KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 23 (NNN-Bernama) — Saudi women have received significant attention under the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 to empower them in various fields.
In an article made available to Bernama in conjunction with Saudi’s 91st National Day on Sept 23, the Media Affairs Department of Saudi Arabia’s Embassy in Malaysia said that Saudi women have achieved qualitative success scientifically, economically, politically and socially.
Social, economic and civil reforms for Saudi women began in 2015, a year before the launching of Vision 2030 by the Kingdom.
Saudi Vision 2030 is a comprehensive national development plan that aims to transform the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia into a world-leading model by empowering its citizens to unleash their energies and capabilities and invest strengths to create a more diverse and prosperous economy and build a vibrant society that enjoys a healthy life.
“The wise leadership of the country has accorded great importance to women and granted them appropriate empowerment through historical decisions that constituted a qualitative and unprecedented leap and enhanced the role of women in various fields, as women became active partners in the development of the nation,” said the article.
Among the key indicators of Saudi women’s empowerment was the royal decree issued appointing the first Saudi woman as assistant speaker of the Shura Council.
According to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development indicators, the index rate of women in the labour market (from the workforce) for the “third quarter of 2020” has reached 31.3 per cent.
Besides that Saudi women participated in the municipal councils as voters and candidates, winning 21 seats.
Saudi government also appointed 13 women to the new council of the Human Rights Commission and granted women law graduates a licence to practice various related professions.
The retirement age for men and women was also unified by the government.
The government also implemented several programmes that support women’s job stability, such as the “Wusool” programme that facilitates women’s transportation to and from their workplace and the “Qura” programme to support mothers by taking care of their children during working hours.
“The Kingdom also enacted legislation and rules for the protection of women, granting them the rights guaranteed by law concerning travel for those over the age of 21, allowing women to drive cars, issuing an anti-harassment statute, in addition to facilitating the issuance and renewal of documents for Saudi women and their family members,” the article pointed out.
The interest of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 in women’s sports made a qualitative leap, as the Ministry of Education decided to implement a physical education programme in girls’ schools.
The Vision’s programmes and initiatives to empower women culminated in declaring “Riyadh the capital of Arab women” for the year 2020, under the slogan “Woman is the nation and aspiration”.
— NNN-BERNAMA