Saudi Arabia - Jezebel

posts about #saudiarabia more →
Saudi Arabian Women Integrate Workforce In Battle For Equality
Why Would Some Saudi Arabian Women Advocate for Guardianship?
The Oppression Olympics
U.K. Gives Asylum To Saudi Princess Fearing Death For Adultery
Saudi Women Trained To Sell Underwear
Saudi Princess Looking Out For The Lives Of Saudi Women
Katie Asks Why "Sexism" Against Men Is Abhorrent To Saudis
Unmentionables
Saudi Judge: Men Should Be Allowed To Slap Wives For Spending Too Much Money
Saudi Arabia Considers Closing Down Female-Only Gyms

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the chavi
10/12/09

In reply to Saudi Arabian Women Integrate Workforce In Battle For Equality
Prince Waleed, for all that he publicly does to hire women and to promote equality in the workplace, is mostly concerned with having attractive women prominently working for him. There are plenty of progressive women in Saudi Arabia who resent his attitude towards women - they're accouterments, not respected employees.

Saudi women face some incredible structural and cultural challenges in their efforts to enter the workforce. However, in the time I spent living there and meeting Saudi students every day, I was very impressed with how these women were determined to forge a place for themselves in the workforce without turning their society on its ears.
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divine booty
10/12/09

In reply to Saudi Arabian Women Integrate Workforce In Battle For Equality
Rotana television is mainly a bunch of music channels (a few movie channels as well, I think) that is owned by Prince AlWaleed BinTalal and mainly broadcasts dolled-up women veejays in between music videos. I doubt that it's a very women-friendly environment.

My problem with these places being the pioneers is that if anything bad such as sexual harassment is reported (highly unlikely), it'll make society's acceptance of mixed gender workplaces even further away.

ETA: I mentioned he's a Prince to imply that he gets to do whatever he wishes in his companies without fear of prosecution.
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MIXED
10/12/09

In reply to Saudi Arabian Women Integrate Workforce In Battle For Equality
My great-aunt, who grew up in Palestine and later Amman, thinks the laws oppressing women in Saudi Arabia are ridiculous. She took off her hijab and wrapped her head in a keffiyeh to look like a man so that she could drive a car while she was there. She rolls her eyes every time someone talks about gender-specific workplaces. She is over 90 years old. Love that lady.

My point is, I'm not sure if it's a sentiment felt by women across the Middle East but outside of Saudi, but from personal experience I wouldn't say that MOST women in the region agree with such limiting rules regarding gender separation in public, etc. Younger generations and the work of women described in the article are bringing about - slow - change.
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sukaina
09/11/09

In reply to Why Would Some Saudi Arabian Women Advocate for Guardianship?
Yes, Yes, YES! 1,000 times yes to Nesarine Malik's idea that women are invested in their place in the patriarchy. I grew up Mormon, and lived in rural Morocco for 2 years in an extremely conservative Muslim town. Local traditions didn't allow women to leave the house unaccompanied, and they had to be veiled to the eyes and not speak to men when they were out. Not as extreme as Saudi, but definitely up there. I saw many similarities between the Muslims and the Mormons I knew. I was blown away to realize one day that what had bothered me so much about my church was the same thing that was bothering me about the Moroccan women. Some were SO proud to be "righteous enough" to not "need the 'freedom' of feminist thought". They had so much invested in their places in the patriarchal faith communities that they actively campaigned for the restrictions. In BOTH religions.

Now I'm not any religion because I blew a few spark plugs going through that experience. I have little faith in man-made avenues to God.
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whynotshesaid
09/12/09

@sukaina: I don't know much about Muslim communities, but I can confirm that many LDS women are just as invested as the men in maintaining the patriarchal power structure.
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LadyFabulous
09/11/09

In reply to Why Would Some Saudi Arabian Women Advocate for Guardianship?
I'm going to embroider this: "Give her the liberty to choose her life, and stop judging her if that choice doesn't resemble yours." on a pillow.
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LaComtesse
09/11/09

@LadyFabulous: I'll take one of these pillows, please.
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Ailatan
09/11/09

In reply to Why Would Some Saudi Arabian Women Advocate for Guardianship?
This:

Empowerment is the freedom to choose. Bring up your daughter to believe in herself and her potentials, educate her, and then let her lead her own life and make her own choices.

This is all we need.

