Gabriela
Keseberg Dávalos recently visited Saudi Arabia on a UN fellowship. What she
encountered there surprised her and completely changed her views on the lives
of women in the kingdom.
For the
first time this summer, women from Saudi Arabia will be allowed to take part in
the Olympic Games.The fact that this subject is even being debated in the 21st
century is a sign of just how closed the Gulf kingdom has been. Indeed, before I
went there recently on a fellowship from the United Nations Alliance of
Civilizations, I had never heard anything good about the place. Nothing,
niente, nada.
Oppressed
women, gruesome beheadings, human rights violations: you name it. The fact that
one of our fellows was denied a visa and we had to say good-bye to him in Amman
did not improve my opinion. To top it all off, the women in our group had to
spend the first evening "locked" up in a hotel, as we didn't have
black head-to-toe abayas to cover up with. Needless to say, after that great
start, we weren't exactly looking forward to our visit.
But then
things turned around 180 degrees; not just because we, the women of the group,
finally got abayas and could leave our "gilded cage," but also
because we were lucky enough to visit the Dar al-Hekma College for women. Dar
al-Hekma means "the House of Wisdom" and that is just what we
encountered. We met impressive young women and their female professors, who
explained the college's ideology and introduced us to some extraordinary young
ladies.
Teaching
women to be confident
 |
| It may not appear so on the surface but Saudi society is opening up |
At the
college, they teach women to be confident about their knowledge, cultural
background and roots. When the students designed affordable houses for a
project, they not only took into account the fact that the houses needed a
maid's room, something normal in Saudi Arabia, but also that the kitchen must
be constructed so that women can move around freely without being seen from
other rooms.
Our next
stop was a working lunch with Arab News. One of the first questions we were
asked was about our perception of Saudi women. That answer was simple enough.
Throughout our entire trip, which also took us to Morocco and Jordan, the women
in our group connected very easily to the local women, but especially so in
Saudi Arabia. There are certain values, concerns, challenges and experiences
that are universal among women. It does not matter what culture we come from,
there are more similarities than differences between us.
We were
impressed by all the women we met, but the Saudi ones impressed us the most.
They were nothing like the stereotypes we had expected. Far from being
oppressed, silent and shy, they were confident, intelligent and outspoken. They
were brave enough to take on challenges and fight for their dreams.
Saudi women
driving change
Change in
this Gulf country is well underway, and Saudi women are a driving force. It is
not a quick and violent revolution, but rather a smart, tactical one.
"Always evaluate the impact and timing of changes," we were
counselled. At the college, they are breeding a new kind of woman, one who is
comfortable meeting heads of state and discussing issues on the same level. How
much we in the West can learn from this approach, especially when it comes to
women's education.
Later,
during a visit to the King Abuldaziz Center for World Culture, yet another
bright, young lady said: "This is a golden age for Saudi women. Whatever
we do, we will always be 'the first Saudi woman who did this or that.'"
She said that there are more opportunities to succeed in Saudi Arabia than in
the West, even though life might not necessarily be easier. We congratulated
them for being so active. In contrast, the men in the meeting said very little.
"We have been shoved aside for so long, now it's our turn to speak
up," the young woman said.
 |
| Women are gaining more rights |
It might be
easy to think that I was brainwashed and remain ignorant about the problems
that persist. But Saudi women themselves pointed out that they still need
permission from a male guardian to take up a job or travel, that they are not
allowed to drive or openly take part in sports. Their challenges are many and
complex.
Still, my
perception of this country has changed entirely, having seen it from the
ground. Saudi women are inspiring, and Western women can learn from them: learn
that change is possible, even in the most closed and patriarchal societies. Who
knows, some of these brave women may even inspire in the sporting arena in
London this summer.
©
Qantara.de 2012
Gabriela
Keseberg Dávalos is a Bolivian/German journalist, co-founder and board member
of the International Young Women Partnership in Brussels and UNAOC Fellow 2012.
Editor:
Aingeal Flanagan/Qantara.de/ Rob Mudge
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