The Saudi Woman Council
I first read this in the newspaper of yesterday, and it came under the title: Imam University Organizes the Campaign, "The Saudi Woman...Reality and Hopes".
I was quite intrigued, since high education in Saudi Arabia is best described as being under development for admittingly both sexes. This initiative from King Abdullah was quite abrupt, and this campaign will go on from 23 December to 24 of the same month of this year.
(It seems like King Abdullah is taking this matter personally. One would tell from the way the news are being delivered. Whether he is under pressure or this is an initiative from his own is a place of debate, but one would think it is because of internal pressure and not external ones, judging from the positive way it is being looked at from the community)
With King Abdullah setting the building block of the new educational city for women, a project financed with over two billion Riyals, (533,290,688 US Dollars or 363,064,288 Euro) I anticipate this action as a beginning step to abolish old colleges that do not cater to the current job market (Read: a Bachelor in Physical Education won't get the graduate anywhere).
The best part in this new action is its attitude: By the Imam college taking the first step, it gives the educational efforts a cultural and religious tone, since, according to the dean of the Female Student Affairs' clarification, "A woman has the right to education the Shari'a held for her,". This is indeed a good beginning, since the general attitude of Saudis is to condemn any feminist-associated efforts and instead trust scholarly efforts that are -to their knowledge- more in tune with their society than "those hateful westerners".
During the campaign, women achievements were highlighted and challenges to high education were addressed. Between preserving chances for future graduates and developing experience to further assist in development, the campaign decided to take on three axises that determine education's identity:
1- History of Female Education,
2- The Current Situation, between problems and solutions,
3- Overseeing the future of women education and how it would benefit the kingdom.
An invitation was sent to all those interested in the matter to join a website that will address this issue:
http://www.imamu.edu.sa/agencies/Dfsa/Pages/default.aspx (AR)
Thoughts? I think it's a grand idea. I suppose it's part of a bigger effort to raise the bar of education in the kingdom. With this effort towards women and the announcement of six new universities (and the attitudes of educational staff throughout the kingdom, from where I experience it), this effort is going very smoothly. Which could cause some bumps in the ride is how this will shift the attitude of tribal power, but I think that is the intention of the king anyway. "Tribes are good, but tribe power is bad."
Next post will be on my first efforts on Soraiden, and hopefully -once I find the scanner CD and install the thing here- I'll be able to post a picture of me meeting a falconer.
I was quite intrigued, since high education in Saudi Arabia is best described as being under development for admittingly both sexes. This initiative from King Abdullah was quite abrupt, and this campaign will go on from 23 December to 24 of the same month of this year.
(It seems like King Abdullah is taking this matter personally. One would tell from the way the news are being delivered. Whether he is under pressure or this is an initiative from his own is a place of debate, but one would think it is because of internal pressure and not external ones, judging from the positive way it is being looked at from the community)
With King Abdullah setting the building block of the new educational city for women, a project financed with over two billion Riyals, (533,290,688 US Dollars or 363,064,288 Euro) I anticipate this action as a beginning step to abolish old colleges that do not cater to the current job market (Read: a Bachelor in Physical Education won't get the graduate anywhere).
The best part in this new action is its attitude: By the Imam college taking the first step, it gives the educational efforts a cultural and religious tone, since, according to the dean of the Female Student Affairs' clarification, "A woman has the right to education the Shari'a held for her,". This is indeed a good beginning, since the general attitude of Saudis is to condemn any feminist-associated efforts and instead trust scholarly efforts that are -to their knowledge- more in tune with their society than "those hateful westerners".
During the campaign, women achievements were highlighted and challenges to high education were addressed. Between preserving chances for future graduates and developing experience to further assist in development, the campaign decided to take on three axises that determine education's identity:
1- History of Female Education,
2- The Current Situation, between problems and solutions,
3- Overseeing the future of women education and how it would benefit the kingdom.
An invitation was sent to all those interested in the matter to join a website that will address this issue:
http://www.imamu.edu.sa/agencies/Dfsa/Pages/default.aspx (AR)
Thoughts? I think it's a grand idea. I suppose it's part of a bigger effort to raise the bar of education in the kingdom. With this effort towards women and the announcement of six new universities (and the attitudes of educational staff throughout the kingdom, from where I experience it), this effort is going very smoothly. Which could cause some bumps in the ride is how this will shift the attitude of tribal power, but I think that is the intention of the king anyway. "Tribes are good, but tribe power is bad."
Next post will be on my first efforts on Soraiden, and hopefully -once I find the scanner CD and install the thing here- I'll be able to post a picture of me meeting a falconer.