Document Type

Essay

Award Designation

First place

Publication Date

2014

Abstract

The purpose of our research is to examine why an increased access to higher education has not resulted in an expansion of employment opportunities for women in Saudi Arabia, and how this affects the development of the country. We examine this topic through a feminist and cultural relativist lens in order to understand why Saudi Arabian women are living in such a gender-segregated state. The lack of opportunity to enjoy one’s right to employment renders the progressivism of women’s rights as civil society has taken measure to eradicate such a disparity in the employment sector and disrupt the institutional norms and policies that perpetuate such gender inequality. We will examine the social forces, norms and policies in Saudi Arabia that maintain this system of unemployment and will assess its impact on a woman’s ability to put their rights into practice. The findings of this research study will help build advocacy for the empowerment of Saudi Arabian women in the labor force, which could significantly impact the political and economic factors of the state as well as the lives of women.

Disciplines

Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies | Women's Studies

Comments

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