Awesome work, as usual, Latoya.
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zpmadd
09/11/09

@Ailatan: as long as it's a choice and not a mandate, I'm in 100% agreement.
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DutchessOfDork
08/10/09

In reply to The Oppression Olympics
Whether he likes or not Bob Herbert gives me a lady boner.
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dianersb was bit by a zombie
08/10/09

In reply to The Oppression Olympics
Guys, I think I might have found something to explain the article. According to Wikipedia (aka the source of all knowledge):
Applebaum is an adjunct fellow at the neo-conservative American Enterprise Institute think tank
Who else is a fellow at AEI? Newt Gingrich. I do believe they have been drinking from same pool of misinformation!!
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bluebears
08/10/09

@dianersb was bit by a zombie: Big shocker. Thats basically the conservatives argument against feminism in a nutshell, hey what are you complaining about? it could be like (insert third world country)!
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Alys Brangwin can't stop the beat
08/10/09

@bluebears: Also: "I'm glad you're not my wife!"
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thesciencegirl
08/10/09

In reply to The Oppression Olympics

I find their choice of image accompanying the article to be really interesting. Are they implying that criticizing our nation's failings is unpatriotic?
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lizdexia
08/10/09

@thesciencegirl: I interpreted it as gentle mockery. I've never seen the term 'wrapped in the flag" to imply anything other than inappropriate conflation of criticism and patriotism.
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LutherNipperkin
08/10/09

In reply to The Oppression Olympics
And black people should shut up about racisim because they're not slaves anymore, right? "It could be worse" doesn't keep me from saying "It should be better."
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bluebears
08/10/09

In reply to The Oppression Olympics
I'm having a hard time understanding the objective of Double X. What Women Really Think? Really?
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BrutallyHonestBabes (aka Mrs. Sarah.of.a.Lesser.Hobbit)
08/10/09

@bluebears: You must agree with them - you are a women after all, right?
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bluebears
08/10/09

@BrutallyHonestBabes (aka Mrs....: I didn't think I shared that sentiment but apparently I do. Huh. I feel all edumacated now.
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Rooo sez BISH PLZ
08/10/09

@bluebears: I know. This is the second time I've seen them come with the thinly disguised internalized-misogynist crazy (and/or just plain old competitive sniping).
One more strike and they're out, IMO.
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dianersb was bit by a zombie
08/10/09

In reply to The Oppression Olympics
Anne dahling, after this little article I'm going to have to insist that you stick to writing about the GULAG. Because right now you need to STFU.
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lizdexia
08/10/09

In reply to The Oppression Olympics
Is it bad that I sometimes agree with sentiment? I mean, yes, being the object of catcalling, filthy comments and other delightful behavior while walking down the street is irritating as hell, and definitely the product of mysogyny (and incredibly poor manners). And while we certainly have a right to object to that nonesense, I do sometimes feel guilty for being upset by it. Women in Saudi Arabia and the Congo have to address legally enshrined discrimination and rape as a tool of war, and I'm going to bitch because some man made a filty comments?
Of course I understand that we should be expecting people to conform to a morality higher than that of "at least we let you drive and don't rape all women all the time" but I can't help but feel that the fact I can even bitch about being treated badly is a product of western privilege.
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thesciencegirl
08/10/09

@lizdexia: Those behaviors all stem from the same problem. I hate the argument that a "minor" act of prejudice somehow threatens "real" fill-in-the-blank-ism. It's not as though we can only fight one battle.
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bluebears
08/10/09

@lizdexia: True. But however mild or atrocious the behavior manifests, its all coming from the same place when you get right down to it.
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BrutallyHonestBabes (aka Mrs. Sarah.of.a.Lesser.Hobbit)
08/10/09

@lizdexia: If the women who have the freedom to protest for better circumstances don't, the women who are not free have no chance.
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lizdexia
08/10/09

@thesciencegirl: That is an excellent point! How could I have overlooked my Gog-given ability to raise hell on multiple fronts?
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SarahHeartburn
08/10/09

@lizdexia: Good enough isn't good enough for me, thanks.
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Trulymadlyme
08/10/09

In reply to The Oppression Olympics
Of course there's always someone happier and there's always someone crappier. That's just life. It doesn't mean something isn't shitty.
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Dodgergirl
08/10/09

In reply to The Oppression Olympics
Honestly, this type of rhetoric infuriates me. It always seems to rest on the idea that because the United States is supposed to hold up the ideas of equality and freedom as primary goals, it is incapable of failing at achieving those goals. What an insult to those ideals that people think this is the best we can do.
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