Most expat women in the Kingdom are housewives; others are professionals, such as, doctors, nurses, freelancers, etc. Sadly, many highly qualified expatriate and local women here, in spite of their will to work, are unable to do so due to various reasons. Some are housewives by choice, while others say they have no choice but to stay at home. However, a larger question arises when this dependence of the women on the other gender even to get the smallest of things done, from a psychological point of view, renders their self-esteem to be somewhat compromised. N. Khan, an Indian mother of two, who is a university graduate and a professional, recently moved to Riyadh. She is a housewife, but not by choice. “I have worked in the travel and tourism industry for over five years. However, in Riyadh, I could not apply for a job in the same field because it is a mostly male-dominated profession. As an alternative, I applied for a teacher's job in a school, but I was sent an email saying that I wasn't a native English speaker and hence my application would not be considered. I also applied for jobs in some other companies, but I was denied an opportunity for an interview as they said I wasn't an Arab or a Saudi and that the post was reserved for Arabs and Arabic speakers,” said Khan, adding that being a woman is not the only drawback here. To some women, not being able to work might not be a big issue because they are financially well-off and do not have to worry about their expenses and savings, but for others, especially expatriate women, savings is a real issue, which has been aggravated due to the current credit crunch as men increasingly feel the pinch and women want to help them out. According to some expat women, there are too many hurdles to cross in order to get a good job in the Kingdom. “I want to help my husband in running the household. I feel as if I am being wasted by staying at home all the time and doing only household chores,” added Khan. Meanwhile, there are others who are housewives by choice, and Brittany Qassem, an American married to an Arab and a mother of five, is one such housewife. “I am not interested in working as my first priority is taking good care of my family. However, I would like to be able to move around on my own for little things, for example, for, grocery shopping, taking the children to school, etc., without being dependent on anybody else,” she added. Suhaily Solastro, a Singaporean, who is a housewife by choice, has two graduate degrees and is an educator by profession. She lives in Riyadh with her husband and son. “I chose to be a housewife. And as my husband is posted in Saudi Arabia, it's the most logical choice here. However, I feel slightly decapitated when my husband is away, having to deal with the gardener, the driver, etc. Being dependent on my husband for communication, transportation and administration would never have been the case had I been in another country,” said Solastro. A few successful professional expat women in Riyadh have been able to successfully balance both home and work. Zareen Ilyas, a mother of three, freelances as an interior designer and her current projects include the Hayat Mall among others. She says she has never felt the constraints of being a woman in the Kingdom. “I have always been able to do whatever I have wanted to. I moved here in 1996 from Ireland with my husband and our six-month old son. I currently work for an arts school and my work hours are flexible. I handle independent projects whenever I have the time to, and this way I am able to spend a lot of time with my family as well. I am quite independent – both monetarily and socially,” said Ilyas. She said that she feels more comfortable and at ease working in segregation. “It gives me a sense of freedom and I feel more relaxed. I have never felt my gender being a drawback, especially in my field of work,” added Ilyas. From the psychological point of view, staying at home and not venturing out or being out on their own can give women and children alike a problem of self-esteem. According to Saman Sadiq, a psychiatrist and a social worker, the mobility of women does matter. “A women's overall performance is affected due to the constraints placed on her. Women need to be mobile in times of need, such as, looking after the children, getting them where they need to go and being with them to protect them. This would motivate their self-esteem and enhance their social behaviour. It would also help them to raise and nurture their children in a better way,” said Sadiq.
