Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06JEDDAH380
2006-05-22 14:09:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Consulate Jeddah
Cable title:  

COLLEGE CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS RIFTS ON WOMEN'S

Tags:  KISL KWMN PGOV PHUM SA SOCI 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO2953
PP RUEHBC RUEHDBU RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHLH RUEHMOS RUEHPW
DE RUEHJI #0380/01 1421409
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 221409Z MAY 06
FM AMCONSUL JEDDAH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9181
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNISL/ISLAMIC COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 1389
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 1467
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH PRIORITY 6513
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 JEDDAH 000380 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

RIYADH, PLEASE PASS TO DHAHRAN; PARIS FOR ZEYA; LONDON FOR
TSOU; DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP AND DRL; NEA/FO FOR ERIN WALSH

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/20/2016
TAGS: KISL KWMN PGOV PHUM SA SOCI
SUBJECT: COLLEGE CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS RIFTS ON WOMEN'S
EMPOWERMENT

REF: A. JEDDAH 000374

B. JEDDAH 000347

Classified By: Tatiana C. Gfoeller for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 JEDDAH 000380

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

RIYADH, PLEASE PASS TO DHAHRAN; PARIS FOR ZEYA; LONDON FOR
TSOU; DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP AND DRL; NEA/FO FOR ERIN WALSH

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/20/2016
TAGS: KISL KWMN PGOV PHUM SA SOCI
SUBJECT: COLLEGE CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS RIFTS ON WOMEN'S
EMPOWERMENT

REF: A. JEDDAH 000374

B. JEDDAH 000347

Classified By: Tatiana C. Gfoeller for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: The Consul General's May 6 speech and
participation in an Arabic-language roundtable at one of
Jeddah's most prominent women's colleges highlighted both the
increased public attention paid to promoting women's
employment and the lingering controversy over such moves.
Though generally praised by the Saudi and Pan-Arab press, the
CG and the event organizers were targeted by an infamous
Islamic web site for contradicting the Kingdom's traditional
societal norms. In a follow-up discussion with the CG,
however, the college's patron, Princess Lolwa Al Faisal,
praised the CG's participation in this significant event and
pledged to partner with the USG to hold a US-Saudi women's
conference. She also cautioned that all preparations be
handled through appropriate channels given the sensitivity of
the issue. END SUMMARY

--------------
DIVERGENT SPEECHES ON WOMEN'S EMPLOYMENT
--------------


2. (U) During the all-women Effat College's annual career
day on May 6, the Consul General was one of four panelists
for the discussion entitled "Against All Odds: Women on the
Cutting Edge of Change," which addressed both the recent
strides made by Saudi women in social and professional
integration as well as the obstacles they continue to face.
Her attendance had been previously approved by the Ministry
of Higher Education (MOHE) per direct request from King
Abdullah that Mission officials receive concurrence from the
appropriate SAG agency before public engagements. She was
joined by Nashwa Taher, one of two women to be elected to the
board of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI)
in landmark 2005 elections; Majed Gharoub, the chairman of
the Saudi Law Training Center and a prominent Jeddah lawyer;

and Qusai Filali, director of the labor office of the Jeddah
Municipal Government.


3. (U) In her speech, the CG described her personal career
experiences and emphasized the importance of perseverance
when proving her ability as a professional woman. She also
noted the difficulty that women face in balancing their
careers and their personal lives. In the subsequent
Arabic-language roundtable, she praised the recent progress
made by Saudi women as they increasingly enter the work force
and underscored that women should have the opportunity to
exercise choice over their careers and personal lives as well
as have the support and confidence of their communities.


4. (U) Speaking from her own personal experience, Taher
joined the CG in applauding the women who continue to develop
themselves professionally while also succeeding as mothers.
The well-known businesswoman praised the government for its
recent support for increased female participation in society
and drew on the example of Muhammad's wife, Khadija, who was
a merchant and property owner. Taher said that initiatives
such as the Khadija bin Khowailid Center at JCCI, which
provides job training and employee placement for young women,
served as an example of the types of programs that should be
developed in the Kingdom.


5. (U) Gharoub, however, remained cautious in his support
for women professionals and recommended a more targeted
approach to the integration of women into the work force,
which would include both a revision of workplace regulations
to allow women access to better jobs and community-wide
discussions about which opportunities were "appropriate." He
said that women should focus on fields that were "suitable to
their dignity," such as medicine, management, and library
science, rather than operating shops. This was in marked
contrast to Taher's remarks and in particular to the example
of Muhammad's wife's status as a merchant.


