Reflecting the national will and great gains for women in the Kingdom, the declaration of Riyadh as the capital of Arab women keeps pace with the reforms in the march of Saudi women, Saudi women have made steady steps towards social empowerment, after issuing many decisions, legislations and regulations that enhance their status and protect their personal and social rights, and ensure their participation in the development and decision-making system, thanks to the care and support given by the government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz – may God protect him – and his Crown Prince to the file of women’s empowerment according to the ambitious 2030 vision of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The gains and successes achieved by Saudi women in many fields came in line with the declaration of Riyadh as the capital of Arab women, in which the Kingdom took the lead at the regional level, to support the march and enhance the status of Arab women in the development and social movement at the level of Arab countries.
Saudi women successfully spearheaded ways to make the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development a success, empower women in the Arab region, and develop cooperation mechanisms with relevant international organizations, during the meeting of the 39th session of the Arab Women’s Committee held in Riyadh under the umbrella of the League of Arab States, in the presence of ministers and heads of delegations of Arab countries, national mechanisms concerned with women, and delegations from Arab and international organizations.
However, the Kingdom’s full belief that women are an important element of the strength of society, and that they enjoy a firm guarantee in the country’s laws and regulations, constituted the utmost importance to push women and enable them to obtain the appropriate opportunities to build their future, contribute to the development of the local and regional community, and launch confidently towards Arab capitals. The Kingdom’s Vision 2030 and its programs expressed the aspirations of the country’s leadership to advance the human being and ensure the future of generations by raising the efficiency of institutions to achieve the pillars of the vision, namely: A vibrant society, a prosperous economy and an ambitious homeland, referring to the vision’s initiatives, which included 36 strategic goals that support women’s empowerment and facilitate their access to services.
Dr. Hala Al-Tuwaijri, Secretary General of the Family Affairs Council, said that the declaration of Riyadh as the capital of Arab women for 2020 comes due to the role and position of the Kingdom at all levels, its continuous support for women and their role, as well as the Kingdom’s participation in the international community on the most important issues that affect the participation of Arab women in development and contribute to the delivery of their voice. Historical transformations that supported the empowerment of the Saudi family, thanks to the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, led by the renaissance pioneer Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, led to the launch of Saudi women to engage in the regional development of Arab women and represent them at the global level.
The Kingdom’s social protection system, labor market programs, social insurance programs, social safety net programs, and the provision of equal access to education and health services, as well as the Kingdom’s keenness to enhance women’s economic status and remove barriers in the labor market, coupled with its ratification of UN conventions and protocols supporting women’s rights, and its commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), were the most prominent transformations.
The most prominent regulations that empowered women in the labor market include prohibiting any discrimination in wages between male and female workers for work of equal value, according to the executive regulation of the Saudi Labor Law, granting female employees the right to enjoy a 10-week maternity leave, with pay, and maternity leave with a maximum of 3 years throughout their employment service, in addition to obligating employers who employ 50 or more female workers to provide a suitable place with a sufficient number of nannies to care for the children of female workers under the age of 6 years, and prohibiting the dismissal of female employees for any reason related to marriage or maternity.
Diplomatic presence These transformations have contributed to the presence of women in diplomatic work, in addition to their participation in municipal elections, chambers of commerce councils, the doubling of the number of women in the labor market in recent years, the increase in the percentage of representation in the Shura Council, and the Kingdom’s keenness to move forward to support women to ensure their full participation in sustainable development and international cooperation that promotes their empowerment.
At the level of social safety net programs, the Kingdom’s efforts were represented in the provision of social security benefits and its supporting programs, disability care programs, basic health services and maternity care programs, home-based residential and rehabilitative care programs, educational programs, social and productive loans provided by the Social Development Bank on an equal basis for both genders, the Citizen Account program, and the unemployment incentive program.
The government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques was keen to provide housing support services to both genders, while empowering women by providing facilities for those with the highest priority, such as divorced women, widows, and women who support their families by giving them additional points that increase their priority in obtaining housing support, in addition to the Protection from Abuse Law and the Law on Combating the Crime of Harassment, which criminalize all practices of abuse and harassment in all its forms.
The crowning of Riyadh as the capital of Arab women in conjunction with the Kingdom’s presidency of the 39th session of the Arab Women’s Committee reflected the national will to support women’s gains in all political, economic, legislative and social fields, and emphasized the importance of the Kingdom’s leadership role in supporting and enhancing the status of women. In 2017, the Kingdom witnessed a package of gains for Saudi women under the ambition of the young leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, within the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, which included many programs, decisions and legislation that support women’s empowerment and grant them their social, economic and other rights in the public spheres.
In September 2017, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz allowed Saudi women to drive for the first time, in a move that resonated locally, regionally and globally, enhancing the status of women and their social role.
The Kingdom reinforced Saudi women’s gains by participating in elections, with the right to participate in the pledge of allegiance to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, which women obtained and practiced during the reign of King Salman bin Abdulaziz, which raised their status as a key individual and partner in society. However, one of the most important gains that pushed Saudi women to represent Arab capitals was the appointment of Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, the Kingdom’s first female ambassador to the United States, in a first of its kind precedent, to encourage women to hold senior positions, as well as the state’s interest in honoring Saudi women leaders in all different fields, in recognition of their struggle and to serve as a model for the Kingdom’s girls to follow.
A few years ago, the first Saudi female expatriate, Dr. Thoraya Obaid, assumed a senior leadership position as Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), where she managed it efficiently and actively, earning praise from the organization and its staff.
Among the unprecedented rights for Saudi women under the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, is the availability of services to Saudi women without the requirement of guardian approval, in addition to allowing women to be granted the same rights as men in terms of travel for those over 21 years old, and a law to reduce underage marriage rates by making marriage for girls under 17 years old only possible after applying to a special court.
The decision to regulate the alimony fund for divorced women, allow the custodial mother to request a custody deed without filing a lawsuit, and grant law trainees a license to practice the profession, came in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 to support the rights of Saudi women, in addition to women receiving state support in practicing the legal profession, which was a monopoly for men.
Among the most prominent decisions that contributed to the selection of Riyadh as the Capital of Arab Women 2020, Saudi women were allowed to enter sports stadiums, in addition to granting them the right to choose to join the military conscription, and girls were allowed to practice sports in schools, in accordance with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030. The G20 Empowerment Presidency The selection of Riyadh as the capital of Arab women was preceded by the leadership of Saudi women, represented by Dr. Hala Al-Tuwaijri, Secretary General of the Council for Family Affairs, of the Women’s Empowerment Team in the Saudi G20 Presidency, which works to support and ensure the advancement of women, and support many other tracks, most notably development, education, agriculture, employment, anti-corruption, health, tourism, trade and investment.
From the era of the founder King Abdulaziz – may God have mercy on him – until the reign of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi women enjoyed many royal decrees and royal orders, some of which were directly related to supporting the role of women and others were within the system of governmental and civil institutions, while Vision 2030 was an “ambitious project for Saudi women,” reflecting a brighter picture of women’s gains.
