The changing status of women in management in the public administration of Saudi Arabia
| Date | 01 April 1990 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1002/pad.4230100208 |
| Published date | 01 April 1990 |
| Author | Monirah Rawaf |
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND DEVELOPMENT, VOL. 10,209-219
(1990)
The changing status
of
women in management in the public
administration
of
Saudi Arabia
MONIRAH RAWAF
Institute
of
Public Administration, Kingdom
of
Saudi Arabia
SUMMARY
This paper
is
a
brief
summarization of doctoral research
which
was recently completed
by
the
author
on
conditions facing
the
modem Saudi Arabian woman
in
her efforts
to
become
a
part
of
the
administrative
structure
of
the
government
of
the
Kingdom
of
Saudi Arabia.
The
first
part
of
the
paper
is
a
brief
historical
account
detailing women’s participation
in
public administration and how it has
evolved.
The
second
concerns itself with those
obstacles
most
commonly
cited
by
female administrators as
having
an adverse impact on
their
job
performance,
motivation
and advancement. The
third
and final section provides recommenda-
tions
to
ameliorate barriers and broaden opportunities for
women
working
in
positions
in
public
management
in
Saudi Arabia.
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
In a scant half century, Saudi Arabia has grown from a country populated by nomadic
herdsmen to one of the most potent forces in the modem world. With this progression
have come tremendous gains in the areas of industry, transportation, health and
social services, communications, education and business. The rapid advancement
of
Saudi Arabia within the sphere of ‘developing’ countries has afforded an unprece-
dented number
of
employment opportunities. Indeed, the need for trained manpower
to assist the country in the achievement of its goals for modernizing and improving
the standard
of
living of its people is
so
great that there has been a continuing
and chronic shortage
of
personnel. And yet, with all the opportunities that are avail-
able in the public sector that did not exist even thirty years ago, the women
of
Saudi Arabia are not able to realize their potential.
There is, however, little doubt that the Saudi woman of today does enjoy a much
greater participation in both education and employment than ever before. Prior
to 1959, the only schooling available to
a
girl, at any level, was private and only
fifteen primary schools existed within the kingdom. In
1960,
the General Presidency
for Girls was established at the behest of the government. It was organized under
the Ministry
of
Education and its mandate was to oversee education for girls. At
first there was a great deal of public and private resistance, but the government
recognized that education of its women as well as its men played an important
part in the future role of the country and continued the programmes. Governmental
Dr Rawaf is Director of the Women’s Branch
of
the Institute
of
Public Administration, P.O. Box 205,
Riyadh
11
141,
Saudi Arabia.
021
1-2075/90/020209-11%05.50
0
1990
by
John
Wiley
&
Sons, Ltd.
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