Women and Education in Saudi Arabia: Challenges and Achievements.

The historical socio-economic and political conditions of Saudi Arabia are an essential aspect of understanding a woman’s position in Saudi society. The persistence of women’s exclusion from public life in contemporary Saudi Arabia is one of the most heated debates not only among Muslims but also worldwide, as Saudi society comes under more and more scrutiny internationally. In 1980, there were more female graduates in the humanities than male. University women could study most of the same subjects as their male counterparts except those, which might lead to their mixing with men. This paper explores some of the restraints and achievements of women in the field of education in Saudi Arabia today.

[1]  Andrzej Kapiszewski Nationals and expatriates : population and labour dilemmas of the Gulf Cooperation Council States , 2001 .

[2]  Jamal A. Badawi Gender Equity in Islam: Basic Principles , 1995 .

[3]  J. Sasson Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia , 1992 .

[4]  Saudi Arabia. Wizārat al-Takhṭīṭ Seventh development plan : 1420/21-1424/25 A.H., 2000-2004 A.D. , 2000 .

[5]  H. Jawad,et al.  The Rights of Women in Islam: An Authentic Approach , 1998 .

[6]  E. A. Doumato Women and Work in Saudi Arabia: How Flexible Are Islamic Margins? , 1999 .

[7]  Michaela Prokop,et al.  Saudi Arabia: The politics of education , 2003 .

[8]  Fadia Faqir Feminism and Islam: legal and literary perspectives , 1997 .

[9]  Veiled Sentiments : Honor and Poetry in a Bedouin Society , 1986 .

[10]  D. Smith,et al.  The everyday world as problematic , 1987 .

[11]  M. Hegland Women and Words in Saudi Arabia: The Politics of Literary Discourse , 1997 .

[12]  G. Mehran The Paradox of Tradition and Modernity in Female Education in the Islamic Republic of Iran , 2003, Comparative Education Review.

[13]  H. Afshar Women in the Middle East: perceptions, realities and struggles for liberation. , 1993 .

[14]  Soraya Altorki Women in Saudi Arabia: Ideology and Behavior Among the Elite , 1987 .

[15]  Jan Goodwin Price of Honor: Muslim Women Lift the Veil of Silence on the Islamic World , 1994 .

[16]  Eleanor Abdella Doumato,et al.  Getting God's Ear: Women, Islam, and Healing in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf , 2000 .

[17]  Mona Almunajjed Women in Saudi Arabia Today , 1997 .

[18]  C. F. El‐Solh,et al.  Muslim women's choices : religious belief and social reality , 1995 .

[19]  Nagat El-Sanabary Female Education in Saudi Arabia and the Reproduction of Gender Division , 1994 .