By Noshua Watson
The Saudi Industrial Property Authority is developing an industrial city for women workers, planned to open in 2013 in Hofuf, near Al-Ahsa.
The zone will likely have light industrial and clean manufacturing projects. The city will not be women-only, but the factories will have special sections and production halls for women and it will be located close to residential neighbourhoods. It has been reported that the intention is to increase employment and income among Saudi women, while continuing to maintain traditions of gender segregation.
In development, it seems that we accept ‘separate but equal’ policies in employment, education, health and so on, when the objective is to increase economic, political or social equality. To its credit, the Saudi government ministry has resisted firms’ demands that the women be single or not pregnant if married.
In the OECD, there is considerable gender segregation in professions, despite relatively high female labour force participation. Gender segregation, plus time away from the workforce for care-giving, leads to the persistence of the wage gap between men and women. In order to evaluate the Saudi case, we need to see what happens. Does the disparity between male and female employment and wages decrease? Is there an increase in female ownership or entrepreneurship? What effect will this have on female schooling or maternal and child health?
The real question is, is this a stop-gap to preserve power or a genuine step towards societal wellbeing?
5 comments:
Growing in a society with equal gender rights and privileges, it would be difficult for us to understand the ways Saudi Arabia implements their policies on women. Taking the initiative to provide women with the same privileges in consideration of their tradition and culture is an indicator of development. Later on, their government will realize that they will get better income if they don't have gender issues. On a side note, women who have the edge can invest in properties, like what most young entrepreneurs back home do with perth investment property.
I hope that the government can do this for the women in the Philippines as well. I want to see improvements real estate Philippines too. I think that their idea is really great and can be implemented to other countries too. A little adjustment is to be made if a strict government wants to apply this idea.
In my opinion, women should be treated equally with men. It is because women can do now what men can do especially on industrial work like making glass splashbacks.
Ms. Campbell is right. It is good that Saudi Arabia is now taking small, measured steps towards equalizing the economic potential of their citizens.
Every big development and success starts from small steps. This is what all those successful company/people did to achieve what they have now.
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