The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a religious state, which is governed by Islamic Sharia law. The law promotes patriarchy such that men are accorded more privileges as compared to women. This preference is well visible in the education sector, which allows only the education of men. Women are left out, and this has informed the trend for decades. Educational disparities in the Saudi Arabian society has and continues to marginalize women based on the levels of education reached, career opportunities, and the societal and cultural roles expected of women.
The role of education for women has been to teach them and young girls on how to be good wives, mothers, and housewives. This focus in education has locked women out of various educational opportunities, thus preventing them from achieving their educational desires (Alsuwaida, 2016). Additionally, the disparities on education infringe on the women’s social justice, hence the need for support from the government in promoting a more liberal country that helps equal education opportunities for both men and women.
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Education disparities in the region have significantly affected and limited women’s potential career wise (Alsubaie & Jones, 2017). These disparities lead to different educational standards between men and women; hence women end up getting a challenge in growing their careers. Moreover, the discrepancies are supported by government policies, which place women at a disadvantage when it comes to education and employment. Women also have limited opportunities for career advancement, thus causing frustration and loss of confidence among women (Alsubaie & Jones, 2017). Women in Saudi Arabia always long for the same career opportunities as the men as well as other women in the world; however, they fail to access them due to education disparities.
Secondly, educated women have a difficult time positioning themselves in strategic roles in the workplace (Alsuwaida, 2016). The levels of female education have increased over time, despite female marginalization still being dominant in society. The Saudi Arabian society is unfriendly for women who wish to advance their careers, despite being educated. Moreover, differences in the curriculum taught to men and women hinder the effectiveness of women in specific career paths. Women are equipped with fewer resources compared to their male counterparts which infringe on female empowerment. The challenges posed on women are felt at personal, cultural, and organizational levels; leaving women devastated and feeling powerless (Alsuwaida, 2016). The existing marginalization is brought about by education disparities, which hinder women from achieving their career goals.
Additionally, disparities in education prevent women from participating in the country’s development process (Almunajjed, 2010). Women, who would have otherwise played a more significant role in strengthening the economy of the country hence contributing to the development process, are locked out from such opportunities due to the culture’s perception of women. Saudi Arabia’s culture has it that women get educated to prepare them for domestic roles, therefore preventing them from developing the skills needed to compete in the workforce (Almunajjed, 2010).
Additionally, women are prevented from venturing into the same fields as men, thus placing them at a competitive disadvantage (Rajkhan, 2014). Women who wish to achieve a higher education to secure well-paying and preferred careers are subjected to other jobs considered more womanly, thus causing them to fail in terms of career advancement (Rajkhan, 2014). Most women opt to travel abroad to advance both their education and careers, thereby inhibiting economic growth in Saudi Arabia. As a result, the levels of unemployment among women continue increasing as compared to their male counterparts, thereby inhibiting their potential in capacity building and strengthening the economy.
For the women who manage to get an education up to the tertiary levels, limited jobs are available as they are restricted to practicing teaching, nursing, or the service business (Almunajjed, 2010). Women are subjected to such employment based on the assumption that their female nature would allow them to be useful in the said fields. Thus, the cultural and social perception of women in the Saudi Arabian society greatly influences the marginalization of women.
As mentioned earlier, the predefined cultural notions of women in the Saudi Arabian society play a key role in fueling gender disparities. The organization is religious and patriarchal, thus focusing less attention on female achievement, especially in higher education (Rajkhan, 2014). Women in higher education lack social support, seeing as many universities and institutions of higher learning segregate women. Women are placed in separate classrooms from men, and at no time are the genders allowed to interact.
Moreover, the information and knowledge passed on to men differ from that passed on to women (Rajkhan, 2014). This aspect poses an infringement on female social justice as women are excluded from public life and potential career choices. It also fuels female marginalization as women are considered lesser beings in society compared to men.
Educational disparities have also been affected by cultural conventions and social norms, which limit the subjects that women are taught in schools (Alsuwaida, 2016). As previously mentioned, women and men tend to have different curricular, despite both genders accessing education. These curricular differ in terms of the subjects taught, of which some are considered socially unacceptable for women to learn. There are also subjects which are forbidden due to these norms. As a result, women have little to no career advancements, with most of them opting for low-income jobs. The employment rate of women with tertiary level education is lower than men by half, who have attained the same level (World Economic Forum, 2016). Marginalization of women in this sense promotes social injustice against women.
One might argue that the Saudi Arabian society fund female education as bound by traditional Islam, hence supporting female education (Alsuwaida, 2016). However, the fact that the society funds female education does not dispel the fact that the curriculum taught to women incorporated domestic functions, which advances the narrative that a woman’s place is in the home. The role of education in such a society has been reduced to social control instead of empowerment and knowledge dissemination (Alsuwaida, 2016). Moreover, the existence of gender-segregated schools further fuels gender disparity in Saudi’s education sector and society in general. Gender division is propelled by education disparities, which are engraved in the cultural and societal norms of the Saudi Arabian culture.
In conclusion, educational disparities in Saudi Arabia are marginalizing women. The existence of Saudi Arabia as an Islamic state guided by Sharia law infringes on the social rights of women when it comes to education. Women have a low socioeconomic status because of the lack of well-paying jobs and suitable careers to advance themselves. The traditional role of the woman is enhanced by the education system thus promoting social injustice. Despite the society funding women’s education, women are still confined to conventional Islam as the education system advances domestic functions. Women miss out on employment and training opportunities because of their gender. Moreover, colleges and universities have segregated classes, which also makes it difficult for women to pursue higher education. The existence of sound policies is required to ensure gender equality and promote social justice among women in Saudi Arabia.
References
Almunajjed, M. (2010). Women’s Employment in Saudi Arabia: A Major Challenge. .. Booz & Company.
Alsubaie, A., & Jones, K. (2017). An Overview of the Current State of Women’s Leadership in Higher Education in Saudi Arabia and a Proposal for Future Research Directions. Administrative Sciences , 7 (4), 36. doi: 10.3390/admsci7040036
Alsuwaida, N. (2016). Women’s Education in Saudi Arabia. Journal of International Education Research , 12 (4).
Rajkhan, S. (2014). Women in Saudi Arabia Status, Rights, and Limitations (Masters). University of Washington Bothell.
World Economic Forum. (2016). the Global Gender Gap Report. Retrieved from http://www3.weforum.org/docs/GGGR16/WEF_Global_Gender_Gap_Report_2016.pdf
