Saudi Women Speak Out

During the Olympics, some good articles were written about the meaning and impact of the presence of women from Saudi Arabia in the 2012 London Olympics. However, if you read the headlines only (as many people do) you'd be likely to come away believing that the participation of 16 year old Wojdan Shaherkani and 19 year old Sarah Attar meant little to the women within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Just check out these examples:

"Saudis Greet Olympic First With a Shrug"

"Saudi Arabia media ignores historic Olympic Games of female athletes"

"Saudi Women's Olympics Debut 'Means Very Little' for Gender Equality, Experts Say"

"Saudi Women in the Olympics: Breakthrough or Tokenism?"

"An Olympic first for Muslim women? Not really"

Those headlines contrast greatly with the comments from a randomly selected number of women in Saudi Arabia (solicited via a query on Twitter) whom I interviewed via email and instant messaging for this piece. All of the women gave permission to use their real names, which, given the politically volatile nature of women's rights in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is in itself a statement about how much this subject means to them.

When I asked an engineering professional named Ghada Al-Khars about what seeing Sarah and Wojdan in the Opening Ceremonies meant to her, she said, "I was proud. They were living the dream I wanted to live...I wished I could participate. I was a short distance runner in high school, and my dream was to run in the Olympics."

Another woman who volunteered to be interviewed, Najla Hariri, responded, "I was so proud of those ladies! But it is a bit pathetic [in terms of how it reflects on Saudi Arabia] that they are going to participate in [sports activities] they cannot practice in their own country!" She also commented, "Saudi society is divided in two parts: one is very excited and encouraging and the other is objecting and cursing. Both parts are waiting for what will happen next."

A 26 year old woman named Ghadah Hamidi told me, "I was really excited; it felt a bit surreal. I was a bit disappointed they were tailing the group...Nevertheless, it was a proud moment for all Saudi women. When it finally came time for them to compete, we all knew that athletically they weren't exactly ready. They weren't particularly aiming for the gold, but the fact that they had the courage to compete regardless of [their relative lack of preparation] is admirable. I was thrilled when I saw the Saudi flag listed with all the other countries during the games!"

When I followed up asking her about her response to seeing the standing ovation that Sarah Attar received after finishing her race, she exclaimed, "The global support for them was thrilling and joyful to watch! They are champions in our eyes, but the global reaction was astonishing! They represented a model of Saudi women that needed to be seen: a strong courageous and determined woman. I was proud to witness that. They broke a major barrier, and they made history, and for that they deserve all the international enthusiasm and support."

Asking the women about what the participation of the women might mean for the future of the Kingdom revealed that this small, random sample of Saudi women were not naive about the political challenges ahead. Saudi blogger and activist Eman Al Nafjan said "short term the only effect [the participation of women] will have is to get the dialogue going within Saudi." However, she also cautioned about potential backlash, saying, "I think that this step will make the ultra conservatives extremely sensitive to any initiatives to start physical education in girls' public schools."

Najla Hariri also brought up the issue of allowing girls to play school sports but had a more hopeful view, "[The] Saudi government approved girls' sports in schools but they didn't say when they are going to start. The decision itself gives women and girls a hope for the future. I think the presence of those ladies in London and all the discussion will lead the society to accept girls' sports sooner or later, no matter what the religious trends are." Ghada Hamidi reflected, "Having women in the Olympics team has certainly given me hope for more progressive changes with regards to Saudi women in the near future. I hope this will change the current situation particularly for women in sports since they lack proper facilities, official domestic competitions in addition to prohibiting sports in public schools."

When queried about what larger impact the participation of the two young Saudi women in these Olympics might have, Ghada Al-Khars responded, "I hope, if anything, this would make women more aware of their rights and prompt them to push for reform." Ghada Hamidi voiced similar hopes, "The future generations of women should feel empowered enough now to know that their gender should no longer be a factor if they want to pursue sports professionally, whether locally or by representing the country in international competitions. That said, I hope that empowering women in sports would transcend to other more pressing issues related to the status of women in the Kingdom."

Importantly, some of the women interviewed made comments they wished not be attributed to them individually about how, when it came to Olympic participation, the men of Saudi Arabia were for once dependent on the women and how this international pressure resulted in a positive step forward for the Kingdom.

