.
Siddiki said change needs to come from the top as public sectors give only ‘some attention’ the issue of working women’s difficulties.
“As senior at work, with a team of 11 per cent female, six other women and I are taking measures to be mentors for women,” she said.
“Ambitious females want to excel, but what are the barriers to reaching the top?” asked Biran Lott, executive director at Mubadala, during a panel at the forum.
“The environment makes a huge difference [and] I feel there are limitation on cultural barriers, but more than anything are the limitations are the ones we put on ourselves,” Alisha Moopen, executive director and CEO at Aster DM Healthcare, said.
Moopen talked about the self-imposed pressure of being “worried to not deliver,” which she said is the main challenge faced by women.
“Having the right system [in your country] makes a massive difference,” she said.
With Saudi Arabia’s new $22 billion metro system in Riyadh, more women will be able to commute without escorts. Six driverless subway lines, set to be built all at once over the next three years, are to span 176 kilometres connecting the airport, government buildings, universities and the city centre.
Earlier this month, The Independent reported that many women in Saudi Arabia took to social media to protest against the law that prohibits them from driving. The hashtag #IWillDriveMyCarJune15 received about 1 million mentions on Twitter as users discussed the possibility of allowing women to drive.
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