JIDDAH, Saudi Arabia — Discussing the role and rights of women in this highly conservative kingdom is a touchy subject, whether one is speaking to a man or a woman.
Although it is country where women are a majority of the population and account for more university degrees than men, they have few of the rights that those in the West take for granted.
Women are not allowed to study any subject they want — law and engineering, for example, are closed to them. They cannot vote, travel without the explicit approval of the husband or a male guardian, drive, or work in most government offices. Even when hired to work in a private office, they usually are put in a separate room from men.
And what has attracted the most attention from human rights and feminist groups in the West perhaps is that women have to wear “abayas,” neck-to-ankle black robes, and cover their hair with a black kerchief.
Saudi women say that although they welcome some pressure from outside on their conservative government to give women more rights, the emphasis is often on religious matters that are not as important to them as other social and political rights.
Samar Fatani, one of the Saudi women active in promoting women’s rights, says people in this birthplace of Islam are conservative by nature and there is little room for discussion when it comes to the abaya.
“I don’t think the abaya is an issue in our country. We really value our Islamic traditions. And Saudi Arabia has a special place in the Muslim world, so I think as Muslims, we need to set an example. There is no debate over that issue.”
Maybe, maybe not.
Already there are women on the streets, in shopping malls, upper-class restaurants or private offices who waste little time loosening their cover or taking off their kerchief when they can. In many places, simple and loose covers have given place to tight, artsy ones, and many women openly talk about the day when they can choose lighter colors, not just black.
Women caused a political and social storm in January when many of them — with the blessing of the government, which sponsored the event — wore dresses instead of abayas, took off their kerchiefs and mingled with men at an international economic conference in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia’s second largest city.
The Jiddah Economic Forum included notables such as former President Bill Clinton, and the opening speech was given by Lubna Oyalan, the woman who leads one of the largest private-sector companies in Saudi Arabia.
The conference provoked an uproar from religious conservatives, who said women had gone too far. The country’s highest religious authority, the mufti, issued an edict condemning their behavior, saying women should adhere to modesty in this holy land.
“I warn against the dire consequences [of such events],” said the mufti, Sheik Abdul Aziz Al Sheik. “What is even more painful is that such outrageous behavior should have happened in Saudi Arabia, the land of the two holy shrines [Mecca and Medina], whose rulers consistently abided by Islamic law without fear of criticism.”
Many Saudi women say that what they need most is not a debate over what they can wear, but a push for social respect and political equality.
Kinda Bulkhair, a Saudi woman in her 20s who was educated abroad and works as a journalist at one of the two English dailies in the country, says that if she could create a model Saudi woman, the emphasis would be on empowering her to contribute more to the society and get credit for it.
“I think she would stick to her ideology. She still would dress conservatively, but she’d be working in managerial positions. She’d be just as important as a man.
“Social importance and respect for the woman is [what’s] missing. It is all cultural. It has nothing to do with religion. It is all about cultural backwardness of men in this society.”
Part of that respect is about allowing women to work openly.
The country has an unemployment rate of 8 percent to 30 percent, depending on who is speaking, and that’s just among men. But Saudi Arabia also is engaged in a debate about economic reform, opening up the country to outside investment and technology, and increasing productivity by better educating the kind of work force needed in the 21st century.
Many government and business leaders admit that Saudi women are better educated and more motivated than men. If Saudi Arabia is serious about opening its markets and becoming more competitive, it should take a more serious look at allowing women to enter the work force, they say.
But female empowerment is still a painful issue for many conservative and fundamentalist elements in Saudi Arabia. Even in Islamic circles, opinions differ widely. Some want women confined to the four walls of a house, while others are willing to give them a role beyond the family.
“We have to force some conservatives to give up most of their opinions, but it doesn’t mean we have to demolish all boundaries,” said Mohsen al-Awaji, an active adherent of Islam.
“We have our understanding of women’s role in society. Of course, it is not the way a woman is enjoying [rights] in our society [now], but it is also not to adopt from this society or that.”
Although Mr. al-Awaji says he considers himself on the moderate side of the argument within the conservative community, his vision of what could be allowed for women might fall considerably short of what many Saudi women would be willing to accept.
He said he would agree to let Saudi women have national identification cards, vote and perhaps drive cars. But he is adamantly against women working side by side with men, loosening or removing the abaya or kerchief, or traveling without the consent of a male guardian.
But not all the skepticism about the future of women in Saudi Arabia comes from conservative men. There also are women who prefer the status quo, and others who say they are disheartened because they have seen debates like those going on now without any gains.
“Well, every time I hear something about that, I hope it is going to be good because there’s been many debates, and nothing major has happened so far,” said Ghada Addas, a mother and working woman in her 20s.
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