For working Saudi women, sometimes money talks
Released on - Friday,18 February , 2011 -12:39 Paying money for the privilege of working is usually something foreigners do when they pay recruitment fees for jobs in Saudi Arabia, but in the Kingdom's southern region it's not unusual for Saudi women to pay their guardians (fathers, husbands or brothers) for the same right. 'We have resorted to this method in order to buy our freedom to work,' said a teacher from Asir province who did not want to be identified due to the sensitivity of the subject. 'I am paying 2,000 riyals every month for my father's silence. He is happy with the money he receives every month and I am happy that I now work after eight years of unemployment. A working woman has a better social position than an unemployed one.' Some women object to this practice — not because they object to Saudi women having jobs but rather because they view this as bribery. 'By so doing these women are exploiting their guardians who do not want them to work or to travel to remote areas,' said one woman who requested anonymity. 'We do not object to women working in jobs that do not oblige them to mix with men. We only do not agree with them bribing their fathers or husbands in order to allow them to work.' Women who do resort to paying their guardians a portion of their salary agree with the cliché that 'money talks.' 'My father does not only approve of me working now but he also does not object to me traveling a long distance to reach my school,' said the teacher. 'The 2,000 riyals I am paying him every month have done wonders.' The teaching profession is one of the few jobs Saudi women have little problem obtaining. However, because they cannot legally drive or live alone they often travel long distances to and from their schools every day by bus. The busing of women teachers has led to the phenomenon of accidents involving the death or injury of numerous educators. Fatima, who was hired as a teacher at a public school for girls in Al-Buqaa, located far away from her home in Khamis Mushayat, Asir province, said she hired her brother to drive her to and from work every day for SR1,500 a month, an arrangement her family was happy with because her brother can act as her guardian, too. Nadia was hired as a school teacher in Makhwah, Baha province. She lived with her husband and children in Jeddah, too far away for her to take the job without relocating. She convinced her husband to allow her to pay her brother to live with her and act as her local guardian. 'My brother Abdullah just graduated from intermediate school and did not want to continue his education,' she said. 'I offered to pay him SR1,000 every month for just staying with me in my new place, and he readily agreed.' Nadia recently completed her third year on the job. Nura, who works as a nurse at a public clinic, said she convinced her father to allow her to go to nursing college on the condition she wouldn't seek work after graduation. She said she convinced her father that she only wanted to study and have a certificate of graduation. 'After the Civil Service Ministry decided to appoint me as a nurse at a health center, I began talking to my father to convince him to allow me to take up the job. I told him that unlike general hospitals, there is no gender mixing at health centers.' Nadia said her father initially looked at her 'like I was a criminal' for wanting to work. Then she offered him SR2,000 a month, which changed his attitude. 'He is now very keen about my work,' she said. 'He will not allow me to be absent for any reason. Not only that, he now allows me to travel for conferences inside the Kingdom.' One of the primary concerns voiced by men who are adverse to granting permission for their siblings, daughters or wives from working is their aversion to women mingling with unrelated men. Husbands often claim they want their wives to be completely devoted to domestic duties and child rearing. Muna, a professor at a local college, has another theory. 'They only fear that we may become financially independent,' she said. But when Muna's husband started seeing that her income was helping domestic expenses, 'he became very appreciative of my work.' Muna said she wasn't completely open about her salary; her husband doesn't know how much she really earns. 'I have to save money to be able to enjoy my financial freedom,' she said.
Released on - Friday,18 February , 2011 -12:39 Paying money for the privilege of working is usually something foreigners do when they pay recruitment fees for jobs in Saudi Arabia, but in the Kingdom's southern region it's not unusual for Saudi women to pay their guardians (fathers, husbands or brothers) for the same right. 'We have resorted to this method in order to buy our freedom to work,' said a teacher from Asir province who did not want to be identified due to the sensitivity of the subject. 'I am paying 2,000 riyals every month for my father's silence. He is happy with the money he receives every month and I am happy that I now work after eight years of unemployment. A working woman has a better social position than an unemployed one.' Some women object to this practice — not because they object to Saudi women having jobs but rather because they view this as bribery. 'By so doing these women are exploiting their guardians who do not want them to work or to travel to remote areas,' said one woman who requested anonymity. 'We do not object to women working in jobs that do not oblige them to mix with men. We only do not agree with them bribing their fathers or husbands in order to allow them to work.' Women who do resort to paying their guardians a portion of their salary agree with the cliché that 'money talks.' 'My father does not only approve of me working now but he also does not object to me traveling a long distance to reach my school,' said the teacher. 'The 2,000 riyals I am paying him every month have done wonders.' The teaching profession is one of the few jobs Saudi women have little problem obtaining. However, because they cannot legally drive or live alone they often travel long distances to and from their schools every day by bus. The busing of women teachers has led to the phenomenon of accidents involving the death or injury of numerous educators. Fatima, who was hired as a teacher at a public school for girls in Al-Buqaa, located far away from her home in Khamis Mushayat, Asir province, said she hired her brother to drive her to and from work every day for SR1,500 a month, an arrangement her family was happy with because her brother can act as her guardian, too. Nadia was hired as a school teacher in Makhwah, Baha province. She lived with her husband and children in Jeddah, too far away for her to take the job without relocating. She convinced her husband to allow her to pay her brother to live with her and act as her local guardian. 'My brother Abdullah just graduated from intermediate school and did not want to continue his education,' she said. 'I offered to pay him SR1,000 every month for just staying with me in my new place, and he readily agreed.' Nadia recently completed her third year on the job. Nura, who works as a nurse at a public clinic, said she convinced her father to allow her to go to nursing college on the condition she wouldn't seek work after graduation. She said she convinced her father that she only wanted to study and have a certificate of graduation. 'After the Civil Service Ministry decided to appoint me as a nurse at a health center, I began talking to my father to convince him to allow me to take up the job. I told him that unlike general hospitals, there is no gender mixing at health centers.' Nadia said her father initially looked at her 'like I was a criminal' for wanting to work. Then she offered him SR2,000 a month, which changed his attitude. 'He is now very keen about my work,' she said. 'He will not allow me to be absent for any reason. Not only that, he now allows me to travel for conferences inside the Kingdom.' One of the primary concerns voiced by men who are adverse to granting permission for their siblings, daughters or wives from working is their aversion to women mingling with unrelated men. Husbands often claim they want their wives to be completely devoted to domestic duties and child rearing. Muna, a professor at a local college, has another theory. 'They only fear that we may become financially independent,' she said. But when Muna's husband started seeing that her income was helping domestic expenses, 'he became very appreciative of my work.' Muna said she wasn't completely open about her salary; her husband doesn't know how much she really earns. 'I have to save money to be able to enjoy my financial freedom,' she said.
