Saudi Women in the Media

Friday, 04 May 2007
2-day forum takes up issues of gender bias, rights

By Suzan Zawawi
Saudi Gazette

RIGHTS of journalists, obstacles facing female journalists, ethics of Arab journalism and the limited training were some of the issues touched upon by Saudi female journalists in Riyadh Wednesday night.

The two-day forum on "Saudi Women in the Media" was organized and sponsored by writer and journalist Nahed Bashatah, head of the Saudi Women's Information Center.
Saudi women in the field of information and multimedia are known for their struggle to succeed in spite of the fact that they do not have a role in decision-making, said Bashatah. "They do their best in the face of all odds, to continue doing their job to the highest possible standards."

The aim of the annual forum is to support female journalists and encourage them, said Bashatah.

This year's theme was, "how the women and the trends of multimedia impact on economic and social development."

The forum, which was inaugurated by Princess Adelah Bint Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz, was a rare gathering of female media professionals from all over the country.

Among the speakers were Hayam Al-Kilani, the first female TV program director; Nawal Bahksh, head of the female section of Radio Riyadh; Sultanah Al-Sudery, a prominent writer and intellectual; Sabria Jawhar of the Saudi Gazette; and Qubul Al-Hajiri, of Ilaf electronic newspaper.

"I would like to make the point that physical segregation should never mean intellectual separation," said Princess Hissa bint Salman bin Abdulaziz, the forum's executive head during her inauguration speech.

"If one adds to this the facts that Saudi media women have the responsibility of reflecting a clear picture of this separate world, one will realize how important is the availability of women specialized in journalism's various branches; economic, political, social, educational, health and sports," said Princess Hissa.

Journalists' rights was the focus of Jawhar's paper. "Through my research for this paper, it became clear that it is very difficult to obtain a list of media regulations. I couldn't even find it on the Ministry of Information website," she said.

The unclear media regulations have resulted in diverse practices in media organizations, said Jawhar.

While male journalists themselves face some problems regarding their rights being violated, female journalists and freelancers face discrimination mostly in terms of low salaries, copyright violations, transportation benefits and protection.

There are no clear regulations that govern the world of freelancers, payment and promotion system, she said.

Another problem is the lack of a monitoring authority that supervises the implementation of ranking scale and structure within a media organization when they do exist which opens a door for manipulation, she said.

After her paper, many freelancers presented their personal story of years of discrimination. Fatimah Al-Anizi, from Radio Riyadh, complained of working for 17 years as a freelancer without being hired fulltime.

After hearing the plight of female freelancers, Princess Adelah requested Anizi and others to document their situation so that she could address the appropriate authorities.