Finally, if you have any doubt about whether the women and girls of Saudi Arabia were paying attention to what happened in London, check out the final photo in this wonderful photo essay by Saudi Arabian blogger and journalist Ahmed Al Omran.

The images of two strong, courageous young Saudi women athletes will forever exist as part of Saudi history. If you listen to the voices of the women interviewed herein, you can hear that a bell of hope and expectation has been rung - a bell that cannot be unrung within the hearts and minds of the women and girls of Saudi Arabia. Time will tell if the leaders of the Kingdom heard it as well.

 

Follow Leah McElrath on Twitter: www.twitter.com/leahmcelrath

Comments

[karim banned]

09:08 PM on 08/19/2012

Ir is amazing that Western countries appraise the most oppressed regimes on earth as progressive for small progress of women's right while with the same voice demonise another Islamic country, Iran, that has much moderate stance when it comes to women's rights.

I guess warmongers are everywhere.

[Radam10]

09:35 AM on 08/19/2012

I lived and worked in Saudi Arabia in Jeddah for almost a decade, and our oldest daughter is working there now as a Doctor in Riyadh. I had good working relationships with Saudis, and I think I got to know them fairly well. I also came to respect how the Saudi Royal Family is working within the confines of traditional customs and lifestyle to change their country, to make it more modern and prosperious. I think one element we in the West sometimes don't understand is the huge cultural shift in the Kingdom, from a very poor country where tribal customs held sway and education was limited and religious in nature to a relatively wealthy country with a mostly middle class and rising standard of living. Today, young Saudi students, both male and female, can get education to university level. Medical services are very broadly available and business opportunities exist to a level not imagined 30 years ago. With this rapid change, there has been huge stresses on the traditional culture and family life. We see this from a western perspective and are rightly upset by what we see as restrictions such as on woman. From a Saudi perspective, western pressure is perceived as telling them what to do and they often resent that pressure. Full equality for woman, in their perspective, would result in a lot of negatives. Their society doesn't want young men and woman to be together in the western sense of coed education, dating, or premarital

[Leah McElrath]

06:27 PM on 08/18/2012

Here are two great links I've found to articles written by a Saudi woman journalist about the young women's participation in the 2012 Games:

About Sarah Attar
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20120809132575

About Wojdan Shahrkhani
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.PrintContent&fa=regcon&action=Print&contentid=20120804132046&simplelayout=1

Enjoy and thanks for reading -

L

[Rene Chang]

06:22 PM on 08/18/2012

It was good that Saudi women participated in the recent olympic Games and received many support from women in the Kingdom. That was a great achievement! I worked for 10 years as a surgeon in Saudi Arabia and had the privilege to train the first group of Saudi women doctors to graduate. I therefore have first hand experience of the triumph and problems of Saudi women emancipation. I firmly believe that while we should support their struggles, we must not fall into the trap of being smug and prescribing an agenda for them. Only Saudi women can decide on their agenda and fight for their own emancipation. I should like remind well-meaning western women that it was some 300 years after the industrial revolution in UK that they won the right to vote. It was in the 1970s that equal pay was passed as a law, yet western women are still paid less than men. Legislation therefore is not the answer. Yet Saudi women has the right to be doctors in the 1970s. Which is more important - the right to be trained to be highly qualified professionals or the right to drive? I should say both with the former having the edge. When I was there it was my impression that the present Queen was very supportive of women's emncipation from her press articles. Only the Saudi's will know what is practicable and when to push.
Read about my experiences and views in "Scalpel in the Sand" ISBN 9780956911920.

[Gingerland]

07:27 AM on 08/18/2012

Sarah Attar is, of course, an American-born dual citizen who is a student at Pepperdine....hardly the typical Saudi woman (I've been to KSA). When I see a competitive track team made up of women from Jeddah I'll be he first to cheer. This is just a cynical PR stunt.

[Ningli]

09:57 PM on 08/18/2012

Well said and I agree.

[Rita Pal]

06:49 PM on 08/17/2012

Leah

Here you are girl! Some great blogs Ms Wonderwoman. Loved this one. Did you catch the CNN report on the fact that women in Saudi can actually run their own lingerie shops now. Apparently, it was outlawed in the past.

Keep up the good work!

Rita