Abdo Khal

Okaz newspaper



A few scholars recently visited the Ministry of Labor’s headquarters and presented a report about the disadvantages of allowing women to go out and work. It is obvious that these scholars still believe that women should not work outside their homes.



If they staunchly feel that there is a stigma attached to women workers, I believe they should take up the matter with relevant higher authorities instead of going to a government agency such as the ministry, and in the process use such reports as a way to pressurize the ministry. Such actions are unacceptable because they prevent government agencies from implementing their decisions. It is also a form of interference in a government agency’s policies and procedures.



The decisions issued by the Ministry of Labor regarding regulating the work environment should be regarded as official. The minister is delegated by the government to regulate everything related to work. Rejecting such decisions or obstructing their implementation is a flagrant breach of laws enforced by the government.



The scholars, who went to the ministry with the report citing disadvantages of allowing women to work, have forgotten the fact that women are part of our human resources. Millions of riyals have been spent on women to prepare them for the market and to be productive persons in our economy.



By preventing women from work we are squandering the funds the government has spent on them, thus obstructing development and disrupting people’s lifestyles.



I say one thing to these scholars, if they do not have women in their family who need to work for a living, they should be thankful and grateful to Almighty Allah. But they should know that there are women out there who desperately need work to provide for their families.



If those scholars can provide for every woman who needs work thus saving her the trouble of going out in the market for work, they should do so. But if they cannot, they should not demand that the ministry prevent women from working.



Such thing is unacceptable and does not make any sense.



If any of us notices disadvantages related to women’s work environment, we should try to find a solution instead of denying women’s work. What kind of person would not let women work and earn their living honorably instead of going astray?



Women who go out for work to earn a living are honorable and there is no doubt about it.