6. (U) Following up on Gharoub's mention of labor
regulations, Filali described a program whereby supervisors
from the municipal labor offices in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam
would begin visiting companies to verify that women's

JEDDAH 00000380 002 OF 003


positions were in compliance with government regulations.
Despite this adherence to what could be perceived as limits
to women's professional freedom, Filali voiced his support
for their continued integration into the work force and said
that this is an essential element of Saudization efforts to
decrease the reliance on expatriate workers.

--------------
PANEL ELICITS MIXED PUBLIC REVIEWS
--------------


7. (U) The May 6 event and the CG's attendance in particular
won widespread praise from both the Saudi and the regional
press in the following day's editions. The Jeddah daily
"Okaz" reported on the CG's call for society to have
confidence in the abilities of women and to trust that they
will maintain their values while simultaneously pursuing
their careers. The pan-Arab daily "Al Hayat" and the
Abha-based "Al Watan" summarized the speakers' comments,
though the former also reported on a series of technical
workshops held later in the day. ConGen contacts expressed
satisfaction at the CG's ability to participate in Arabic.


8. (C) By contrast, the infamous though popular web-based
message board Al Sahat, which is frequently criticized as an
extremist Islamist outlet (see reftel A),criticized both the
College's decision to include the CG in the program and its
encouragement of women's employment, though it was silent on
the substance of the CG's speech and subsequent remarks.
Derisive questions posted by different site members included,
"Why was the American ambassador attending?" "Does this
college respect the constitution of this country or is it
above the constitution?" and "The college is practicing a
suspicious act to expatriate our girls like the American
university?" (Note: Though difficult to translate directly,
the final comment is a figurative criticism of efforts to rob
Saudi women of their traditional culture by exposing them to
foreign influences. END NOTE)

-------------- --------------
TENTATIVE AGREEMENT ON US-SAUDI WOMEN'S CONFERENCE
-------------- --------------


9. (C) In a May 14 follow-up meeting with Dr. Haifa Jamal Al
Lail, dean of Effat College, and Princess Lolwa Al Faisal,
the College's patron and founder, the CG remarked on the
criticism from Al Sahat. She added that the web site had
published a photo from the May 12 shooting in front of the
Consulate (see reftel B) and questioned how it was obtained.
Princess Lolwa vigorously condemned many of the radical
site's postings (including denunciations of her personally)
and noted that one member had previously demanded the recall
of former Saudi Ambassador to the US Prince Bandar bin Sultan
for not condemning the Danish cartoons published last year
that depicted Muhammad in a negative light.


10. (C) The CG inquired about the decision to include
Gharoub in the May 6 panel, given that his support for
professional women was somewhat tentative. Al Lail indicated
that Gharoub had pressured the organizers to include him
after a previously scheduled panelist, Princess Jawaher bint
Majed, had to cancel.


11. (C) Princess Lolwa also highlighted the importance of
women being able to express themselves, such as choosing
whether or not to wear the "hijab" (the traditional head
scarf for women). She linked this freedom of expression to
the continuing development of women's education and proudly
described to the CG her plans to build on Effat's success by
opening three more women's colleges. She said that she is
still awaiting preliminary approval from the Royal Diwan (the
King's administrative office) and will then submit the
appropriate paperwork to the MOHE.


12. (C) The CG noted the USG's continued interest in holding
a Saudi-American Women's Conference, an idea that was first
tabled during the inaugural US-Saudi Strategic Dialogue
meeting in November 2005. Princess Lolwa said that Effat
College would co-sponsor the event and asked for the USG to
coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the MOHE
on the proposal. She also requested that the USG wait to

JEDDAH 00000380 003 OF 003


organize the event until after she could discuss it with the
Saudi Ambassador to the US, Prince Turki Al Faisal.


13. (C) NOTE: Princess Lolwa is the sister of Prince Turki
and of Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al Faisal, who are known
to be two of the more progressive princes in the upper
echelons of the government. All three are the children of the
late King Faisal, who revolutionized the Saudi educational
system in the 1960s by introducing universal primary and
secondary education for women. END NOTE
Gfoeller