Saudi urged to allow mixed-gender jobs

A Saudi activist urged the conservative Moslem Gulf Kingdom to allow large-scale mixed-gender jobs, saying there is no factory in the world relying only on women, according to local newspapers.

“We (Saudi Arabia) just want to run against the current,” Aisha Nittu told a women’s con ference in the eastern town of Khobar.

Nittu said she was strongly opposed to government plans to restrict jobs at lingerie and other female accessories shops to women.

“I am strictly against this move…there is no factory or industrial city in the world relying only on women…men and women are supposed to work together and this is inevitable in all countries…I don’t think that it is a shame for a man to work at a lingerie shop,” she said.

Another speaker at the conference criticised the government for banning women from driving cars, saying this is hindering them from taking jobs.

“Driving is banned for women…public transport is not available all the time and communications allowances for employees are only SR300 a month…many Saudi women can’t afford having a private driver….so how can the Ministry of Labour tackle the female job crisis,” she said.

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