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Riyadh: A source at the Saudi Shura Council has denied recent press reports about the move to set up a national women's committee under the Shura to discuss issues concerning women in the kingdom. "These reports were baseless. Any one of the women mentioned in the report was neither contacted by the Shura to inform about formation of the committee nor do they know about such a committee," said the source. Abdul Rahman Al Sughair, director general of public relations and media at the Shura Council, told Gulf News that the Shura had sought opinions of some leading women specialists about some programmes pertaining to the situation of women in society.
"However, no committee for women has so far been formed. The topic is still an idea in its initial stage. There was only one meeting held so far in this respect and no name of any woman has been proposed," he said. According to Abdul Rahman Al Sughair, the role of such a committee, if formed, will be that of a consultative one on all issues concerning women and that their proposals will be treated as those serving the public interest of the country as a whole, especially women. No political decision "The Shura recently invited 25 women specialists to exchange their opinions on such issues. "This was nothing to do with the formation of a women's committee under the Shura. The question of allowing women to become members of the Shura has not risen at all and hence no political decision in this regard has been taken," he said. Meanwhile, Dr Hatoun Al Fasi, eminent writer and professor of history at King Saud University, said she does not know anything about such a committee and that nobody has contacted her with such a proposal. According to the published reports, Hatoun was one among the members of the proposed Shura women's committee. Dr Hind Al Shaikh has also shared the views of Dr Hatoun saying that almost all the members of the proposed committee cited in the press report do not have any idea about the formation of such a committee. They were reacting to the reports carried by a section of Saudi media that the Shura Council had decided to set up a separate women's committee and that the Shura nominated some leading women, such as Dr Fouziya Abu Khalid, Dr Hind Al Shaikh, Dr Hatoun Al Fasi and noted writer Badriya Al Bashar to the committee.
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