American writer James Baldwin explained that education was “designed to perpetuate the aims of society…to create in a person the ability to look at the world for himself, to make his own decision…To ask questions of the universe…[and] is the way he achieves his own identity” (Baldwin 326). Education allows young men and women to gain skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to benefit the society, yet in many countries, specifically Saudi Arabia, their education system is gender bias against women. The Global Gender Gap assesses equality between men and women in several countries, and Saudi Arabia was ranked 131 out of 135 (Buchanan). Education is highly valued in Islam, and Islamic law actually acknowledges the sacred duty of girls’ education.
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Marriage is a significant factor that prevents women from pursuing education. Although there is no minimum age of marriage in Saudi Arabia, the onset of puberty for girls is considered an appropriate age for marriage. Forcing young girls to marry young restricts their freedom to education and eventually a potential career. In reality, the real purpose of educational advancement was not for women to work but because of the fear that men would marry foreigners to avoid marrying uneducated Saudi women. Education for women was meant to benefit the men and Saudi Arabia as a country. Due to the high unemployment rate, there was political pressure to ensure that males kept their jobs rather than encouraging women to enter the workforce (Drury). Saudis have “effectively forbidden education in fields such as engineering and law… [Women] can teach and provide medical care to other women but are denied almost all other government jobs…they must work segregated from men and in practice are barred from advancement” (Beyer). Even with advancements in access to education, women are still prevented from achieving their full potential and live under the control of …show more content…
In 2005, King Abdullah implemented an overseas scholarship program where 20% of participants were women. Despite the fact that the scholarship program allowed women study abroad, they required the permission and presence of a male guardian. Others argued that the purpose of the program was to create better relations with other countries, particularly the United States as this was after 9/11. The program was meant to persuade other countries that Saudi women were given their freedom so Saudi Arabia would avoid pressure from Western countries to change—women acted as “ambassadors” for Saudi Arabia. In the end, any change is progress towards a free society. As a result of the educational progress, “women’s participation rates are actually tripling over the past few decades and women taking on new types of professions” (Drury). One example of progress for female education is the establishment of the Nescot Consortium Jeddah Female College of Excellence, opened in September 2015 and is the first all-female college in Saudi Arabia. Headed by a female principal, this college marks a monumental yet slow cultural change. In spite of investment in female education, employment is still an obstacle for women to tackle. “Although 60 per cent of graduates in Saudi Arabia are female, only 17 per cent of these women are in the job market. These
Marriage is a significant factor that prevents women from pursuing education. Although there is no minimum age of marriage in Saudi Arabia, the onset of puberty for girls is considered an appropriate age for marriage. Forcing young girls to marry young restricts their freedom to education and eventually a potential career. In reality, the real purpose of educational advancement was not for women to work but because of the fear that men would marry foreigners to avoid marrying uneducated Saudi women. Education for women was meant to benefit the men and Saudi Arabia as a country. Due to the high unemployment rate, there was political pressure to ensure that males kept their jobs rather than encouraging women to enter the workforce (Drury). Saudis have “effectively forbidden education in fields such as engineering and law… [Women] can teach and provide medical care to other women but are denied almost all other government jobs…they must work segregated from men and in practice are barred from advancement” (Beyer). Even with advancements in access to education, women are still prevented from achieving their full potential and live under the control of …show more content…
In 2005, King Abdullah implemented an overseas scholarship program where 20% of participants were women. Despite the fact that the scholarship program allowed women study abroad, they required the permission and presence of a male guardian. Others argued that the purpose of the program was to create better relations with other countries, particularly the United States as this was after 9/11. The program was meant to persuade other countries that Saudi women were given their freedom so Saudi Arabia would avoid pressure from Western countries to change—women acted as “ambassadors” for Saudi Arabia. In the end, any change is progress towards a free society. As a result of the educational progress, “women’s participation rates are actually tripling over the past few decades and women taking on new types of professions” (Drury). One example of progress for female education is the establishment of the Nescot Consortium Jeddah Female College of Excellence, opened in September 2015 and is the first all-female college in Saudi Arabia. Headed by a female principal, this college marks a monumental yet slow cultural change. In spite of investment in female education, employment is still an obstacle for women to tackle. “Although 60 per cent of graduates in Saudi Arabia are female, only 17 per cent of these women are in the job market. These