Once closed fields are now open to women in Saudi Arabia
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Roshan Amiri
- . March 8, 2023
- . Update: March 9, 2023 2:54 pm
All over the world, women have encountered professional hurdles and social stigma, often in the name of religion and custom. The same was true for a number of years in Saudi Arabia.
However, over the past few years, since the implementation of reforms by King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi women have been brought under the spotlight, regaining their rightful place in society and the workforce and succeeding in traditionally male-dominated industries.
The Saudi Space Commission (SSC) made an announcement last month that two astronauts would be part of the Axiom-2 private mission to the Space Station, set for a launch next year. Ali Alqarni and Rayyanah Barnawi, the first female astronaut from Saudi Arabia, will be part of the crew of four.
Barnawi is part of some of the thousands of Saudi women now entering the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics – all sectors once dominated by men. The country’s Vision 2030 reform agenda aims to level the playing field and allow the most qualified ones to progress in the workforce.
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Today, Saudi women are more engaged than ever before in a number of sectors and education has played a critical role in this levelling of the playing field. 95% of adults and 99% of young people in the country are now able to read and write. Saudi Arabia spends a humongous portion of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on education – more than the global average.
The Ministry of Education and numerous other programs have granted scores of students scholarships to attend some of the top universities in the world – consequently returning home with the necessary skills to help build a dynamic and diversified economy.
