Women and Gender

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Internal Political Realignment Targets Saudi Women Activists

On June 24, Saudi women will be allowed to operate their own cars, ending the ban on women driving and effecting a momentous change in the conservative kingdom.

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Cracking the Glass Ceiling: Gulf Women in Manufacturing

This post is part of a series examining women’s labor force participation in the Gulf Arab states, including areas of growth and challenges facing women in the Gulf.

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Cracking the Glass Ceiling: Gulf Women in the Police

Saudi Arabia has recently announced decisions allowing women to apply for jobs in air traffic control, the traffic police, and the military, and to positions as investigators at the public prosecutor’s office. These decisions are made in line with Saudi Vision 2030, to increase women’s participation in the workforce from 22 to 30 percent.

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Cracking the Glass Ceiling: Gulf Women in Health Care

For many conservative people in the Gulf Arab states, practicing medicine as a woman is still unacceptable.

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Cracking the Glass Ceiling: Arab Women in Technology

Globally, computer science and information technology majors in universities are dominated by men. However, in the Middle East, 40 percent of university students specializing in computer science and IT are women.

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Bisklayta: Pedaling through Hurdles in Saudi Arabia

Nadeemah Abulaynain started riding her bicycle in her Jeddah neighborhood and, through Instagram, slowly attracted other women to join her.

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Dar Al Aseel: Abaya Design for the Gulf Power Woman

One of Oman’s most acclaimed fashion designers, Amal Al Raisi, stumbled upon design after shopping for a wedding dress.

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Saudi Women’s Online Activism: One Year of the “I Am My Own Guardian” Campaign

This paper is an overview of the women’s campaign against the male guardianship system in Saudi Arabia and a window into the new landscape of media activism.

Continued Progress in Saudi Economic Diversification

Efforts to diversify the Saudi economy continued to bear fruit in 2023, although oil is still the dominant economic force.

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Through its careful examination of the forces shaping the evolution of Gulf societies and the new generation of emerging leaders, AGSIW facilitates a richer understanding of the role the countries in this key geostrategic region can be expected to play in the 21st century.

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