DAMMAM — Members of the Shoura Council are demanding that women lawyers be hired as public notaries. Shoura Council member Essa Al-Ghaith said the Ministry of Justice has opened new sections for women. "The Ministry of Justice has opened new offices for women clients to get in contact with lawyers and other female members of the ministry. The ministry trained a number of women and employed them in its new offices to ensure that women clients have the privacy they need," said Al-Ghaith. He added the ministry has the budget for 300 job positions for women and it must start employing more and more women in its offices. "Many women with a background in law are working for Mawadah Charity Organization, an organization cooperating with the Ministry of Justice. The women are working as receptionists who receive women clients and offer legal consultations and advice," said Al-Ghaith. He also said women working for Mawadah show that women can work in areas outside of documentation only. "However, women working for Mawadah are not those working directly under the ministry. The ministry should begin to treat women lawyers equally to men lawyers in licensing, hiring and scope of work," said Al-Ghaith. Shoura Council member Fahd Al-Enizi said the Shoura Council encourages women to work in the Ministry of Justice and to be involved in the judicial system of the Kingdom. "It is very important for women to work in courts, as lawyers and as notaries public. In certain cases, women need women to represent them and not men such as in personal status cases. Currently, women with a background in legal studies are offering legal services as volunteer work or by commission. However, women should have permanent contracts under the Ministry of Justice," said Al-Enizi.
