RIYADH – While government agencies have repeatedly stressed that they are working on creating new job opportunities for Saudi women in sectors other than education and health, new statistics indicate that the employment rate among women workforce in the public sector, which is estimated to be 29.6 percent, is stagnant. The 2010-2011 annual report issued by the Ministry of Civil Service indicated that there was a single female employed in the diplomatic corps while there were 973 males among the diplomatic personnel. Women do not hold positions in courts and bureaus of investigation and prosecution as these positions are predominantly male, according to the ministry's report. However, women outnumbered men in the education sector – there are 230,000 female employees compared with 211,000 male ones. The report said that the number of male officials holding governmental positions was 589,000, constituting 66.6 percent, while that of female officials was 280,000, the majority of which were in education and health sectors. Men control 1,555 positions for judges and 1713 positions for investigators with the bureaus of investigation and prosecution. Even in the health sector male staff members outnumber female staff – 25,000 female healthcare professionals against 53,000 male ones. The highest rank a woman has reached in the public sector was grade 13. There are only five women holding grade 12 positions in the public sector. — SG
