|
Riyadh: In a conservative society like the one in Saudi Arabia it is not usual to find women working as security guards.
Despite the recent moves adopted by the Saudi government to provide job opportunities for the increasing number of educated females, a Saudi woman is barred by society perceptions from entering into many jobs.
A labour ministry decision confining attendants' jobs at shops selling females' underwear to Saudi women has steered a tense debate in the local press and Internet websites.
A recent study, excerpts of which were published by Gulf News earlier this week, noted that the number of unemployed females is 176,113 or 36 per cent of the total female labour force.
Opportunities
The Saudi minister of planning and economy, in remarks published recently noted that the eighth five-year development plan (2005-9) aims to improve the situation of Saudi women by providing them with more job opportunities.
He expects the percentage of women in the Saudi work force to increase from a mere 5.4 per cent to 14.2 per cent by the end of the plan's period.
He pointed out that the number of working women in the Kingdom is very small compared to other countries. Eighty per cent of Saudi working women are in the education sector, others are in the heath and social sectors.
Nevertheless the government began to allow women to work at women only sections in the Border Guards Corp, the passports department and the prisons.
Observers believe that the Saudi society's view to type of works undertaken by women began to change as a number of women have been seen working as security guards in some companies and government departments.
Until few years such a profession was taboo for women.
Fatima Al Dossary, a Saudi female security guard in a local hospital, told Gulf News that the number of Saudi women taking up this profession at commercial centres and social, educational and health institutions has increased.
Satisfied
She said the security requirements have opened up new opportunities for Saudi women to work as guards at the female sections of universities, hospitals, banks and prisons.
Another Saudi female security guard, who declined to give her name but introduced herself as Umm Mansour said that Saudi female security guards are still looked down upon, as the society does not understand the nature of their profession.
"We apply rules, check the identities of those entering the building and prevent the entry of any prohibited items. The nature of the job makes us to confront some women, who take us as their enemies. We are doing our duties and we are satisfied with the role we are performing," Umm Mansour, who works at a women's college, said.
A large number of Saudi women are applying for jobs in the security sector, said Khalid Al Mishaan, the director-general of Al Saher Company for security guards.
He said his company hires women to work as security guards in the company's different projects in hospitals, women's colleges and banks.
"They are from different educational background and even we got applications from university graduates," he said, adding that the security guard is given monthly salary between 1,500 and 1,800 Saudi riyals.
Career: Prison guard's job 'sought after'
There is a big rush of Saudi women for jobs as security guards at the prisons, Major Ali Al Shihry, Assistant Director of Najran prisons, said.
He said women who are hired receive a training course on ways to deal with female prisoners.
He said the prison security guard's tasks include, among others, guarding female prisoners, accompanying them to hospitals, following up on the condition of prisoners, coordinating visits for prisoners and inspecting female visitors.
"These female employees also receive training courses on civil defence works like how to use fire extinguishers and disconnection of power circuit in case of hazards," he pointed out.
|
