RIYADH — A Shoura Council member has claimed Saudi women are still facing many hurdles and have a long way to go to reach the high positions enjoyed by their male counterparts even though they are being employed in ministerial positions. Dr. Haya Al-Manee said her priorities as a member of the Kingdom's consultative body include addressing unemployment, taking up women's civil rights issues as well as common issues involving young men and women. Al-Manee was the lone media figure among the 30 women appointed by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to the 150-member council last month. She was confident that the King's decision to involve women in the nation's decision-making process would have a far reaching positive impact on Saudi society in general and women in particular. In an interview with Al-Watan Arabic daily, Al-Manee also criticized the attitudes of some sections of society and even some official organizations toward women. “They are now calling us ‘women of the Shoura Council.' They also put on our shoulders the responsibility to prove our merit and worthiness in decision-making.” She said unemployment was the top issue she would focus on in the Shoura. “I will also give priority to the civil rights of women in line with the Islamic Shariah perspective and not on the basis of social perspective. “This, I hope, will help women move from a level where their rights were usurped and their willpower weakened, to a level where their can play an active role in the nation-building process instead of being restricted to the family.” Al-Manee also drew attention to the stark realities faced by Saudi women. “Even though a woman was able to reach the rank of a minister, she is not in a position to get her passport issued without relying on male family members. “If she is convicted of any crime, she sometimes finds that there is nobody to take her home after she serves her jail term. “As for a divorcee, she leaves her husband's house without getting her rights such as custody of children and alimony, and if a court rules that she will get those things, there are still instances when the verdict is not adhered to.” According to Al-Manee, even though society is living in the Internet age, young women are often engaged to men without their knowledge. Some marriage contracts are being concluded not in front of the concerned judicial bodies but in their homes, she said. “The law to criminalize sexual abuse is yet to be enacted even though it is highly significant and essential. “Saudi women are still not in a position to buy a car or plot of land without a close relative to testify for her.” She said she would endeavor to secure Saudi women's rights as well as helping them fulfill their obligations as citizens in line with the principles of Islam and not on the basis of traditions and social customs. Princess Moudhi Bint Khaled Bin Abdul Aziz, another member of the Shoura Council, said she would focus mainly on the issues related to Saudi women married to foreigners. Princess Moudhi, who is also secretary general of Al-Nahda Philanthropic Society for Women, said she would also give priority to human rights issues involving citizens.
