Under pressure from the
International Labor Organization (ILO), the Saudi Ministry of Labor has dropped
a clause which protected women workers from hazardous and dangerous jobs,
Makkah Arabic daily quoted a source as saying on Sunday.
The
source said the ministry had adopted Article 149 of the ILO Labor Law by adding
a clause which assured women equal job opportunities as men as long as the
occupation is not dangerous or risky for them.
But
the ILO was not pleased with the amendment claiming that it diluted the Article
by limiting work opportunities for women.
“The
minister disagreed with ILO’s comments. He did not find the Saudi Labor Law
treating women unequally to men in any way. Rather it protects women’s
femininity,” said the source.
But
despite the disagreement the minister had to delete the clause, the ministry’s
source told the newspaper.
“Saudi
women are highly empowered in the Kingdom. They are free to occupy managerial
positions and start their own businesses. Women can occupy leading positions in
all sectors and fields,” said the source.
He
also said that women are leaders in the public sector and in political affairs.
“Women have the right to run for municipal elections and vote. They are also
members of the Shoura Council and other important bodies in the Kingdom,” said
the source.
The
government has even announced plans to form a “woman friendly” city in the
Eastern Province of Hofuf to bolster employment opportunities for women without
transgressing religious boundaries.
The
Labor Ministry has also pushed through a “feminization” program that has
included replacing the men who work in sales at lingerie stores with women.
Of
Saudi Arabia’s population of 28 million, 45 percent are women. About 57 percent
of Saudi women have university degrees, according to a study by Oxford
Strategic Consulting.
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