Saudi Gazette report

NEW YORK — Assistant Speaker of the Shoura Council Dr. Hanan Al-Ahmadi said that the massive socio-economic reforms brought about by the Vision 2030 have led to the empowerment of Saudi women and their increased participation in the decision-making process.

Addressing the 69th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women at the UN headquarters in New York, she praised the reforms being undertaken by Saudi Arabia under the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman.

Dr. Al-Ahmadi led the Shoura Council delegation, participating in the session of the Commission on the Status of Women, chaired by Saudi Arabia, which began on March 10 and will run through until March 21.

In her speech at the Kingdom's high-level side event, titled "From Vision to reality: The story of women's empowerment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," held as part of the session, Dr. Al-Ahmadi emphasized that Saudi Arabia's presidency of the Commission on the Status of Women is a reflection of the great success achieved by the Kingdom's efforts to empower women and the remarkable achievements it has accomplished in record time. “The empowerment of Saudi women brought about by the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 through the launch of numerous legislative reforms that have contributed to strengthening women's rights and increasing their contributions to society. Women's membership in the Shoura Council is an important step in the process of women's empowerment and reflects the Kingdom's commitment to the inclusion and empowerment of Saudi women,” she said.

Dr. Al-Ahmadi highlighted the historic decision taken by the Saudi leadership in granting women full membership rights in the Shoura Council. “Since then, women have become involved in societal decision-making, not only on women's issues but also on all issues of concern to society, such as the economy, education, the environment and health,” she said.

Dr. Al-Ahmadi pointed to the active role played by the Shoura Council in supporting this process through its oversight and legislative roles, as legislation represents the solid foundation upon which women's empowerment efforts are based to achieve fruitful and sustainable results. “The Kingdom's Vision 2023 has generated significant legislative activity to enhance women's contributions across various fields, and this momentum has been reflected in the Shoura Council, given its responsibility within the legislative system,” she said while noting that the past ten years have witnessed the issuance of numerous important pieces of legislation to support the state's efforts to activate the role of women, protect their rights, and empower them.

Dr. Al-Ahmadi emphasized that the Shoura Council, in addition to its legislative role, exercises parliamentary oversight over the performance of government agencies by discussing their annual reports and issuing decisions regarding them. “Women have been the focus of many of the council's decisions that call for expanding employment opportunities for women in various sectors, protecting their rights, and demanding their inclusion in leadership and decision-making positions across all sectors,” she added.

During the UN session of the Commission on the Status of Women, Shoura Council member Princess Dr. Al-Jawhara bint Fahd Al-Saud participated in an event titled "The Economic empowerment of women and their contribution to economic and social development." In her speech, Princess Al-Jawhara shed light on the Kingdom's efforts to empower Saudi women and enhance their role in economic and social development by expanding employment opportunities for women and increasing their participation in the labor market, by empowering them to assume leadership positions in the public and private sectors, in addition to her active membership in the Shoura Council.

Shoura Council member Dr. Amal Al-Hazani also participated in a session dedicated to discussing the promotion of gender equality and women's empowerment through science and technology. Dr. Al-Hazani highlighted the qualitative leap in empowering Saudi women in the technology sector and their contributions to it, in addition to the international initiatives adopted by the Kingdom related to the sector, which aim to hone the skills of more than 25,000 women from around the world.